"It's the last meeting before adoption, kid. How are we feeling?" Carter asks as he helps cut the tag off the back of your shirt. You weren't regressed at the moment, but the nickname wasn't unwelcome. If anything, it soothed the growing nerves bubbling in your belly.
"I'm okay... This is only the second time they've met me when I'm not regressed." You fiddle with the chain of your favorite necklace, relaxing when Carter starts to style your hair. "I'm just nervous -"
"That they won't like you. That's always your concern, kid." Carter squeezes your shoulders firmly as he meets your eyes in the mirror. "Y/N, I know this is hard. I know your parents and a lot of others in your life made you feel like you aren't good enough. You are."
"Good enough to be adopted by two of the best hockey players in Canada?" You mumble with a little eye roll, making Carter playfully smack your head. "What!? I looked them up!"
"That's not the problem, kid!" He shakes you softly by the shoulders and turns you to face him. "Ilya and Shane want to adopt you. They want you. Okay? Don't let anyone else's thoughts about you become your own." He pinches your cheeks with a smile as he guides you out of your room to the main entrance.
"Thank you, Carter... Can I come visit you when I get adopted?" You ask, only feeling a small spike of anxiety when you spot Ilya and Shane in the window. Carter feels a swell of pride when hears you say 'when' instead of 'if.'
"Of course you can, kid. Now go. Have a good time." He encourages, sending you over to Ilya and Shane.
"You know this museum well." Ilya notes as the three of you climb the stairs to your favorite exhibit.
"Yeah! I come here every week. They are a donations based organization, but having regular patrons makes sure they get funding as well." You rattle on excitedly, already giddy to see your favorite dinosaur statue.
Shane grins a little at your excitement, holding himself back from telling you to slow down a little. He didn't want to baby you when you weren't dropped. "This would be a great place for us to do field trips for our charity. The kids would love it." He murmurs to Ilya as they follow you to the dinosaur exhibit.
"And perfect for donations. Our little one loves it so much." Ilya grins at him when he says it, and Shane's heart jumps. Not with anxiety, like the first time Ilya mentioned adoption, but excitement. It broke his heart a little that they wouldn't be taking you home for another two days.
"Guys! Over here!" You exclaim, bouncing slightly in place as you point to the statue further in the room. "This is the Dilophosaurus! And it's one of the first accurate ones I've seen in museums! The movie ones got it wrong. They didn't have neck flaps. They had two ridges instead! That's where the Di part of their name comes from."
"They look great." Shane looks at the beautifully sculpted and painted dinosaur, glancing around at the others in the exhibit. "All of the dinosaurs do."
"The electricity and light pollution exhibit is even cooler! They have a bike that shows you how much energy it takes to power certain things in your house." You clap your hands slightly, lanyard trinkets jingling when you do. "Do you wanna see?"
"Let's finish this exhibit first, then that's next, deal?" Shane offers as he offers you his hand. You take it happily, giving it a small squeeze as you show them your next favorite dinosaur.
Ilya gives you a tight hug when he drops you off at the center, watching you walk in with a heavy heart. He wished he could buckle you into the car seat in the backseat instead, but they still had a home inspection to pass.
"Come on, Ilya. We're meeting with Rose and Svetlana for dinner." Shane encourages, watching you through the window for as long as he can until you disappear into the adoption agency. "We have the inspection tomorrow. We need to take our minds off it."
"Are you nervous about it?" Ilya presses as he gets into the passenger side of the car.
"A little. But the cottage is good. Safe. Mom came through and approved it, so I'm more at ease." Shane takes Ilyas' face into his hand and gives it a soft squeeze. "You nervous?"
"No. Probably. I think so." He strokes Shane's forearm softly. "You think I will be a good Papa?"
"The best. Now let's go, you know Rose hates it when we are late."
Shane and Ilya had wanted to keep you away from public knowledge for as long as possible. They knew how the media could be and how opinionated some people were behind blank social media profiles. Adopting a little wasn't going to be more controversial than their relationship had been, but they didn't want to open you up to scrutiny. You were their baby, big or little.
"Fuck." Shane mutters, chest tightening as he scrolls through the notifications flooding his phone screen. "Oh, fuck. Ilya, wake up." His fiancé stirs, pushing himself up onto the headboard.
"What is it?" He whispers, voice thick with sleep as he wraps an arm around his waist. He places a hand on Shane's chest, worried by how quickly his heart was jumping.
"Y/N... There's pictures of Y/N and us everywhere. People saw us yesterday with them." Shane's thoughts were moving a mile a minute, folding in on himself and into Ilyas' soothing grip.
"Y/N is down the hall. They are okay." He squeezes Shane tight, guiding his head up so he can kiss him lovingly. The feeling of Ilyas lips on his, the taste of him on Shane's tonuge, grounds him. No one could ground him like Ilya, groaning softly as he leaned into his shoulder. "It's not ideal, but it's out now. We've dealt with worse."
Shane chuckles humorlessly as he fiddles with Ilyas chain. "Yeah, but they haven't. We're supposed to protect them."
"We are. We will." Ilya lifts Shane's face for another kiss, nuzzling their noses together. He pulls Shane back into bed, kissing down his neck and across one of his shoulders. "Okay?" Shane gazes into Ilyas' eyes, stroking his thumb across his cheek with a small smile.
"Okay." There were a few more minutes of blissful silence before Shane could hear you fussing from the baby monitor. "Mm, right on schedule." He chuckles as he glances over at the small screen.
"I'll change them. You start breakfast." Ilya presses a few more soft kisses to Shane's shoulder before he stands up and makes his way to your nursery.
Papa kept putting sunglasses on your face when you went outside, and you didn't like it. It's not even sunny outside anymore! "No, keep em on, baby." Shane insists as he pinches your cheeks softly, blocking your hands from your face. "You look so cute with them!" He coos, trying to get a giggle out of you and only getting a pout in response.
Ilya chuckles at the struggle between the two of you, grabbing the sunglasses off your face. "Just lower the cover." He insists, covering your face with the sun protector. "People know who we are. We can't hide them forever." Ilya insists quietly as they make their way into a coffee shop.
"Maybe we should." Shane grumbles, but there isn't any heat to his words. You let out a little whine once your Papa and Da are out of sight, clumsily batting at the cover. "Y/N! Baby, you need to settle down!" He scolds softly as he adjusts the protective shield over you. You let out an even louder fuss at his words, getting the attention of a few people in the store.
"See, this is why they need sunglasses." Shane takes the pair from Ilyas' hand and lifts your sun cover, gently slipping them onto your face. "There. You're the coolest baby in the building now." You let out a little huff, but you keep the sunglasses on as long as you get to look at your Papa.
You were so nervous after you heard the caretakers talking that your tummy hurt. People were coming today to see you! They wanted you? What if they saw you and decided they didn't like you anymore? You dodge another offered bite of breakfast with a soft whimper and a head shake.
"Oh, baby... I know it's scary when we meet new people." Carter was your favorite caregiver at the facility. If anyone could get you to eat, it was him. He settles beside you, taking over for Sarah, who took over feeding another little one.
"They won't like me." You mumble nervously, eventually accepting a bite to eat. Carter gives you a soft smile, feeding you until you finish almost all of your food.
"You are enough, all on your own, okay? Now, let's go get you dressed for your meeting." Meeting sounded formal, which made you nervous, but when Carter brings out your running shoes, you perk up.
"Play?" You gasp eagerly as he helps you get dressed into some comfort shorts and a loose t shirt. You didn't age up into your toddler headspace often, but when you did, it meant you could go on the swing by yourself! Well, Carter was standing right next to you the whole time, but he didn't stop you when you went high up.
"Yes, kiddo, we're gonna go play. It's a play date with some new friends." Carter agrees as he takes your hand and guides you to the large playground in the back of the center. It was fenced in, but there were a few trees and lots of bushes to keep a more natural feel.
You beeline it for the swings, glad that Carter doesn't try to urge you to the play set. The swings made you feel better, calmer, swinging back and forth, getting higher and higher with every kick. "Not much higher, kid!" Carter warns. Even though you know you could, you listen, so he doesn't tell you to stop.
You weren't swinging long when you see them. At first, they are just standing outside of the fence, smiling and talking to Carter when he lets them in. Then, Carter is walking the pair over to you and gently calling for you to stop swinging. You feel nervous, dragging your feet in the grass to stop yourself as you stare at the two men behind Carter.
"This is Ilya and Shane. They wanted to come see you today." You nod slowly, swallowing hard as you look at the two potential caregivers and then back at your shoes. "Can you say hi, kiddo?"
"Hi. I'm Y/N." You say it mostly to your shoes, but it's loud enough to be heard.
"Very lovely name. Can we swing with you?" You look up, studying the curly haired man as he spoke. You liked his voice, and you liked that he wanted to swing with you.
"Yes, please." You agree immediately, legs kicking slightly with excitement. Shane grins at you as he settles into the swing on your left, and Ilya takes the one on your right. Carter doesn't leave the playground, staying a few feet away so the three of you could have a moment to bond.
It was almost noon by the time the couple gets back into their car, hands immediately intertwining in a tight hold. "This is such a big change." Shane says after stretch of silence. "A good one. I want it." He assures when Ilya raises a brow in concern.
"But?"
"No, there's no but. I just didn't realize how badly I wanted this until now... I want to get a car seat." Ilya chuckles, his own knot of anxiety loosening as he pulls Shane into a warm kiss.
"That is a bit early. We don't know what size we need." Shane almost protests, but he knows his partner is right. "We should decorate the nursery." That gets a smile out of him, and Ilyas heart flutters. The next meeting with you was in two days, and in three short weeks, they would he taking you home
You hated how well Ilya knew you. "I'm not." You couldn't keep the slight whine in your voice. If you were deeper on your headspace, you might've stomped your foot.
"Mm, yes, because you love to suck your thumb when you're big." Ilya scoffs playfully, your face burning at his words. Your hand flies down from your face, quickly tucking both of them into your jacket pockets.
"I wasn't sucking my thumb!" You hiss, surprised to feel tears filling your eyes. Your gut drops, heart beating loudly in your ears when one of Ilyas teammates looks over at the sound of your whining.
"Shh, hey, don't cry." Ilya turns slightly to block you from view, guiding your head to his shoulder so you can hide. "What's wrong? Hmm? Why are you fussy?"
"I'm not!" You whine queitly, feeling much calmer now that your Da was holding you. "I'm fine, stop bothering me."
"That's not how you talk to me, is it?" He lifts your head with his finger, studying your teary little eyes. "Is okay to be little." He assures, tapping your chin when you glance anxiously at his team. "They do not matter. They like you, anyway, it's fine." You sniffle quietly, staying still when Ilya gets out a wet wipe and cleans your face with it.
"Sorry, Dada." You whisper nervously, hoping you wouldn't get a time out for being so rude to your Da. Ilya kisses your forehead with a reassuring smile as he guides you towards his team again, waiting for boarding to start.
"It's okay. You're okay, little one." He assures, sitting down and pulling you gently into his lap. "No, no thumb." He scolds softly as he stops your hand on its way to your mouth. You pout furiously at him, face still feeling hot as you watch him dig through his carry-on bag. He pulls out your pacifier, your favorite stuffed animal, and a couple of dollar bills.
"Hey, David, grab some juice and chips for Y/N. No soda." He warns, eyes narrow as his teammate takes the money. His team is full of great guys, and he trusts them when you're regressed. That doesn't mean they don't take advantage of their uncle role by giving you sweets and soda that you had no business having so little.
"You're no fun, Ilya." David groans playfully as he walks off to find a vending machine, giving your head a gentle pat when he passes. You coo happily as he walks by, playing with Ilyas' hands as you feel yourself dropping further into your headspace. Ilya bounces you gently, muttering softly in Russian.
Boarding wasn't for another half hour, and your nap time was rapidly approaching. If he could keep you awake until take off, he could keep you from being fussy when you landed in Canada. "Stay awake, little bunny." Ilya coos softly, tickling your tummy softly just to make you giggle. "When we land, we'll go see your Papa."
You couldn't stop fussing and crying, wriggling in Haydens grip with all the strength your tired body could muster. You were already exhausted because of the late night game, unable to sleep without your Papa or Da with you.
"Kid, come on, settle down." Hayden insists, bouncing you gently on his hip. "See your Papa? He's right there, baby. Don't cry, okay?" He insists as he tries to settle you down. You shake your head furiously, reaching out for Shane with a weak, distraught wail.
The moment Shane hears the noise, he stands up, eyes finding you near the back of the crowd and building. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, my little one needs me." Shane insists, signaling Hayden to bring you over. The moment you're close enough, he gathers you into his arms and settles back down into his seat. The small crowd of people aww at the sight of you, cooing when you wrap your arms around his neck.
Cameras start flashing even faster, which Shane narrows his eyes at slightly, adjusting you so you could be tucked against his neck. "I've got you, sweetheart. You alright? Want Papa's sunglasses?" He offers, cleaning up your face with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. You nod immediately, giggling queitly when he slips them onto your face and shields your eyes from the cameras.
You didn't fall asleep. The lights, the questions, and Shane's talking kept you awake, but you were with your Papa. The next day, articles of Shane and Ilyas' new little one would be flooding the media. For now, you were chewing on Shane's hoodie strings and watching Hayden play peekaboo over someone's shoulder.
Shane grunts sleepily as he rolls onto his side and nuzzle under Ilyas chin. "It's a bit early for that." He mumbles as he softly presses kisses to his lover's collar bone. "What about?"
"How do you feel about a baby? A little?" Ilya suggests as he studies Shane's face. The other man's eyes widen slightly, sitting up a little in the bed. "I haven't adopted one Hollander, do not freak out."
"I'm not! I'm not freaking out. I just -" Shane sighs quietly through his nose as he slowly lays back down beside his lover. "It's just a big thing, adopting a little."
"But exciting, yes? We've talked about it before." Ilya pulls Shane closer, kissing him tenderly. "We don't have to decide today. Time to think about it." He assures, nuzzling his nose across Shane's cheek. Shane nods silently, eyes fluttering shut as he enjoys the sweet, quiet morning between them.
A few weeks and many conversations later, Shane and Ilya walk into an adoption agency for littles. Shane peers nervously through the large window leading to the little play area, watching the various regressors toddle or crawl around.
"Hello there, Shane and Ilya, correct?" The receptionist stands from her desk to greet them, picking up three files. "I have gathered three potential little ones that would suit you both, though if you'd like to explore more options, that is something we can discuss." Ilya was the one to reach out and take the files, giving Shane's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"Is there a room we can sit while we look these over?" Shane asks after a moment, trying to settle his nerves. They weren't going home with a little today. Even if they did decide to adopt, there was a trial period of supervised meets before the adoption was finalized. The change was a big one, but it wouldn't be happening all at once. The receptionist guides them into a smaller private room, pointing to a call button on the wall.
"If you two need anything at all, just press here, and one of our staff members will be with you right away." She explains before shutting the door gently and leaving them alone. Ilya guides Shane to the couch in the room, sitting down beside him with the files set aside.
"All good?" Ilya murmurs, taking Shane's hand and giving it a soft squeeze.
"All good. It just feels real now that we're here." Shane squeezes his hand back, leaning his head against Ilyas shoulder. "Can we look at the files?" The two of them look at all three files, only interested when they land on yours.
"Look at this little one!" Ilya chuckles as he gently spreads out photos of you. "Y/N... Very tiny little." Shane smiles when he sees your pictures. Some of them were when you were clearly regressed, sleeping in your crib, feeding a giraffe at a zoo, snuggling up with a stuffed animal during movie night.
There were also some when you were aged up, working at a coffee shop, and selling items at a fair of some kind. You were really interested in animals, photographed holding a bird on your arm at a sanctuary of some sort. "Oh, they're adorable." Shane whispers as he picks up one of your photos. "Should we ask to meet them?"
Ilya takes his hand and gives it a squeeze, grinning at Shane's suggestion. They buzz for a staff member, eagerly showing them your file. "Can we meet them, Y/N? I think we would like to start the adoption process."
"Unfortunately, it's nap time for the baby regressors right now, so Y/N is asleep. We can set up a first meeting tomorrow, at nine in the morning, if that works for you." A member of staff, Jane, explains as she guides them towards the entrance. "Unless there's another little you'd like to see?"
"No, no, we'll be back at nine." Ilya insists, making sure to set the appointment at the front desk before they leave. "I have a good feeling about this, Hollander. About Y/N."
"We haven't even met them yet, Ilya." He protests, giving him a soft kiss when they make it to the car. He wouldn't say it, but he felt it too. Soon, they would be taking home a regressor, a little, to complete their family.
Herman never meant to regress at work. He never wanted to. He knew he wasn't the only regressor on the team, but he was so new. And it's not like he was super helpful. There's no way the heroes on the Z-Team wanted to be stuck taking care of him.
And of course, of everyone in the building, Flambae was the one to find him.
"Hey, water bitch, why are you hiding under there?" Chad grumbles, kneeling beside the break room table Herman had stuffed himself under. Herman stares at him with wide wet eyes, mouth opening and closing a few times.
Finding the right words when he was big was hard enough, but when he was regressed, it was impossible. Chad raises an eyebrow, staring down at him with a mix of judgment and worry. Herman opens his mouth again to speak, but all that comes out is a whine.
Chad blinks in surprise at the sound, eyes widening in realization as Herman starts to cry. "Wait, fuck, wait, don't cry!" He rushes out, quickly running through ideas of what to do.
He could easily carry Herman to Robert or Blazer, but that would mean carrying him through the office. He didn't like many people seeing him when regressed, especially if he was this upset. He also didn't want to leave Herman here, alone, sobbing into his knees. Just as he's about to try comforting the sobbing newly recruited hero, he hears the familiar sound of claws on tile.
"Ah! Beef. Come here, Beef." Chad calls the chunky dog over, patting Herman on the shoulder to get his attention. "Hey, Herm, look!" He encourages as he scoops up the wriggling dog, carefully setting him into the sniffling little's lap.
Herman hiccups hard, letting out a little huff when Beef starts licking his face. He wraps his arms around the pup, nuzzling his face against the soft fur. Chad smiles a little at the sight, scooting back from the small puddle growing underneath Herman.
"Okay, uh, I'm going to get Robert." Chad says as he stands up, pointing at Herman. "Just stay there, okay? I'll be right back." He assures as he leaves the room and makes his way to the dispatch room. "Robert!" He hisses, taking the headset off of his head quickly. "You need to go to the break room."
"Ah, hey! I'm in the middle of something -"
"Herman's regressed." Robert stops mid sentence, hand grasping at the air where his headset had been.
"Transfer the call." He orders, gently pushing past Chad to get to the break room. He had a sneaking suspicion from the moment he met Herman that he was a little. It just sucked that he was being proven right while the poor man was at work. As he gets closer to the room, his heart sinks when he hears giggling.
If his team was making fun of a little, he was going to lose his -
He turns into the room, stopping dead in his tracks to take in the scene in front of him. Mal was holding Herman in her lap, who still held Beef like a stuffed animal while Alice made a small light show for him.
Every time the lights flickered or flashed extra bright, Herman would giggle happily and flap his hands. Robert felt the tension leaving his shoulders, feeling someone brush past him into the room.
"No way! Another little!" Courtney gasps, making herself visible as she gets closer to the small group. Herman looks up at her with surprise, a whimper leaving him since she startled him. "Oh, I'm sorry, baby. Look, it's just like peek-a-boo!"
Robert watches with a fond smile as Courtney covers his face, making herself invisible for a second before reappearing. "Peek-a-boo!"
Herman lets out the happiest giggle, kicking his legs slightly and reacting out to grab hold of her hand.
"Alright, bitch, don't hog the baby!" Alice huffs playfully, giving Courtney a shove so she could show him another light show.
"Hey, no cursing in front of the baby." Robert scolds as he steps into the room. "If you guys are going to hang out with him, you should take him to the nursery."
"Nah, that room is shit. We're going to let him hang out here." Mal shrugs, kissing Herman's forehead with a fond smile. Herman looks over at Robert with a little coo, setting Beef gently on the floor so he could reach for the other man.
"Oh, no way, Herm! He's your favorite?" Courtney gasps indignantly as Herman slips from Mal's grip and crawls to Robert.
"What can I say, I'm a natural." Robert chuckles as he leans down to pick Herman up. "Come on, little man. Let's get you in the nursery."
Idk if this is a really stupid question, but is regression like actually a thing?? I don't want to be offensive T^T. I've just never heard of it besides in your fics. Sorry if this came off wrong. Have a great day.
Not a stupid question at all! Age regression is a real thing :]] it's a coping mechanism typically used by those who have experienced childhood trauma, though anyone can cope using this method.
There are different types of regression. Some people don't fully regress, only engaging in activities that are meant for younger kids. I think that's referred to as age dreamers.
Involuntary regression often involves someone feeling triggered to the point of mentally regressing to a younger headspace. Impure regression can often come with self harming behaviors or tantrums. I am not a medical professional or therapist, so my information may not be one hundred percent correct! :]]
No one on your team knew you were a regressor. You didn't tell anyone really, a few friends who were also littles knew, but that was about it.
You couldn't help but feel ashamed, looking around at how well your team handled their traumas without pacifiers or stuffed animals. You were already the youngest on the team, you didn't need to make it worse by making them take care of you.
That's why when Price walks into your barracks while you're playing with your plushies, your pacifier drops from your mouth, and you begin to wail.
"Woah woah! Kiddo, calm down!" Price immediately rushes to your side, getting down to your level. You pull away from him a little, clutching your stuffed bear tight to your chest.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'll be big, I promise!" You hiccup, which makes Price's heart break. He takes you by the shoulders, squeezing them to get your attention.
"Breathe, kid. Look at me and breathe." He orders, but in a much softer tone than you'd ever heard him use. You do as he says, breathing in shakes bursts at first until they finally evened out. Tears still steadily dribble down your face, your chest hitching with your leftover sobs. "Why were you hiding being a regressor, kid? Hmm? You're not the only one on the team who regresses, you know."
"Huh?" You feel yourself flush at the noise, chewing at your bottom lip. Price chuckles fondly and pats your cheek.
"We can talk about it in the morning. It's late for little soldiers. You should be in bed." He hums, which makes you pout a little. He taps your bottom lip softly which makes you giggle, before he picks you up and sets you in bed.
"Let's clean this off." Price sighs as he grabs your pacifier and wipes it down with a baby wipe. You happily take the offered comfort item, laying down when Price tucks you in.
You let out a little squeak when he kisses your forehead, but you can't deny it feels amazing. You hadn't been tucked in in years. "Welcome to the family, Y/N." He coos, gently rubbing your back. "Now get some sleep."
Kyle had a feeling you were hiding something from him. He'd been dating you for a year now, but you rarely let him spend the night with you, and you were very secretive about things in your room.
He knew you weren't cheating on him. He was free to go through your phone whenever he wanted. He knew all of your friends and your favorite places to hang out. But he also knew you were definitely keeping something from him.
"Baby?" Kyle calls out as he steps into the apartment. He'd gotten off of work early and wanted to stop by your place early to hang out. "Where are you, baby?" He calls again, taking off his boots and dropping his bag on the table. He walks towards your bedroom, stopping when he sees you laying on the couch.
"Oh, someone was sleepy, huh?" He mumbles as he approaches to gently tuck your blankets around you again. He stops when he gets closer, noticing a pacifier bobbing away between your lips. He stares for a long moment, not noticing the fact that you began to stir.
Your eyes flutter open, jumping slightly when you see Kyle in your living room. Before you can settle, knowing it's just your boyfriend and not someone breaking in, you remember the pacifier in your mouth. You snatch it out of your mouth, shooting straight up on the couch with a mortified squeak.
"Woah, hey!" Kyle manages to move back in time to avoid you headbutting him, looking at your panicked expression. "Y/N?" He tries to take your hands but you shuffle away from him, tears filling your eyes.
"I'm sorry... Please don't leave, I promise you don't have to take care of me -" Kyle watches as you begin to sob, the pacifier falling from between your fingers and onto the floor. He settles on the couch, pulling you into his lap despite your struggles.
"Stop that, baby. Don't push me away right now." Kyle coos as he rubs your back soothingly. "Can you tell me what's going on? Why are you sorry? For sleeping with a pacifier?" He asks, patting your hip rhythmically. Your breath catches in your throat as you nod, trying to hide your face in his neck.
"Y/N, do you regress? Is that what's got you so worried?" Kyle whispers against your ear, your sobs pausing for a moment when he asks. "If you are, that's okay! I wish you'd told me sooner than I could've taken care of you."
You lean back slightly so you can look at him, leaning into his touch when he starts to thumb tears away. "You know about regression?" You press quietly, rubbing his shirt between your fingers. Kyle smiles at you and nods. "And you want to take care of me?"
"Why wouldn't I, baby? I love you, and if sometimes you need me to love you by giving you a bottle, a bath, and a bedtime story, then I think I can do that." Kyle assures cupping your face and giving it a soft squeeze. You're no longer crying, only hiccuping every now and then as you thought over his words.
"I love you." You whisper after a long moment, leaning into his chest again, but no longer hiding away.
"I love you too, baby. Do you still feel little?" Kyle asks gently, eyeing your dirty pacifier on the floor. You give a small nod, peeking up at him before also looking down at your beloved comfort item.
"Paci?" You ask quietly, pointing to it with a small pout.
When Price meets Kyle, he knows immediately that he's a little.
He doesn't push him towards it or pry it out of him because he knows that does more harm than good. Price just takes care of Johnny and Simon as usual, showing Kyle that when he was ready, he would be too.
Nik is far less subtle about his adoption of babies. The moment he lays eyes on Kyle, he immediately thinks, "Where is his pacifier? He clearly needs the bathroom and hasn't gone yet. He should be in a pull-up." He shoots Price a knowing look, the bearded man shaking his head subtly.
Nik doesn't want to wait. He can see how much Kyle needs to rest, to slip into the safety of little space and a caregivers arms. The next day, he finds Kyle watching over Simon in his baby bouncer that Price made.
"Oh, little one, who left two babies alone?" Nik hums lovingly as he settles beside Kyle and wraps him up in a hug. "Are you wearing a pull-up, little mouse?" He asks, patting Kyle's hip. Kyle squeaks, eyes widening at Nik's words.
"No, I don't need one. I can watch over Simon fine, I'm not a little!" Kyle protests quickly, looking over at Simon. The baby was betraying him, watching Bluey with rapt attention.
"Shh, don't fuss. It's scary at first, but it's much better to regress than to fight it." Nik soothes, pressing a kiss to Kyle's forehead. "Try for one night, and if you don't feel soothed by it, we won't try again for a while." Nik offers, waiting until Kyle gives him a quick little nod against his shoulder.
By the end of the night, Kyle was snuggled up with Simon in his crib, suckling on a pacifier with a slow rhythm. Nik watches over him with a smile, tucking the blankets carefully around the two men. "That's it, little mice. Sleep easy for Papa."
Simon knew you had a complicated relationship with your family, so when he heard you were going to dinner with them, he was a bit nervous. He had every right to be. You knew it wasn't going to go well, but you were always optimistic. No matter how many times your family let you down.
He didn't even wait for you to call. He drove himself over to your house and waited inside your house for you to get home. He knew you had a day off tomorrow, so like a good Bubba, he was going to look after you.
He does your laundry and puts it away just the way you like, changes your sheets into something new, and starts making you something sweet to have after he gave you a bath.
He was so distracted with looking for chocolate syrup to make chocolate milk for you that he didn't hear your car pull up. He didn't even hear you come in, but he felt you wrapping your arms around his waist, already beginning to cry.
"Bubba.." You hiccup into his shirt, making him coo quietly as he picks you up immediately.
"I've got you... I've got you, baby. I'm so sorry they are so mean to you, little lamb. You're too sweet." He whispers lovingly as he kisses your forehead lovingly. You start to calm down a little as he keeps whispering lovingly into your ear, rubbing your back soothingly.
"I'm gonna run you a nice bath, get you some cookies and chocolate milk, and we can watch two movies tonight, deal?" Simon coos, getting a sniffle and a nod from you. "That's my sweet baby.. Bubba is gonna take care of everything."
I just want a snuggle from Simon. He is very caregiver coded. I should write more reluctant caregiver turned loving caregiver though.
Headcannons for how each of the team handle you being sick with them.
Kyle is in problem solving mode. He's making soup, ordering medicine, setting you in cool baths for your fever and making steam baths for your congestion. Every hour, he takes your temperature to make sure it hasn't gone up. He's incredibly protective over your sleep, and is the only one that you listen too when it comes to taking medicine.
If you are feeling stomach sick, Johnny is unfortunately not that good at helping you. He's a sympathetic puker, so if you throw up, he will, too. He does everything possible to make you feel better, applying vics to your chest, changing the cold rag on your forehead with a fresh one, and singing scottish lullabies whenever you get fussy. If he hears you gag, he's bolting out the room for another caregiver to help. He will be back with a brand new plushie and a small cup of ginger ale, though.
John is, of course, the one you want to cling to the most. Papa Price is so warm and snuggly, perfect for when you feel like you've been run over by a truck. Whenever you are sick, he puts what he can on hold to be with you. He rocks you in his rocking chair, reads or sings to you, and spoon feeds you a small portion of ice cream as a treat to make you feel better. He tries so hard not to become a mother hen, suffocating you with his worries. He does watch over you when you sleep, a heavy hand on your chest just to feel it rise and fall steadily.
Simon isn't the best at handling a sick baby. The whining, the sniffling, the hot clammy skin, and congestion were just too much for him. That being said, if you are left in his care, he will do his best at meeting your needs. He's asked Kyle for his tips and tricks to take care of you and will do everything he can to make you comfortable. He's a little stiff at comforting you, but his constant presence and soft voice were soothing enough to help you get to sleep.
When he's regressed that little, all he wants is to be held, or to lay on his back! In his playpen while he watches his mobile go round.
"Kyle, buddy, you gotta stay on your tummy." Price insists, rolling the regressed man back onto his belly. Kyle gives him a teary whine in response and lets his head rest on the floor in defiance.
"Buddy..." Another long whine. "I give up." Price sighs, scooping Kyke out of his play pen and cradling him in his lap. "You're a menace, you know that?" Price scolds playfully, making the smaller man giggle and nods.
Kyle sniffles from his spot at the table, looking down at the plate in front of him with a scrunched face. Price sighs quietly, trying to keep his temper in check as he takes Kyle's fork from him.
"Bubba, we just want you to try one bite." Price encourages as he gently lifts the sulking boys face. "You don't have to like it. Just try it, okay?" Kyle scrunched his nose a little and whines, eventually nodding his head.
"That's it, baby. Good boy." Price praises him, feeding him a bite of broccoli. Kyle tried to pretend it was gross. Price knew he had seasoned it well, so after a few pouting chews, Kyle swallows and opens his mouth for another bite. "Really? Want a little more, Bubba?" He coos lovingly as he feeds him another bite.
Johnny
Johnny hates any and all vegetables. Well, at least that's what he thinks. Price sets down a bowl of spaghetti, knowing the sauce was chock full of 5 different vegetables. Just blended up so he couldn't see them.
Johnny digs in happily, clumsily using the big kid fork he had begged for. As long as he kept his pasta off the floor, Price was okay with it.
"Papa, what's this green stuff?" Johnny whines halfway through his meal, pointing to a small piece of spinach that must've escaped the blenders wrath.
"It's just a little bit of the tomato stem, buddy. Safe to eat, I promise." Price lies, giving Johnny's hair a reassuring ruffle. Johnny squints at his Papa suspiciously but ultimately goes back to eating. What he doesn't know won't hurt him.
Simon
Simon lets out another small sob, turning his head away from the fork at his lips. He didn't want broccoli. He wanted Brussel sprouts instead. It was already hard enough for him to eat sometimes, and this wasn't helping. Price sighs, feeling awful for his poor babies' plight. The Brussel sprouts had gone bad, and there was no amount of coaxing that seemed to work on getting Simon to even try the broccoli.
"Bubba, please." Price sighs, plopping down in his seat with a defeated sigh. "You know you need vegetables."
"No broccoli!!" Simon wails, immediately clamming up, nervous he had gone too far. Price scoops him up out of his highchair and hushes him gently when he whines.
"Okay. Okay, Bubba, no broccoli. Will you at least eat some baby carrots? With ranch, I promise." Price soothes, hoping to dry up Simon's tears. Simon nods into his neck and hiccups quietly. He didn't end up eating his broccoli, but he ate something healthy, and he wasn't crying anymore. That was a win in Price's opinion.