Replacement Dad

The air was brimming with tension. Adam glanced nervously at the man sat in the armchair, a freshly brewed cup of coffee in his hands. He was a lean, scruffy man in his late forties wearing a plaid dressing gown that he'd retrieved for him after their unfortunate first meeting. They hadn't spoke for several minutes now. Adam was starting to sweat from anxiety, waiting for the stoic man to yell at him in anger. He took a long sip of coffee, then finally he looked Adam in the eye. Instead of anger, he spoke calmly with a bit of grit in his voice. "So tell me again what happened exactly."

Adam took a deep breath, and replied "I made a wish last night, and then it came true."

"And that wish was...?"

"For my best friend to be my real dad..."

"And that's why I'm now a 48 year old, widowed father of one? A botched wish?"

Adam was on the verge of tears. He said "I only meant it jokingly because you're so kind to me, and my real dad is so evil... I didn't know it would actually come true! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!"



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It was true, it was simply a misunderstanding. It all began the night before. Adam was playing an online game with his best bud Pete. They used to go to school when they were younger, until Pete's family moved across the country. They still kept in touch after all these years, constantly chatting and playing games together online. They were almost about to achieve victory when there was a sharp slam from downstairs. Adam's father had come home late, again. By by the sounds of it, he was as drunk as a mule. Again... Adam made a hasty apology and bid farewell to his friend before switching his computer off. He couldn't let his dad know he was still awake. He slammed the light-switch with his palm and dove onto his bed, satisfied that his dad would be fooled. Then he recalled the last time he got this drunk... He tactically slipped down to the floor and rolled underneath his bed, using some storage boxes to hide himself from view.

Under the shroud of darkness, his dad entered the room. The strong stench of whiskey and beer wafted off of him. "Ah-Dum... get up..." Adam risked peeking out from the boxes. His dad swayed on the spot. His suit jacket was missing, his tie was unravelled, and his shirt was half unbuttoned. He still held a bottle of beer in his hands. He fumbled along the wall for the light switch but couldn't find it. "C'm'ere y'lil fucker..." he slurred. "Daddy wants t' have a lil' talk 'bout life n' how shit it is..." Adam stayed put underneath his bed. He hated when his dad was like this. His violent outbursts and uncaring demeanour had only gotten worse since his mom passed away a few years back... Adam hoped he'd leave if he didn't respond, but his dad stayed put. He fell onto the bed and patted down the mattress, growing ever more agitated the more he realised his son wasn't there. "Where t' FUCK are you, Adam!" He reared up and slammed a fist into his bed frame. "COME OUT, YA FUCKIN' COWARD!!".

Adam whimpered and waited with baited breath. His dad was at his worst when he was drunk. He could handle his insults and passive aggression when he was sober, but his dad didn't hold back on his violent nature when he was drunk. He just had to wait it out. His dad would leave eventually, and then most likely fall unconscious in the living room. He risked another peek from his hiding spot to see his dad pacing the middle of his room. "Fuckin' kid thinks he can hide from me... Can't hide from nobody... Fuckin' pussy can't face his old man... Fuck... FUCK!" He swung his beer bottle straight at Adam's computer monitor, cracking it length-ways. The bottle exploded and rained beer and green glass across his desk, dripping over his wireless keyboard and PC console. "That'll teach him..." he grunted before stumbling out of the room and slamming the door.

Adam waited a minute before he crawled out and attended to his gaming PC. He cleaned up the glass and dabbed at the beer soaked mess with a discarded towel but he could tell it was a futile attempt. He'd saved most of his files to the cloud after the last time his dad lost his temper and threw his console out his bedroom window. The chassis was damaged, but the hard drive persisted. However, he could tell it wouldn't survive this time...

Tears dripped from Adam's eyes, and he wiped them away with his sleeve. He didn't understand how his dad could be so cruel to him all of the time. He crawled back to his bed, getting under the covers  and stifling his sobs with his pillow. The glow from his cell phone pulled his attention. It was a text from Pete asking if things were alright. He smiled briefly through the tears. Pete always had his back on and offline. He wished he could be there for him now, the both of them in the same room and joking about stuff. With him living on the other side of the country, however, there wasn't much he could do. Adam sent a text back saying he was fine. He didn't want to worry Pete so late at night. He was always so helpful, so caring, so protective. Everything that his dad wasn't.

Setting his phone aside, Adam looked out into the night sky. He spotted a lone star outside his window. Without even thinking, he whispered aloud "I wish Pete could be my dad instead...", He snorted at how ridiculous it sounded. It was impossible anyway. He rolled over and drifted off to sleep.

The following morning, Adam was peacefully sleeping when he was rudely awoken by a gentle nudge. He groaned lightly and rolled to his side, not ready to wake. But the nudger was persistent. "Come on buddy, you need to wake up..." Adam's eyes wearily snapped open. He didn't recognise the voice, it was a deep, husky voice with warm tones. Curious, he rolled back over and saw a balding, bearded man nudging him awake. Having achieved his task, the man smiled and said "Ah, there we are! Good morning sleepyhead."

Adam stared blankly at the unfamiliar man. He had no idea who he was or what he was doing in his bedroom. When his morning haze finally dissipated, he realised a stranger in his room wasn't a good thing. He screamed and backed away, falling off the other side of his bed in the the process. The mystery man laughed and peered over the side at a fearful Adam, who screamed "Who are you! What are you doing in my room!? Dad! DAAAD!!"

The man's expression changed to one of concern. He made shushing noises while patting his hands downward. "Shhhh, calm down Adam! You might not recognise me, but you know who I am! Give it a little time, you'll see."

Adam stopped yelling and looked up at the man with suspicion. After all, he was wearing a pair of off-white boxers and nothing else. He looked into the man's face, seeing kind eyes and a warm smile. He could place that caring look onto one other person, but they were a good thirty something years younger than the man before him. How could this be? Then Adam gasped. His wish... "Pete...?"

The man beamed and said "I knew you'd get there!". He reached down and helped Adam to his feet, who stared up at the middle aged man who used to be his best friend. Pete crossed his arms and said "So I suppose we have a bit of a problem, huh?"

----------

Pete took another long sip of his coffee. He sighed. "You have absolutely nothing to apologise for. How were you, I, anyone to know that wishes could come true?"

Adam sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. "You're only saying that 'cause you have to..."

"And why would I have to?"

"Cause you're an adult and adults say stuff like that to make kids feel better when they're upset..."

"Did your dad ever do that?" There was a harshness to Pete's voice.

Adam thought about it and said "No, he'd usually whack my head and tell me to man up..."

Pete's nostrils flared fiercely at the anecdote. "I can't say I'm exactly delighted that I'm 48. It's odd knowing that I'm going to turn fifty before my parents even reach forty..." Pete paused wistfully, taking another sip of coffee. Could he even call them his parents anymore? Shaking his head clear, he continued "But I'm not going to blame you for something out of our control. I'm not like your old dad."

Before Adam could respond, his cell phone started ringing. It threw up a blank image and an unknown number. Adam gulped. It may not have been listed in his phone, but he recognised the number right off the bat. He didn't want to answer, but the ringing persisted. With a nod from Pete, he accepted the call and put it on speaker. "H-hello?" he asked meekly.

"Listen here, you little shit! I don't know what the fuck's going on, but I know it's your fuckin' fault!"

Adam started hyperventilating. Despite the light, airy voice, he knew it was his dad. Which didn't stop him from feigning ignorance. "Ah! Uh! Who... Who is it?"

"You damned fuckin' well know who this is. I came home last night and you weren't in your room. And then I woke up this morning in this shithole in some kid's body! The two fuckers downstairs insist I'm their son, but I should be older than the both of them! You'd better fuckin' fix this you little bitch!"

Adam tensed up, unable to answer. Even over the phone, his dad terrified him. Sensing his hesitation, Pete downed the last of his coffee and set the mug aside, then snatched the phone off of him. "Hello? This is Adam's father. What appears to be the problem."

"Wha... Tch... Who is... I'm his fuckin' dad!"

"What you are, is a horrid little manchild whose parents I will be sure to have a long, stern chat with. How dare you treat my son like this! How dare you hurt him and torment him like he were some punching bag! How dare you!"

"Me? How dare you steal my fuckin' life! You can't take over and fuckin' tell me how to live! That snivellin' pile of shit ain't worth the-"

There was a pause as the brat listened to someone else's muffled voice. His tone instantly changed to one of respect. "Ma, I'm on the phone to... I know, I'm just... OK, I'll be right down!" That moment of politeness passed as fast as it appeared. "Can't even act like myself round these folks, s'like I'm cursed t' be some pansy round them... This ain't over, old man. I may be a kid again but I know where you live. Where I used to live. The moment I can slip outta these fuckers' clutches, I'm coming to claim what's mine!" The call ended, a dial tone echoed around the room.

Pete put the phone down and cupped his face in his hands. He felt the bristles of his beard scratch against his roughened palms. How did it ever come to this...

----------

The truth is, Adam wasn't entirely to blame. Last night, Pete was playing an online game with his best friend over voice chat. They had wiped out the other enemies and were closing in on victory when Pete heard a loud bang over his headset. Moments later, Adam ended the game with a quick apology and logged out before Pete could even get a word in. He sighed as someone headshot his character and the game returned to the title screen. He couldn't blame Pete for ruining their chance at victory. It was only a game, after all. What worried him was the reason he left so hastily. It was clearly his friend's dad. The man was evil, simple as. He spent his life bullying people and fucking women like they were achievements. That was until he was forced to settle down with an old flame after she revealed he'd gotten her pregnant. As soon as she'd given birth to Adam, that horrid man bolted and abandoned them. He was entirely absent from their lives until a few years ago when she became deathly ill. He gained custody over Adam upon her death, and proceeded to act like a piece of shit towards his son ever since.

Pete hated that his best friend had to suffer because his dad was an utter slimeball. He often wished he could help in some way, but they lived on opposite sides of the country. All he could do was comfort his friend in times of trouble with a message. He pulled out his phone and sent Adam a text to see if he was fine, before switching off his laptop and preparing himself for bed. He received a reply a few minutes later, confirming things were fine. But the lack of emojis revealed that he wasn't. Pete sighed and looked out his window into the night sky. He spotted a lone star shining bright overhead. He felt compelled to say something. He whispered "I wish I could protect Adam somehow, be his guardian angel." He frowned, knowing it was a silly thing to say. They were separated by a vast continent, and there wasn't much he could do about that.

The following morning, sunlight streaked into Pete's room, rudely waking him from his sleep. He yawned loudly and reached out to find his phone, wincing as his fingers brushed against glass followed by a loud thud to the floor. He jolted up, hoping he hadn't broken anything, only to discover he wasn't in his bedroom. He wasn't even in bed, he was sprawled out on someone's sofa. He leaned over the side and was surprised to discover he'd knocked over an empty beer bottle. He picked it up and examined it. Why was this here? His parents didn't drink, outside of a small glass of wine with dinner. Keeping it in hand, Pete pulled himself off the sofa with a small grunt and glanced around the room. He'd seen it before a few times on Snapchat and TikTok. It was in Adam's home. What was he doing there? How did he even get across the country in his sleep? Perhaps this was all a dream. It would explain why the room was distorted, as if he was taller than usual.

As he wandered, he noticed another figure in the room. He jumped back thinking he'd spotted his friend's dad, and the figure jumped back too. Curious, he stepped towards the man, who did the same. On second glance, he could tell it was someone familiar, and yet unfamiliar at once. He reached out and brushed a hand around the mirror's edge, a feeling of dread in his stomach. He snatched his hand back and gasped, flinching in pain as he dropped the bottle onto his foot. It wasn't a dream, it really was him...

Pete examined his reflection with morbid curiosity. He was a tall and lean looking man. He had a healthy abundance of body hair across his naked body, alongside a scruffy salt and pepper beard. He ran a hand over his head, feeling bare skin and a few fragile hairs. He shivered at the unusual feeling. He leaned closer to the mirror, tugging on his weathered skin with a frown. It felt dry and leathery, like he needed to moisturise. His hands explored further, feeling the silvery hairs adorning his chest and further down to his penis. He couldn't exactly ignore it. It had gotten bigger, and was nestled in a patch of thick pubes. He gasped lightly as he held it in his hand. He felt his cock twitching in his palm, getting even bigger and hardening within his grip until he was grasping a fat, lengthy cock made for one thing.

Pete couldn't stop himself, he began rubbing his hand up and down his cock while simultaneously running a hand through his chest fur and fondling his hard nipples. He'd masturbated plenty of times before, what teenager hadn't? But this felt different. He felt the throes of arousal rest heavy in his chest. And it was more tiring to beat his meat than when he was younger. His breath was heavy as he continued at a slower pace that made him shiver. That was right, it wasn't a race... Pete sank into his mind, he really wasn't young anymore, was he? He thought about his manly body, how he had more hair on his face than he had on his scalp. How his slim body was still lean with muscle despite his age, and dusted with a pelt of black and silver hairs. He could feel a subtle ache in his back from laying on a sofa all night. He had to be more careful about how he treated his body. He wasn't a teenager any longer, he was a full blown man. That's right... He was a man! With a passionate groan, Pete splattered the mirror with streaks of his cum, thrusting forwards with every ejaculation. He leaned against the wall panting, trying to catch his breath as his cock twitched and softened, dripping leftover semen down onto his large feet.

Now that his arousal had passed, Pete took another look at his older self with a strange smile. If he was standing in this room, in this house, then that meant only one thing. His wish had come true! Granted he didn't expect to be so old, but if that was the price to pay to protect Adam, then he was happy to take it. He did wonder how he came to be this age instead of someone much younger. He looked to be even older than his own parents... He noticed the clothes scattered across the floor. They led towards the staircase, a telltale sign of a man who'd undressed out of his work clothes as he sought comfort on the living room sofa. They looked too big to be his own, and there was no other naked man in the room apart from Pete. He scratched at his beard in thought. Maybe there was more to his wish than he assumed... He reached for the discarded pair of boxers hanging over the sofa he woke up on. They smelled funky, but they would have to do for now. He pulled them up over his long legs, then turned towards the staircase. He had a friend to surprise.

----------

Adam looked at the man with concern. "Are you alright Pete...?"

Pete took a deep breath, exhaled, and nodded. "Mostly. Your dad's quite a handful..."

"Tell me about it..." Adam grew quiet for a moment, then asked "He's not really going to hunt us down, is he?"

"Of course not, he's just acting out. I doubt he'd even make it to a bus stop before my parents realised he was missing. They're so overprotective, they'll smother him with the support he needs to hopefully grow into a better person."

"How can you be sure?"

"Well, they raised me pretty well, wouldn't you say?"

Adam smiled as he noticed Pete's hairy chest puff out with pride. He wished he had as kind and caring parents as Pete did, but he had his dad instead... He stood up and reached for Pete's empty coffee mug to get him a refill, when he noticed a photo frame on the small table. They never had pictures hanging up in the house, his dad hated cluttering the walls with fancy-ass shit, his words. He picked up the photo and gasped. "Pete? Take a look at this..."

Adam handed him the photo frame. Inside was a printed selfie of the two of them visiting the Grand Canyon. Pete shrugged his shoulders at the revelation. "What's wrong with it?"

"What's wrong??" Adam scoffed. "Well for one thing, it's us. It's literally current you, with the beard and everything."

"I know, I noticed it earlier. I assumed it was an effect of the wish. You wanted me to be your dad, and I figured that meant replacing him in photos and databases and such." Pete took the picture off of Adam and looked closer. He wore a hat to cover his balding head, and a large pair of sunglasses hid his weather-beaten features, but it was most certainly a younger him.

Adam shook his head, dumbstruck. "But this never happened! My dad, my old dad, didn't take me on vacation at all. He said I wasn't worth the hassle... So when did this happen?"

"Well obviously it was... Hmm..." Pete rubbed his bald head in thought. Then he clicked his fingers. "I know, it was three summers ago! We drove over to Colorado for the week, and stopped there along the way. You almost dropped your phone into the canyon trying to get a good picture of us."

Adam chuckled, he remembered that. They spent a long weekend camping in the Rockies, surrounded by nothing but nature... He paused. Why did he remember that? It never happened and yet there it was! He abandoned Pete to look around the house. There were photos all around of them eating in restaurants, camping out under the stars, enjoying amusement park rides. Each one elicited a fresh memory of an impossible event. Finally, he stopped in front of a medium-sized photo on the mantelpiece. It was the only picture that originally existed. A photo of himself on his first birthday, his face smeared with chocolate cake crumbs. He was being cradled by his mom as she gazed lovingly at him. It was one of the few remaining photos he had of her. But there was a new addition. Pete had his arm around his mom, also watching over him with a smile. He still had a full head of hair back then, and his beard wasn't quite as grey-stained. But it was him, as if he'd always been there for him. He always was there for him.

Pete rested an arm onto Adam's shoulder and smiled wistfully at the picture. "I remember that day so vividly... Your mom baked you this beautiful cake shaped like a train. You loved trains at that age. Too bad we didn't get a picture of it before you destroyed it."

"Didn't you guys spend hours cleaning up or something?"

"We did! Your poor mom spent hours working on the cake, and then you tore it up and painted the kitchen with it! It took longer to clean up than it did to make. I think there are chocolate stains in there to this day... I was a little cross, but your mom wasn't upset in the slightest. She was happy that you were happy. She loved you more than anything..." A tear came to Pete's eye, and he wiped it away. "I know that these memories aren't actually real... But I miss her so much..."

Adam clutched his father figure tight. "I miss her too."

They stood together for a moment of silence, each with an arm around the other. Eventually, Pete knelt down to one knee and held tight onto Adam's shoulders. He released a deep breath. "I need you to know that whatever happened here, whether it was a wish or an accident or whatever. I wouldn't change a single thing about it. If me being a middle aged man means that you have a guardian who can look after you, raise you well, and love you no matter what, then I am more than proud to call myself your father." He pulled Adam into a big bear hug.

Adam was overwhelmed with emotion. He'd never felt so cared for by anyone in this moment. He swung his arms around Pete and said with a crack in his voice "I love you, dad!"

Pete welled up and said through shaky tears "I love you too, son."