Standing In The Yard, Dressed Like A Kid
Little!Caitlyn + Cg!Vi
Summary: Caitlyn regressors for the first time around Vi.
Word Count: 1932 (Will cross post on ao3 soon)
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It was almost eight o’clock by the time Vi made her way up the drive of her and Caitlyn’s shared home. It wasn’t a lot but it was enough for them. She had tried to get ahold of Caitlyn all day, but her messages stayed on delivered. She usually got home late on days she went into the office, but she always let Caitlyn know anyway. Vi’s brain always came up with limitless unrealistic scenarios when Caitlyn didn’t answer, so Vi turned the key quickly and opened the door, expecting the worst.
“Cupcake?” she called out, signifying her presence, but there was no answer. The inside was pitch black and silent, the only thing replying were the living room’s cold four walls.
Vi turned on all the lights, going from the living room to the bathroom to the kitchen. With no sign of Caitlyn anywhere, Vi’s breathing started to speed up as panic gripped her throat.
This was so unlike Caitlyn. When Vi usually returned a bit later, she’d find Caitlyn curled up on the sofa like a cat, eyes glued to the television screen of whatever sapphic show she could find.
Vi examined the entire place, taking note of the untouched kitchen. As she found herself looking out of the kitchen window, that was when she spotted Caitlyn sitting cross-legged in the middle of the grass in their backgarden.
“Caitlyn?” Vi addressed, putting on her slippers and opening the backdoor. Caitlyn didn’t even glance up, hypnotised in her own little world.
“Cupcake,” Vi tried again, and yet still nothing.
Vi walked closer, now just a few centimetres away from the girl. She watched Caitlyn curiously as she fiddled with something in her hands, tongue stretched out in precision, gently rocking back and forth.
“Cait?”
Caitlyn looked up for the first time. When she saw Vi, her whole face erupted in joy.
“Vi! Look what I made!” she cried, frantically patting the space in the grass beside her. Vi sat down next to her, confused at her out of character demeanour.
Caitlyn proudly showed the flower crown in her hands to Vi. It had a mixture of pink and white daisies that Caitlyn must’ve picked from the grass. The stems had been tied together neatly so it would stay together well. It looked like a professional had done it.
“Wow Cait, that’s amazing! That must’ve taken you ages!”
“Long time. ‘Tis for you!” Caitlyn handed the flower crown to Vi, as delicately as she could. She eagerly waited for her reaction, flapping her hands in excitement.
“Thank you, Sweetheart. I can’t believe you spent all that time on doing something for me. I love it so much,” Vi smiled, placing the flower crown on her head.
Caitlyn giggled. “Matches your ‘air.”
Vi glanced up. “Oh yeah it does. Pink with pink.”
Caitlyn nodded, digging her hands into the grass beneath her.
The sun was starting to set, making their surroundings feel cold. Caitlyn was bare foot, wearing nothing but dirt-stained baggy jeans and a hello kitty tank top.
“How long have you been out here for?” Vi asked quietly.
Caitlyn shrugged her shoulders, focusing on an ant that was crawling up her arm.
“Have you had dinner?”
Caitlyn paused, before shaking her head.
“You must be hungry then,” Vi pointed out. “Should we go inside and have something to eat?”
Caitlyn groaned, which reminded Vi of how Powder used to act when she was younger. Powder loved to play outside, so when Vi would ask her to come inside after spending the whole day in their garden, she would use every trick in the book to not let that happen. Vi always found a way.
“I know, but it’s getting cold. I don’t want you to freeze out here,” Vi tried.
“Noo,” Caitlyn frowned, almost close to tears.
“But we can’t stay out here forever, sweetheart.”
But Caitlyn wanted to. She wanted to sit here forever with Vi under the setting sun. Caitlyn adored summer because it meant she could stay outside for longer, the sun not leaving until at least nine o’clock.
Eventually, Caitlyn accepted defeat, and followed Vi inside. She stood in the doorway cautiously, not sure what to do in her own home.
“Come,” Vi instructed, patting a seat at the dinner table. Vi helped her get up on one of the chairs, and then mentally scanned through the list of Caitlyn’s safe foods.
“What about mac and cheese for dinner? Would you like mac and cheese?”
Caitlyn nodded, still frowning at having to go inside. Despite her shivers, Caitlyn did not want to admit that it was warmer inside than out. She wanted to be with the bugs.
Vi started on making the mac and cheese. She observed Caitlyn as she babbled to one of her sylvanian families at the dinner table, not making any sense to Vi.
Vi was more than confused.
She had opened up to Caitlyn about her own regression just a few months ago. It took a lot of guts and nerves but she did it, and Caitlyn welcomed it with open arms. Vi had only ever regressed around Caitlyn a few times, but when she did she acted wonderfully, taking care of Vi’s needs with no sliver of judgement. Just pure understanding and love. So Caitlyn acting like a regressed Vi confused her, and also surprised her.
She wasn’t certain that this was what that was. Age regression. But whatever it was Vi’s still going to treat Caitlyn the way she would want to be treated.
“Arms up, Baby,” Vi instructed, waiting for Caitlyn to lift her arms up from the table so Vi could place her dinner down.
“‘M not a baby,” Caitlyn objected.
“No you’re not,” Vi agreed. “Now, I think you should wash your hands before we eat. We don’t want any outside germs to get on your food.”
Caitlyn agreed, getting down from the table and washing her hands with soap in the kitchen sink.
“Good girl,” Vi praised, causing Caitlyn to grin with pride.
“Should we eat dinner in the living room? That way we can watch tv at the same time,” Vi suggested.
“Isn’t that against the rules?” Caitlyn questioned.
“Not if it’s our home,” Vi smirked.
“Okay!” Caitlyn grinned mischievously. She slowly dropped down from the kitchen table and ran to the living room, carrying the little trinket with her.
“Careful, sweetheart,” Vi reminded.
Vi placed the small bowl onto Caitlyn’s lap, and then sat next to her with her own plate. Vi had chosen the pink carebear bowl that Caitlyn had gotten at a garage sale because it was “too cute to possibly leave it there”. She seemed to appreciate the choice, humming softly in delight.
“What should we watch?” Vi asked, waiting for Caitlyn to swallow the massive bite she just took.
“Ponys!” she cried, food still in her mouth.
“We don’t talk with a mouthful, Bug. But okay we can watch ponies,” Vi smiled.
“Bug?” Caitlyn asked in confusion.
“You remind me of a bug right now,” Vi shrugged her shoulders.
Caitlyn hummed, attention immediately on the screen as the my little pony theme tune came on.
Vi softened at the sight.
The both of them ate their mac and cheese in comfortable silence, letting the evening pass them by.
As nine o’clock hit, with bellies all full, Caitlyn’s head hit Vi’s shoulder.
“Sweetheart?” Vi called, accepting no response from the eye-closed girl. “I think it’s time for bed, don’t you?”
Caitlyn groaned, sleepily brushing Vi’s hand away from where it was brushing through her hair.
“I know you don’t want to but you can barely keep your eyes open,” Vi smiled as Caitlyn forced her eyes open to make a point, which didn’t last for very long.
“Wanna stay up wif you,” Caitlyn frowned.
“I’m going to bed as well. Surely you’d rather sleep in a warm bed with me than stay down here by yourself.”
Caitlyn firmly nodded, getting down from the sofa once she knew Vi would follow her. Caitlyn had always been slightly clingy towards Vi in their relationship, and it was even more noticeable and adorable when she was little.
Vi picked out some cozy, pink pyjamas from Caitlyn’s draw, helping her change into them. Vi decided not to make her brush her teeth, just this once, because she didn’t think she could stay awake any longer. She eased her into their double bed and tucked her in, before slipping into the space beside her. Vi kissed her forehead goodnight, and Caitlyn mumbled a ‘night’ before letting sleep take over. She watched as Caitlyn puffed out little sighs while she was sleeping, feeling safe enough to do so. Vi wanted to keep her in her pocket so she could feel safe forever.
Vi dozed off with Caitlyn wrapped up in her arms.
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When Vi woke up, Caitlyn was already awake. Usually if Caitlyn woke up before her, she’d get up and make herself a cup of coffee to start the day, but Caitlyn remained sat up staring daggers into the wall in thought.
“Morning,” Vi breathed out, rubbing her eyes.
“Good morning,” Caitlyn tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. Her voice sounded normal, so Vi assumed she must’ve been awake for a while.
“Is something wrong?” Vi asked, immediately sitting up in alert of her girlfriend's unusual behaviour.
“It’s just that I- I don’t know,” Caitlyn huffed, eyebrows pinched in frustration. Even in the minimal light Vi could see that Caitlyn’s cheeks were bright red.
“Hey,” Vi rubbed her thumb soothingly across her cheek, bringing her out of the mindspace she was currently in. “It’s okay.”
The tips of her ears heated, matching the shade of her cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
“You have nothing to apologise for,” Vi opposed.
“You weren’t supposed to see me like that.”
“So it’s happened before?”
Caitlyn shrugged, lost in thought again. “A few times, but I've always been by myself. And it wasn’t anything like that…I just watched a few cartoons for an hour until it went away,” she admitted.
“Do you know like…what brought it on? Usually for me it’s because something reminds me of my past,” Vi tried to help, but also not to overstep.
“I just felt… so happy that you were coming home and I wanted you to be happy. It sounds silly,” Caitlyn flushed.
“No it doesn’t. It makes sense. You felt safe enough to enter that headspace knowing I was going to be there. It’s sweet.”
“It’s embarrassing. And I swear it’s only a one time thing. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“You don’t have to do that. It’s not healthy to restrict yourself from entering that headspace. And I loved spending time with little Cait,” Vi grinned.
Caitlyn groaned, trying to summon a hole she could hide in with her mind.
“You were so accepting with my regression. I want to do the same for you.”
“You don’t have to,” Caitlyn tried.
“I want to,” she convinced.
Vi knew she hadn’t convinced her yet, but she would just have to try harder in the future until she did.
“And that flower crown you made. So cool,” Vi complimented.
Caitlyn huffed, smiling automatically.
“Can we…talk about this again later?”
“Of course, Cupcake,” Vi agreed.
Vi sat with her in bed, until they physically had to get up.
And if Vi accidentally called her ‘Bug’ and Caitlyn found herself liking it, well, that was their thing.
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