II. Rest assured

It was still dark when Rowan woke up, under a duvet, laying down on what he assumed to be a couch. He tried to sit up, but as soon as he did that, it felt like what little he could see of his surroundings was spinning like he was on a merry-go-round. Immediately, he laid back down and put his right paw on the floor, hoping this would stabilize him.

As the dizziness slowly faded, he tried to recall the events of the past evening. The escape, falling and hurting his paw, leaving the city in the rain, and getting picked up by Celester. Come to think of it, he could not remember what she looked like. For some reason, he even had no clue about her species. The only thing he knew was that she had black fur.

She took him to the hospital to have his paw looked after. As he remembered that, his focus shifted to his left ankle, where he felt some kind of sleeve. A brace to support his sprained ankle, he remembered. It then occurred to him that he was not wearing his pants or shirt anymore. Celester probably took his clothes off because they were cold and wet. He then reached for his neck and realized he hadn't been dreaming - she did unlock his collar and take it off.

Rowan slowly sat up again and realized why he woke up. He had to pee, and quite badly so. The room around him didn't spin as much anymore, but he still felt like he was on a boat. As he moved to put both paws on the floor, his sensitive ears caught a faint crinkling sound. He sat still and listened, but couldn't pick up where it came from.

Until he scooted over a little to stand up, that is. With that movement, he noticed something soft but firm, somewhat pressing his legs apart, and a slightly tickling feeling around the base of his tail. Instinctively, he flexed his perineum, which would usually make him immediately aware of the sturdy stainless steel ring of his chastity cage around his balls. To his surprise, he felt no such resistance.

Instead, he felt something soft gently press against his bits, where he would normally feel the confinement of the tube part of the cage. He had worn the cage continuously for almost two years. Had Celester managed to pick that lock as well? In disbelief, he slowly slipped his left hand down to investigate whether or not he was still wearing the torturous device.

Where he expected to feel the waistband of his boxer shorts, his fingers felt something smooth and made of plastic. With both hands, he felt around the garment and quickly felt two large velcro tabs on either hip. The slightly tickling feeling was an elastic hole in the back for his tail. Judging by all this, and what his eyes could make out in the near-darkness, there was only one conclusion: a diaper.

'How did I end up in a diaper? Did they put me in this in the hospital?' he whispered to himself.

Shrugging mentally, he got up. He walked over to where he noticed a faint light around a light switch, but regretted that decision as soon as he finished his first step. For a short time, his full weight had been resting on his injured paw. A sharp jolt of pain shot up from his paw, making Rowan tumble backwards.

He could not suppress a yelp as he fell over. Trying to regain his composure, he noticed a growing warm wetness on his balls. In a split second, he understood he was wetting himself. Rowan clenched as hard as he could, but the strong flow would not stop. The warm urine made the tip of his penis tingle.

It took a while, and a few deep breaths, before Rowan had calmed down again. His hands idly slid over the now warm plastic backing. It then dawned on him that he, a full grown adult buck, had just emptied his entire bladder in a diaper. Even worse, he slowly felt a pressing feeling against his penis increase in strength.

'Does this... am I getting an erection? Why does this make me hard?'

He cupped the padding with both hands, feeling his bits through the squishy diaper.

His ears suddenly picked up the sounds of footsteps on a nearby staircase. He quickly grabbed the duvet and covered himself, hoping the hardness would fade. A door on the other side of the room opened, and a hand reached through, flipping the nearby light switch. A black unicorn with her mane dyed icy blue stood in the doorframe, with a concerned look on her face.

'Rowan, are you okay? I thought I heard you stumble.'

'I did, actually,' he said, blinking to make his eyes adjust to the light.

'Did you hurt yourself?'

'It could have been worse. I woke up because I had to pee, and I more or less forgot I had better not put my full weight on my paw.'

Celester grimaced. 'Do I need to help you get to the toilet?'

His ears flopped and he looked away. 'I kinda don't need to go anymore.'

'Oh? Oh... I see. Did the diaper do its job?'

Rowan tilted his head.

'No leaks?'

He quickly felt around the diaper. 'I guess not.'

'I'm sorry you didn't know. You passed out in the car on the way here, and since I knew you'd wake up in an unfamiliar environment, I figured it might help you not to have to hurry to find a toilet in the morning.'

Rowan raised his eyebrows. 'A little weird, but thanks, I guess? At least I didn't pee all over the couch.'

'That's what my mate said when she first wore those.'

'Say what?'

'You're probably wondering why I even have diapers here, let alone in your size.'

'Now that you mention it, how did that happen?'

'My mate Stella... She has some bladder issues. She needs to wear diapers whenever she sleeps, if we want to keep our bed dry. Putting you in one was merely practical. I'm sorry for invading your personal space.'

'I see. It's just... It weirds me out a little, okay?'

Celester grinned. 'What, exactly? Wearing a diaper, or wetting yourself? It wasn't your fault, you know. I'm just glad I took precautions.'

'The relief did feel kinda good, to be honest. Did you also, y'know... I was wearing a chastity device before we met.'

Celester idly twirled the end of her mane around her finger.

'Yeah, based on what you told me about Azalea, I figured you wouldn't mind me taking that thing off as well. I'm glad you didn't wake up while I was in the middle of picking that lock.'

Rowan looked away shyly. 'That would've been extremely awkward.'

'Speaking of awkward, there's no subtle way for me to ask, so I'll get to the point. Do you want a clean diaper?'

'I don't know. I mean, it doesn't feel dirty or uncomfortable or anything, it's just a bit squishy. Or do you think I should take it off?'

'May I?' Celester asked, extending her hand.

Rowan nodded. She gently felt around the front of his diaper, gouging how much of the capacity he had used. Rowan was still a bit hard, but she either didn't notice or just didn't mention it.

'You could easily keep this one on until morning. I'll help you shower, if you need to.'

'That's kind of you. I guess I'd better catch some more sleep then.'

'Yeah, me too. In case you haven't noticed, there's a glass of water for you on the coffee table. See you in a few hours. Sleep well.'

'Thanks. See you in the morning.'

Celester quietly shut the door behind her and returned upstairs. Rowan looked at the glass of water. Now that he thought about it, he was thirsty. With a few big gulps, he downed the glass. He hopped to the light switch on his right paw, turned it off, then waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

He soon found his way back to the couch, got under the covers, and fell asleep.

A few hours later, the first rays of sunlight gently woke him up. Again, Rowan felt the need to pee, and he remembered the glass of water he had drunk in the middle of the night. As he sat up, he immediately became aware of the diaper snugly taped around his hips. Out of curiosity, he tried to pee in the diaper again. However, it felt like his body refused to cooperate. He tried laying down, sitting, standing - nothing seemed to work.

Standing up proved challenging for a different reason. Whatever medication he had received at the hospital had probably stopped working by now, and he became clearly aware of the pain in his left ankle. It was continuously present and quite uncomfortable. He wouldn't be able to sleep without a painkiller.

Rowan sat back down on the couch, wrapped himself in the duvet, and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, he was finally sufficiently relaxed. A stream of warm urine flowed over his balls and into the padding of the diaper.

It felt like there was no end to the amount of pee. The wetness even crept upwards in the back. Rowan felt around the front of the diaper, afraid it was leaking. The outside was still as dry as before his first wetting, although his recent peeing had warmed the plastic up. He felt himself get hard again, and stopped touching the diaper, afraid he might do something he'd regret later.

A little while later, as Rowan was still enjoying the pleasant warmth around his bits, Celester quietly entered the room. She was dressed casually in jeans and a dark green hoodie.

'Good morning, Rowan. Slept well?'

'The best in months, even with the ankle.'

'Now that you mention it, I'll give you a painkiller at breakfast. Do you need help cleaning up?'

He gave her a confused look.

'Since you've used your diaper, I mean.'

'How did you know?' he blurted out.

'Because your stumbling woke me up in the middle of the night, and you told me yourself?' Celester replied, equally confused.

A short, awkward silence followed.

'Or did you mean you used it again?'

He nodded.

'Did the second time make you feel any different?'

'No,' he said softly. 'Why did you ask?'

'Unicorns are emotionally highly sensitive. I can very easily pick up on other people's moods and feelings. So easily, in fact, that I've had to teach myself to shut off that sense when I'm in public spaces. If I don't do that, I can get overwhelmed. I don't suppress it when I'm at home, because Stella isn't emotionally volatile, and she doesn't mind me reading her without talking. I... When I checked on you last night, I had forgotten to suppress my sense.'

Rowan's ears folded and he looked away. 'What did it tell you?'

'That you didn't seem to mind wearing the diaper.'

He nodded, still avoiding eye contact.

'And you didn't mind using it either, did you?'

'No,' he almost whispered.

Celester picked up his shame. 'Should I have rather not told you this?'

He shrugged.

'Or are you ashamed?'

Rowan nodded.

'Of what? Using a diaper I put you in for our collective convenience?'

He shook his head.

'Then what are you ashamed of?'

'That I got hard after I did it. It felt really good to pee in the diaper, but I'm confused as to why. Part of me says it's because I had to go really bad, another part of me said I only got hard because I'm no longer wearing my cage.'

'Does a chastity device prevent you from getting turned on by something?'

'I guess not. And it's also a bit confusing to talk about sex with someone I met just yesterday. You've been nothing but kind to me and I really appreciate your hospitality, but it's...'

Rowan suddenly tensed up and began shaking a bit. He took a few sharp breaths, as tears welled up in his eyes.

'I've worn that damn cage for nearly two years. I've never had sex with Azalea, because she "didn't want me inside her". She locked me up because she didn't trust I would keep my promise to not have sex with her until she was ready.'

'But did she become okay with it?'

'Never. I should've left her when she brought up the cage, but I was naive and it wasn't like I had anywhere else to go. A day turned into a week, and a week into a month. My balls were aching at that point. She offered to take me with her strap-on, but I refused. I don't feel the desire to have anything inside me either, y'know? She then said we had to do something about my balls.'

'So she let you out to do it yourself?'

'No!' Rowan cried. 'She used a vibrator to bring me close to an orgasm, then switched it off just before I came. I didn't feel anything, but I had blown the biggest load I had ever seen.'

He sighed. 'She then said "Look how much you produced. You must surely like this", and decided for the both of us that she'd keep me locked up. There was no way I was ever going to have sex with her. All she gave me was one orgasm a month, which I didn't even get to feel. She called it "milking".'

'That sounds horrible! And now you're confused because you can finally get an erection again after two years, and you get one after using a diaper?'

He quickly nodded, still crying. Celester sat down next to him and put an arm around his shoulder, gently rubbing his back.

'It's okay, Rowan. Whatever the reason might be, I don't judge you.'

'So you don't think it's weird for a stranger to tell you about his non-existent sex life?'

Celester chuckled. 'I admit it's not a common subject, but I don't mind. What's more important is whether you are okay with talking about it. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want me to know, okay?'

He nodded.

'And before you ask, I'm not going to share these kinds of personal things with Stella.'

'Thanks. Even though the diaper apparently doesn't bother me that much, I'd rather keep it between us. It'd be rude to say "I used a diaper and even enjoyed it" to someone who needs them.'

Celester chuckled.

'There are two challenges, however. First of all, I put all your clothes in the washing machine yesterday, and I switched it on this morning. I didn't realize at the time, but I put your underwear in there as well.'

'Oh. So what now?'

'Well... since you just acknowledged you don't mind wearing a diaper, would you be okay with me putting you in a clean one after I help you wash yourself?'

He thought about it for a moment. 'That'd be a bit weird, but the other option is running around naked, which I don't think is a better idea.'

'The "naked" part, or the "running" part?' Celester joked.

They both laughed.

'It's good to see you laugh, Rowan. I'm glad you feel comfortable with me, even though we met in a strange way.'

'And our current situation isn't exactly commonplace either.'

'Neither will the next one be. Our bathroom is upstairs, but I suppose you'd better not try to climb the staircase if you don't have to.'

'It wasn't on my to-do list, now that you mention it.'

'You know what? I'll gather some things so you can clean yourself up, and then I'll give you a new diaper.'

'Are you... Could you please help me with that? I've never put a diaper on myself, and my ankle probably isn't going to help.'

'Sure thing. I'll be right back.'

Celester left the living room and went upstairs. Rowan took the time to look around. The spacious living room was mostly filled with boxes and stacked-up furniture. A dinner table was set, but there were only two chairs. In the corner was an empty bookcase. The couch he sat on was put down haphazardly, in the middle of the room, next to a stack of boxes. The coffee table appeared to be the only piece of furniture to be in the vicinity of "the right place".

He looked at the duvet, which was covered in cartoon characters of a show he didn't recognize. It struck him as odd, but he paid it no further mind. His attention shifted to his diaper. The soft plastic outside was completely white, save for subtle markings near the waistband. Rowan assumed those were to help put the diaper on correctly. The front of the diaper was yellowed and swollen, and a faded blue line ran down the middle.

It wasn't long before Celester returned, carrying an assortment of items. She put everything down on the coffee table and spread out a towel on the floor.

'Go stand on there, please. Take your time.'

The unicorn grabbed a bar of soap and a washcloth and walked over to the kitchen. Rowan heard the sound of running water for a while.

'There we go,' she said triumphantly. 'I'll support you on your injured side, so you can clean yourself. When you're done, use the other towel to dry yourself off.'

Rowan nodded in agreement. Celester handed him the washcloth and undid the tapes of his diaper. She effortlessly rolled it up and put it aside.

'Now comes the intimate part,' she said as she calmly put an arm around the rabbit and offered him support.

Rowan carefully cleaned his private area with the washcloth, grateful his erection had subsided by now. When he was done, he thoroughly dried himself off. In the meantime, Celester had prepared a clean diaper on the couch, which she invited him to lay down on. After applying some talcum powder, she taped up his diaper with motions that implied experience.

'There you go. Feel better?'

'Yeah, thanks.'

She handed him a light green shirt with a print similar to the characters on the duvet.

'This is one of Stella's shirts she wears to bed. She's about as tall as you are and has a similar build, so I assume it'll fit you.'

Rowan quickly threw the shirt on.

'Not a perfect fit, but I'm not picky. Thanks again.'

'Good, um...' Celester said, pausing for a moment as if she was about to say something. 'Good for you. Are you hungry?'

As if on cue, Rowan's stomach growled. They laughed and went to the kitchen. Celester filled the kettle and switched it on.

'I only have alfalfa bread and raspberry jam for now, do rabbits eat that?' Celester asked, with most of her head inside the fridge.

'That's fine with me. Back home, I wasn't allowed to have breakfast before Azalea was done.'

'Wow, she treated you like you were her pet dog,' she said disapprovingly, putting the food on the table. As if on cue, the kettle switched off, indicating the water was hot.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, until Celester spoke up.

'Do you have anywhere you can stay?'

Rowan looked down and remained silent.

'Nowhere?'

'After a few months, Azalea started telling our neighbors and my friends that I was diagnosed with agoraphobia. She made it look like she was generous taking care of the fragile rabbit that was too scared to go outside.'

'The perfect cover, so to speak.'

Rowan nodded. 'I looked at her phone while she was in the shower once, and noticed she had recently texted with my best friend. In a few subsequent conversations, she had subtly told him all kinds of lies about me. He doesn't want to see me ever again.'

'That's harsh. I can't imagine how that feels for you.'

'I'm at a loss for words. My parents won't take me in, and even if they would, that would just be another abusive situation. I have no money, no job and no serious job history. Oh, and I assume Azalea still has my ID.'

'There is no end to her evil, is there? You know what? I work at Civil Affairs at the city hall. I'll ask around what you can do. Maybe they can declare your old ID void and make you a new one.'

Rowan wanted to speak up, but she continued.

'And don't worry, I'll cover the costs.'

'Why are you so kind to me?,' he asked softly. 'You hardly know me.'

'Life has been hard enough on you already. And, well... I told you I was a troublemaker in my teenage years, right? When I was sixteen, someone helped me to get into way less trouble with the law than I should have been. It kept me out of jail, and made me realize I had to change. When my community service was done, I promised I would one day show my gratitude by paying forward the kindness that was shown to me.'

'So you're helping me to clear your conscience?' Rowan laughed.

'Mostly, yes,' she joked. 'Jokes aside, I'm helping you because I'm in a position to afford it, and I'm grateful for being where I am today. That's why I asked if you have anywhere to go. If you want to, you can stay with us, at least until your paw has healed. That would give us four to six weeks to plan whatever comes next. Would you be okay with that?'

Tears welled up in Rowan's eyes. He tried to speak, but he couldn't get a single word out of his mouth. He vigorously nodded instead.