Pet Regressor! Frank Langdon and Age Regressor! Mel King
A/N: I’ve got to give credit to this fanfiction I read on A03 for introducing me to the concept of Little! Mel and Service Pup! Frank, and then @fandomregression's stuff got me even more hooked (thank you! seriously, big fan of your work!). It’s been living rent-free in my head since, so I figured I’d give it a go.
- Frankie is just such an eager pup for his Melly.
- He always keeps whatever she might need within arm’s reach, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice for his favorite girl. Headphones because it’s too loud? Check. Snacks for hungry girls? Check. Water bottle? Check. Chewelry necklace? Double check.
- When Mel’s little, she likes teaching her puppy silly little commands. “Sit” means Frank immediately plops down beside her. “Heel” means he follows after her faithfully until she releases him from the command… or until something distracts him halfway there.
- She’s also taught him how to roll over and play dead. Frank takes both VERY seriously.
- Frankie LOVES belly rubs. He’ll dramatically flop onto his back and stare at Mel with the biggest puppy eyes imaginable until she caves.
- Frank, when he’s deep in puppyspace, gets distracted so easily. He’ll completely abandon whatever he was doing the second Mel needs something from him.
- One of their favorite things to do together is play fetch. Mel giggles every time she throws the tennis ball she carries around in her bag, and Frank takes off after it like his life depends on it.
- Mel loves reading out loud to her puppy. They curl up together on the couch while she reads a chapter from whatever book they’re working through, and by the end, Frank’s completely melted against her side, sleepy and nuzzly and giving her the saddest puppy eyes when she tries to move.
- Both Mel and Frank adore watching Bluey and Clifford the Big Red Dog together. Frank gets way too emotionally invested in Bluey episodes.
- Frank absolutely has a favorite hoodie of Mel’s because it smells like her. If he’s having a rough day, she’ll find him curled up with it pulled over his head like a blanket.
- Mel painted little paw prints on one of Frank’s old badge clips once as a joke, and now it’s secretly his favorite thing he owns.
- Frank’s favorite place in the world is lying with his head in Mel’s lap while she plays with his hair absentmindedly. He could probably fall asleep there forever.
- Sometimes when Mel’s really little and overwhelmed after a bad shift, Frank instinctively switches from excitable puppy to very calm guard dog energy. He’ll sit beside her quietly, lean against her, and keep other people from bothering her until she feels safe again.
- Frank definitely has zoomies. Usually at the worst possible times.
- Mel has a habit of absentmindedly scratching behind Frank’s ear while she’s focused on something else, and it completely flusters him every single time.
- Frank likes carrying things for her in puppyspace. Doesn’t matter if it’s her bag, her juice bottle, or a stuffed animal she forgot on the couch. If Mel needs help, he’s already grabbing it.
- Frank gets ridiculously protective over Mel’s stuffed animals. If somebody tosses one carelessly or squishes it under something heavy, he looks personally offended on their behalf.
- Frank has a habit of nudging Mel’s hand with his nose whenever he wants attention but doesn’t want to outright ask for it.
- Mel secretly loves brushing Frank’s hair when he’s in puppyspace because he goes so soft and sleepy afterward.
- Mel likes putting colorful Band-Aids on Frank even when his injuries are tiny because “puppies deserve fun Band-Aids too.” Frank acts embarrassed about it, but secretly loves them.
- Frank is terrible at hiding when he’s in puppyspace. The second he gets excited, his whole face changes, and he starts bouncing on the balls of his feet like an overexcited dog waiting for a treat.
- Frank loves routine. If Mel reads to him one night before bed, he expects storytime the next night too and gets pouty if they skip it.
- Mel made friendship bracelets for both of them once, except Frank’s has tiny paw print beads on it. He refuses to take it off, even at work.
- Frank gets very clingy after rough shifts. He doesn’t always have words for what’s wrong in puppyspace, so instead he just quietly follows Mel around the apartment until she sits down and lets him curl up against her.
- Mel sometimes uses a laser pointer to tease him and then immediately regrets it when he spends the next twenty minutes trying to hunt the red dot.
- Frank has a favorite squeaky toy. He tries to act dignified about it until Mel squeaks it once, and suddenly, all composure is gone.
- Mel loves decorating Frank’s things with little doodles. Paw prints on sticky notes, smiley faces on his water bottle, stars on his snack containers. He treasures every single one.
- Frank is embarrassingly easy to bribe with praise. Stickers, forehead kisses, a quiet “good boy,” Mel calling him “my puppy”, it all completely short-circuits him every single time.
- Mel always showers him with praise whenever he brings her something she needs. You can practically see his tail wagging every single time she tells him he’s a good boy.
- Mel once made him a little paper “good boy certificate” during a particularly silly day when she was little, and Frank kept it tucked inside his locker for months.
- Whenever Mel gets really small and nonverbal, Frank becomes extra attentive. He’ll sit close beside her, rest his head on her shoulder, and gently nudge things toward her until she feels comfortable enough to communicate again.
- Frank absolutely does that thing dogs do where he circles three times before settling into bed beside her.
- Mel calls him “Frankie puppy” in the same tone people use for little dogs, and it makes him melt instantly.
- Mel regresses younger around Frank than she does around most people because his puppyspace makes her feel safe enough to stop masking so hard.
- Mel loves parallel play when she's in little space. She’ll sit on the floor coloring while Frank curls beside her with his head in her lap, perfectly content just being near each other.
- Mel likes hiding under blankets when she’s overwhelmed. Frank learns that the solution is usually not to drag her back out immediately, but instead to climb under the blanket fort with snacks and wait quietly beside her until she’s ready.
- Mel likes lining things up when she’s especially small or overwhelmed. Crayons organized by color, toys in specific spots, Mel values order when she's small. Frank learned very quickly not to mess up the system, even when he gets excited.
