(I wasn’t sure what Kid Dean would call his caregiver. I don’t feel he would use mommy or daddy, but considering his love of nicknames, he’d definitely use a nickname instead. Sooooo with that said, Y/NN is your nickname based off your name)
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Dean couldn’t wait to get home. He was pushing the speed limit more than he probably should, but with the creeping fuzziness crawling into his brain, there’s nothing he could do. He thought he could make it home. It had been a long hunt and an even longer drive home. After dropping Sam off at his own home, Dean felt his headspace almost rush into place. His kid self longing embrace of his carer and the comfort that only they could bring. Although he was slightly having fun due to the fast pace driving he wasn’t allowed to do normally when in his headspace.
As he pulled into the driveway, he couldn’t have parked faster. He grabbed his duffel bag and stomped up to the front door, unlocking it impatiently. As soon as the smell of vanilla and wood notes filled his nose, his brain fogged over, tears coming to his eyes. He dropped his duffel at the door and quickly searched for his carer. He looked in every room, finally finding them napping in their bed. He whimpered slightly, not wanting to wake them, but he needed comfort. He decided to just lay beside them. After clumsily getting his boots off as quietly as a little kid could, he shrugged off his jacket and layed down next to his carer, looking at their peaceful sleeping face. He smiles, hands shakingly coming up to pet their cheek softly before he fully buries his head into their chest, breathing in their scent.
This small gesture wakes the sleeping carer gently, their arms coming to wrap around Dean gently. Their hand comes up and runs their hand through Dean’s hair.
“Welcome home, Dean..” They say, sleepily, yawning, soon almost jumping awake when they heard Dean whimper. They look down at him, seeing the poor soft look in his eyes. “Oh baby..are you small?”
“N..no” Dean denies, voice light and childish despite his efforts.
They smile softly, placing their hand on the back of Dean’s head, resting at the base. “Oh okay then. Then I guess you wouldn’t want a bubble bath with a snack and cartoons after then. You know because you’re a grown up.” They tease softly.
Dean’s eyes widen as he sits up, huffing, “No I want that...Please.” He says, looking away.
They smile and sit up, stretching, “Of course, sweetheart. Come on.”
With that, Y/N takes Dean’s hand and leads him to their shared bathroom, sitting him on the closed toilet. They lean over and turn on the bath, grabbing some bubble soap adding a few drops. Dean’s eyes light up at the addition of bubbles and soft gasps exit his mouth as Y/N pulls out his bath toys.
“Okay, kiddo. Pick out three toys for you to play with.” They say, smiling at his excitement. Dean was careful with his choices, taking his time as he picks the best toys. Meanwhile Y/N grabs the softest towel they can find as well as a washcloth, setting them on the counter. After Dean has made the perfect choice, he puts his toys in the now full bath, proud of his decisions.
“Good job, kiddo. Now do you want me to bathe you or can you do it yourself?”
“Um..I got it, Y/NN..” Dean says shyly, not one for help in the bath unless he’s hurt in someway.
“Okay kiddo. That’s okay. I’m going to get your snacks ready, okay? You gonna be a big boy and clean up?”
“Mhm! I gots it!” Dean says happily.
“Okay baby. Just call me if you need help.” Y/N says leaving Dean to clean up himself.
After a lovely bath and playtime in the tub, Dean hops out, drying himself off quickly. He opens the bathroom door to see his pjs set on the floor, waiting for him. He grabs them and gets dressed, hands feeling the soft fabric of his Scooby pajamas. He runs out to the living room, where Y/N set out some snacks for the boy. Pretzels, fruit gummies, and some apples with peanut butter carefully sectioned on a plate for Dean. A sippy sitting next to it with his “juice” (water with a bit of juice since Dean refuses to drink plain water).
Dean happily sits down, exclaiming a loud thank you towards Y/N in the kitchen, receiving an equally loud welcome. Dean grabs the remote, setting the TV on his cartoons. The loud intro of Courage the Cowardly Dog rings out as Y/N sits on the couch, letting Dean sit on the floor between their legs, head resting on the side of their knee. Y/N cards their fingers through Dean’s hair as he speaks to the TV telling the poor purple dog what to do.
Y/N smiles softly as Dean gets a bit frustrated at the TV, mumbling about how he’ll beat up Eustace for scaring the dog, “It’s okay kiddo. Courage is tough. He’ll always win in the end.”
“Yeah but he needs a beating for hurting him.”
“I know, sweetheart. But how about a time out instead? Beating up isn’t good either.”
Dean seems to contemplate that for a second, nodding. “How old is he?”
“Um he’s old so probably in his 60s” Y/N says, a knowing look spreading on their face.
“Then he needs 60 minutes in timeout.” Dean nods, proud of his punishment he’s declared on the fictional character.
“That’s right, baby. 60 minutes. That’s a long time huh?”
“Mhm! He deserves it though, Y/NN!” He says, huffing as the episode ends.
“I know. I know.” Y/N looks at the clock on the wall, pulling Dean up to his feet, “Time for bed, kiddo.”
“What? No! I want more cartoons.” He huffs, crossing his arms.
“No kid. It’s late and you just came home. We can play all day tomorrow. We can go to the nature trail if you want.” Y/N suggests as they are cleaning up Dean’s mess, putting everything in the kitchen.
Dean's eyes light up at this suggestion, “Okay! You promise?”
“Yes bud, I promise. Now come on.” Y/N leads Dean over to their bedroom, laying him down on the bed before laying down to hold him close to their chest.
Dean cuddles up to them, smiling. His body relaxes, his breaths evening out after a while of soft humming from Y/N. Y/N soon joined him in deep slumber after kissing his forehead gently.
Diva I have to ask, spare some headcannons for caregiver Sam and little dean 🥺🙏 like how their dynamic would have started or how Sam found out his brother was an age regressor?
HI!! You’re back, darling!! 💖✨
Yeah, sure! anything for you, hun!! let’s see what I can come up with, shall we? lol 😏
Just for you, here it is! I hope you’ll like it! I’m super excited too!! 💕
How Sam Found Out
It didn’t happen in some big “confession” moment. Sam actually figured it out slowly. Dean had been acting weird during downtime on a hunt: watching cartoons late at night, eating Lucky Charms for dinner, and falling asleep with his arms wrapped around one of Sam’s hoodies.
The real lightbulb moment came when Sam came back to their motel room early one day and found Dean curled up on the couch, hoodie sleeves pulled over his hands, watching Looney Tunes and quietly mouthing along to the dialogue. He looked up, startled, and froze like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
At first, Sam thought Dean was just nostalgic. But then he noticed the little mannerisms: the way Dean’s voice went softer, how he fidgeted with the sleeves, and how he seemed so much smaller in presence.
Later, after a really bad hunt where Dean nearly got hurt, Sam woke up in the middle of the night to find Dean sitting on the floor of his room, clutching a blanket, looking completely overwhelmed. Sam knelt down and asked what was going on. Dean hesitated, then whispered, “I just… can’t be big right now.” That’s all Sam needed to understand.
There was no teasing. Sam just sat down, wrapped his arms around him, and told him that was fine, more than fine. That’s when Sam quietly slid into the role of caregiver.
Early Dynamic
At first, Dean didn’t let himself regress fully; he’d kind of do it halfway, still trying to act cool or make jokes about it. Sam knew better than to push; instead, he just built an environment where Dean felt safe to actually let go.
Sam’s first real “caregiver” move was buying Dean a pack of Reese’s Pieces and saying, “These are for when you’re little, okay? I’ll keep them in my bag.” It was small, but it meant a lot.
Dean tested Sam constantly in the beginning. If Sam so much as smirked at something he did while little, Dean would snap back to big-boy mode and grumble. It took months for Dean to believe Sam genuinely liked taking care of him without judgment.
Sam learned that “big brother” mode doesn’t always cut it. Caregiver Sam is softer, more patient, and knows how to read the signs when Dean is sliding into little space without realizing it.
Now That Sam Knows
Voice: Sam’s voice gets instantly softer when he notices Dean slipping. It’s subtle, a little warmer, slower, with more “hey, buddy” and “it’s okay, kiddo.” Dean always notices and melts a little faster.
Comfort Items: Dean pretends he doesn’t need them, but Sam keeps a couple of plushies, a pacifier, a soft blanket, and a hoodie that smells like home around.
Hunt Recovery: If a hunt is rough, Sam will gently guide Dean into little space afterward, offering cartoons or warm cocoa without even saying the word “little.” It’s just what they do.
Movie Nights: Dean’s favorite little-time movie is The Iron Giant. Sam has watched it so many times he can quote half the lines, but he never complains.
Rules: Sam doesn’t set a lot of rules, but the main one is: if you’re little, you don’t get to beat yourself up over stuff. Dean is terrible at this, so Sam sometimes has to firmly say, “That’s a big-boy worry. Not for right now.”
Bad Days: If Dean’s having a rough day but fighting regression, Sam will offer low-pressure comforts like “Wanna come help me make pancakes?” or “We could drive out to the lake.” Dean usually takes the bait.
Dean’s Tells (How Sam Knows He’s Slipping Little)
Fidgeting with his sleeves or collar
Curling his legs up on the couch instead of sprawling out
Talking in shorter sentences or mumbling more
Gravitating toward sweeter snacks instead of burgers/beer
Watching something brightly colored or silly without commentary
The big one: sitting on the floor instead of furniture
Sam’s Caregiving Style
He’s not overly baby-talk-y (unless Dean is really tiny), but he is big on pet names like “buddy,” “kiddo,” and “baby brother.”
He makes sure Dean stays hydrated and eats actual meals when little. Dean will happily live on candy otherwise.
Big on gentle physical touch: hand on the back of Dean’s neck, ruffling his hair, tucking him under a blanket.
Knows when to distract Dean from bad memories with a silly game or challenge.
Extra Adorable Scenarios
Sam keeping Dean distracted during a thunderstorm by telling him a “hunt story”, except he leaves out all the scary bits and turns it into a goofy adventure where they “caught” a ghost by making it laugh.
Dean falling asleep in the Impala on long drives, clutching a plushie, and Sam turning the music down so he doesn’t wake.
Sam reading aloud from one of his lore books, but editing it so it sounds like a bedtime story.
claire starts regressing once she actually settles down and accepts that she has a family. she has a mom, she has a sister, and...well...it almost feels normal again. she almost feels like the little girl who still has her mom and dad
its scary, she thinks, that her brain decides sometimes that she can be that little girl, and she can relax enough to let that little girl out. at first, its like she's just a preteen again, and she's listening to hannah montana or selena gomez, she's making bracelets out of pony beads, she's watching old movies that she and her mom watched together, and its nice. but then she starts feeling smaller and smaller the more comfortable she gets
she feels the smallest after a hunt. she went with jody, and she hurt her leg. it scared her more than anything, but it scared her enough that she cuddles her grumpy cat for comfort, and alex sees her in her room, curled up in the middle of her bed with the toy in her arms, and she feels bad for claire
alex comes in to check on her after jody tells her that she might have hurt her leg, and rather than telling her to leave or getting mad, claire sits up and puts her arms out for a hug.
alex hugs her, of course, even though she's confused by claire wanting any sort of comfort from her, and claire cries. alex climbs into bed with her and holds her while she cries, until claire just falls asleep on her
after that, the two of them just find time to hang out. alex bugs her until claire tells her what's going on in her brain, and claire confesses about how she feels smaller, younger, and how she felt like a little girl when she asked for a hug
it doesn't take alex very long to find the words for what claire's going through, and when she tells claire about regression, she decides she wants to actively try to regress. if she can take control of it, then she will be happier, she's sure
they go on drives around town whenever claire wants to be small so that they don't have to worry about jody finding out. it pretty much always ends with them going to the park, and claire immediately gets on the swings and begs for alex to push her
eventually grumpy cat gains some friends. claire has a baby doll first, one with a soft body and plastic head, arms, and feet. she loves to dress it up and carry it around as her baby that she has to protect (but her baby's name changes constantly). then she gets a precious moments cloth doll that she names willow, and she gets so many different plushies. ty beanie babies, especially, since there are little kitties and deer and bunnies that she adores
claire also skips the actual-baby-pacifier-from-the-grocery-store stage and goes right for an adult pacifier. her first one is a plain white paci, then she gets a round shield sage-colored one, and she has a deco paci that is a shimmery gold color completely encrusted with rhinestones, with gold, glittery wings on the sides and gold letter beads that spell out 'precious'
she loves her deco paci so much, but she never uses it, she just uses her other two lol
bunny slippers. claire loves her bunny slippers so much
alex usually calls her 'bambi' while claire just calls her 'al'
claire likes to bake when she's small, so there are several times in the middle of the night that the two of them will be up trying to bake cookies as quietly as possible so they don't wake jody
alex is a very doting cg, but she has a physical need to tease claire at every given opportunity. she can be hugging claire, cooing over her and kiss her forehead one moment, then the next moment tug on her braids and tell her that she's not as badass as she wants to be because badasses don't wear butterfly pajama pants
claire's favorite movie when she's regressed is tinkerbell, and she has weaponized her love for this movie. alex has been forced to watch it so many times. they can both quote it perfectly, and they do constantly
even when claire isn't small, they bring up tinkerbell all the time, and they have assigned a fairy talent to each other and everyone they know (claire is an animal talent fairy, alex is a baking talent, of course)
more often than not, when alex comes home from work claire will get up and come to her room to cuddle. it's alex's favorite part of working nights, seeing a very sleepy little girl shuffle into her room because she wants snuggles
when donna starts teasingly calling claire rainbow brite, they do find a rainbow brite doll in a thrift store, and she does become one of claire's favorite toys lol
after the whole werewolf incident, claire does occasionally have some wolfy tendencies, but nothing violent or bloodthirsty. it's more like...puppy behavior. teething behavior. she has accidentally torn up a few pillows on the full moon, and she scratches when she gets mad. she has insanely effective puppy eyes, and she whimpers like a dog. alex falls for it every single time
when patience moves it, claire ends up staying in alex's room with her all the time. they keep all her regression gear in a little fabric bin in the closet, and claire does her very best to still seem like a tough badass in front of patience
cue like two hours after being a tough girl, claire is curled up beside alex with a laptop balanced on their knees, tinkerbell playing, and claire has one of her pacis, alex braided her hair, and grumpy cat is tucked in her arm. any trace of toughness is completely gone, and she is just content to be alex's little fawn (don't tell anybody)
I’m on vacation!! So probably won’t post as much 😓 but ill be making moodboards based off my vacation as much as possible! And ive got some scheduled. See yall in two weeks!!
sweet little baby laying in their crib, giggling as their carer plays peekaboo with them, babbling in excitement. their little hands reaching up to hold the plushie their carer holds over their sweet little face, fingers brushing the soft fabric as their carer sweetly coos at their tiny baby.
your littleness isn’t measured by pink bows or sparkly vibes. it’s in the way your shoulders drop when you feel safe, the way your heart gets small and warm. that softness is yours, and it’s real. 🧸
