(I had to do both prompts because you can't have tears without cuddles)
Jack saw it happen and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Dennis was running down the street, Robby visible behind him, not trying to keep up. They'd just finished a shift and were almost home. Robby gave him a heads up over text that Dennis had regressed and was very excited to get home to dada. He was almost home clear, until he got in front of their building and tripped. He dropped straight down, Jack didn't ever think he'd seen gravity affect a person that quickly - and he'd say he had an above average amount of experience.
He rushed out of the doorway on his crutches, immediately crouching down with Dennis. Robby was now running, with the same haste he moved during a code hula-hoop, to get to his little as well.
"I've got you Denny, Dada's here. You're safe," Jack reassured hastily.
Dennis was sobbing. Big painful cries from deep in his chest.
"Bug!" Robby called as he reached the pair on the driveway.
"Papa!" Dennis sobbed, looking up to Robby, cheeks red and big tears rolling down. Dennis reached up, wanting Robby to pick him up.
"Alright Den, Papa's here," Robby soothed, handing his and Dennis' backpacks to Jack. He bent down and picked Dennis up in a bridal carry, letting Jack go ahead to open the front door.
"There we go bug," Robby said, sitting himself on the couch, Dennis over his lap. Straight away Dennis tucked his head into the crook of Robby's neck, clinging to his jacket desperately.
Jack came over a few minutes later. He had a change of clothes for Dennis, a damp washcloth and a med kit; Robby wasn't sure how he balancing everything whilst using his crutches if he thought about it. Jack set everything, then himself, carefully down on the coffee table.
"Bug?" Robby started carefully. Dennis' desperate sobs had tapered off, but there still a few slow tears falling and he was letting small, pained hiccups. Both caregivers knew it took very little to tip Dennis back into the same panicked sobs that first came when he fell.
Dennis hummed at Robby's attempt to get his attention, but he didn't move from where he was burrowed as close to the older man as he could be.
"Can Dada get your scrapes cleaned up?"
Dennis let out a scared noise, burying his head even closer to Robby, but he did nod.
"Thank you bug, such a brave boy," Robby praised, kissing the top of Dennis' head.
"I'll tell you what I'm doing before I do anything okay Den?" Jack said, opening up the med kit.
"Mhm," Dennis hummed quietly.
"Alright Denny, you just focus on my cuddles, okay?" Robby said, holding Dennis closer. Dennis couldn't cling back as Jack was trying to wipe his palms, checking there was no stuck gravel.
"I'm going to wipe your hands down now bug. It might sting a tiny bit, but it won't last long," Jack warned, the antibacterial wipe hovering until Dennis nodded.
Dennis whimpered slightly when Jack wiped the small grazes on the heels of his hands.
"Such a brave boy," Robby praised, kissing Dennis' curls again, doing his best to keep him feeling as comfortable as possible.
"Did you land on any more of your arms bug, or is it time to make sure your knees are okay?" Jack asked, rubbing a soothing hand up and down Dennis' calf.
Dennis shook his head against Robby's chest.
"Okay bug. I got you your favourite soft shorts hear," Jack started to explain. "You okay if we get your pants off so there's no more fabric touching the ouchies?"
Dennis nodded again, his now cleaned and band-aid covered hands coming back to cling onto Robby. He started mouthing at Robby's shoulder, confirming both caregivers suspicions that he'd slipped pretty young.
Robby mouthed 'pacifier' to Jack, who nodded, looking around to see if there was one laying round out in the living area.
"You want a pacifier bug?" Robby checked, stroking Dennis' head soothingly.
Dennis whined, confirming that he very much did want a pacifier.
Jack patted his shoulder, "I'll be right back bug"
Robby tried to get Dennis sitting up a little. "How about I get you into your comfy shorts and a pull up while dada's getting your paci?"
Dennis paused a moment, Robby could see him working out what he'd been asked while he slipped his thumb into his mouth. Robby knew it wouldn't be in his mouth long, and his little was already upset enough, he didn't have it in him to stop Dennis. The little pointed at the shorts, then his scrubs, giving a little nod.
Robby kissed his forehead. "Such a good bug"
The rest of Dennis' scrapes got cleaned up easily. Dennis was content enough being held by Robby, his pacifier bobbing away in his mouth as Jack worked efficiently. With the first aid taken care of, Dennis was convinced to cuddle up on the couch with Jack whilst Robby went through the shower and changed himself. He came back twenty minutes later, refreshed and in sweatpants and a t-shirt that was older than Dennis.
"There's dinner in the crock pot," Jack said quietly, not wanting to disturb Dennis from where he'd settled watching Bluey. "Not for this guy I don't think," he tacked on, nodding down at Dennis.
Robby tilted his head, smiling. "I'll make up a bottle," he said easily.
Robby served up the dinner Jack had made, just some simple slow cooked chicken and vegetables he threw on when he woke up. Jack ate around Dennis skilfully, Robby really was impressed with the amount of bizarre positions and situations Jack could eat perfectly happily in. 'Army training' was how Jack explained it, Robby thought that also explained how he could inhale a full plate in one minute.
"Ready for a bottle bug?" Jack asked, shaking Dennis' farm animal covered bottle, making sure the temperature was still okay just how you would for a baby.
Dennis gurgled happily, wide eyes peering up at Jack.
Jack melted. "Alright Denny, here comes," he said, seamlessly slipping out the pacifier and replacing it with the bottle in one motion, single-handed; the other still cuddling Dennis tight.
With maybe a fifth of the bottle left, Dennis' eyes were really drooping. He was still idly suckling on the bottle, but not drinking much anymore, instead it was dribbling down his chin onto the dish rag Jack had hastily put on his chest when he noticed.
"Alright," Jack whispered, easing the teat from Dennis' mouth.
Dennis let out a pitiful whine, unhappy with the two seconds that there wasn't something he could suckle on.
"There you go bug," Robby soothed as he slipped the pacifier back in. Jack had noticed how Robby had started flagging too, his head resting on the back of the couch, 'resting his eyes' would probably be how he countered it.
"Can you grab my chair from the bedroom please honey?" Jack requested with a smile. "I don't want you to have to carry the baby, and this way he can stay cuddled up and we all can get into the bedroom"
Robby nodded, "sure I can, good idea"
Jack smirked, "I've been known to have one on occasion"
Robby rolled his eyes, easing himself off the couch with a groan. "I'll but everything in the dishwasher then come back with your chair, okay?"
"Sure babe," Jack said easily, shifting carefully to not disturb Dennis too much, but getting ready to transfer.
Dennis settled almost instantly into the bed, cute little mumbles slipping around his pacifier as he wriggled around to get comfy. He rolled away from being completely on top of Jack, instead adhering himself to Robby's side, in a position that was an almost perfect recreation of how a koala clings to a tree. Jack didn't think it was possible, but he melted even more. He knew how much he loved his husband, but getting the chance to care for such a gentle, kind-hearted, sensitive little was so much more than he could have imagined it being.
"He's so perfect," Jack whispered, grabbing his tablet from his nightstand.
"Mike?" he asked, just as quietly. When he looked round, glasses now on so he could read, it was obvious why he didn't get an answer. He smiled, huffing out a little breath of laughter. Robby was dead to the world too. Head back, mouth slightly open, little snores coming out and clinging just as fiercely to Dennis as Dennis was to him. Jack eased himself from the bed.
"I know when I'm not needed," he murmured to himself, getting off the mattress as delicately as he could manage, desperate to not disturb the two sleeping people.
As he settled on the couch, ready for a quiet night in his own company, he tried reading the draft of a paper Ellis was writing, but he couldn't focus. All he could think about was the seemingly endless amount of love he had for his husband, and the little he was lucky enough to able to care for. He knew any further attempts at reading were pointless until it was out of his system. So, Jack grabbed his journal from its place in a coffee table drawer, and poured his heart onto the pages.
(I finished a thing! 2 days late, sure. But it is done! Thank you so so so much everybody for all of your support, it is totally and completely mind blowing! I love you all so much, I hope you enjoyed reading. If anyone has anything in particular they want me to write going forward, I would love it if you could let me know. I can't promise they'll get done at pace, but I will try my best! Have a beautiful day everybody, the world is a much better place because you are in it!)
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