Chapter Text
It was a late night on a Saturday when Clay walked in on the two boys sat atop Karl’s bed discussing something. His brows furrowed in confusion as he interrupted the two. Karl seemed as if he was trying to hide something whilst George’s face was flushed.
“What are you guys doing?” Clay hummed as he raised a brow.
The two shook their head, George opening his mouth to talk but quickly shutting it.
“Well… You know, this and that,” Karl giggles excitedly as he nudged George, who immediately groaned and burrowed his face in his hands.
”Riiight, and whilst you guys do that, I was gonna grab some McDonald’s, anyone want anything?” Clay asked, disregarding the suspicious reply.
George shook his head from where he hid in his hands as Karl nodded.
The blonde watched with a curious gaze as Karl tapped George’s shoulder and whispered in his ear. Clay was almost jealous as the brunette nodded along to whatever Karl said and then the tall brunette spoke, “Two chicken nugget happy meals and um, I think one chocolate milkshake and one strawberry.”
Clay nodded and as he was about to leave George added a quiet, ‘please.’
“Karl, are you sure it’s okay that I… I regress with you? It’s not gonna be like a hassle for you, or anything?” George asks as he fiddled with his shirt hemline. “I mean… I don’t wanna be like… you know, a burden.”
“George, I wouldn’t have offered,” Karl reassured, moving to his drawers before pulling out some crayons and a coloring book, “and it’s not like you have to regress right now. We’re just relaxing!”
George nodded shyly as Karl handed him two books.
“Which one do you wanna color?”
George’s eyes glanced between them before nervously picking the animal one, “Can you help pick a page?”
Karl beamed as he nodded excitedly, flipping through the book before landing on a page with a cat and handing it back to George: “Do you want a paci?”
George shrugged, “Will it… I dunno… help?”
Karl shrugged, “I like ‘em.”
George shook his head as he sat on his knees to get a more comfortable coloring position. He grabbed the first colour, yellow, maybe? His eyes watched as Karl grabbed a pacifier and suddenly, he did want one, his eyes trained to the purple plastic between his friends lips. He frowns nervously as he watches Karl get comfortable too, getting ready to color his own truck coloring book.
He feels a pang of sadness wallow him but he says nothing as he continues to color, forget it, he thinks. He had his chance.
“I like coloring, is nice,” Karl beams. George nods. “Can I have the gree’?”
George glances down at the crayon in his hand, a green cat? He giggles at the thought before handing the crayon to Karl. He has a realisation, Karl didn’t say please… but he’s not babysitting today, he is the baby.
“Karl?”
Hazel eyes meet caramel ones.
“Can… Can I have a dummy please?”
Karl chuckles as he pulls his own pacifier out to talk better, “Of course! I have a blue one if you want?”
George nodded, “Please.”
Karl put his pacifier back in before returning to his drawers and grabbing a light blue one with white stars painted on, he hands George the pacifier before flopping clumsily back onto the bed, returning to coloring in his book as George hesitantly slips the rubber between his lips. The effect is almost instantaneous as he relaxes into it, his eyes drooping as he tries to focus on coloring.
“You like?”
George nodded as he suckles on the rubber with a shy giggle. He puts down his crayon before looking at Karl. “Ka’l?”
”Hi Georgie!”
George giggles as he grabs his crayon again, his hand making a repetitive motion against the paper.
Karl watches with a curious gaze, he’s not little yet but he suspects George is smaller or at least somewhat regressed. “George, you can be my baby bro’er!”
George smiles as he nods, sitting up from where he was leaning forwards to color and opening his arms, “‘ug?”
Karl giggles as he clambers over the crayons and into George’s arms, hugging the smaller brunette. Letting go only when the other had.
“How old are you, Georgie?” Karl asks softly as the brunette leans back into some cushions at the end of Karl’s bed. The brunette seems to be in thought when he lifts up three fingers. “Oh! You’re small like me!”
George’s doe eyes watched over Karl’s excited frame.
”I get you drinkies!” Karl giggled, not aware of his steadily slipping mind as he grabs two sippy cups and runs downstairs, leaving George unattended. Just as he’s about to get into the kitchen he bangs into Sapnap, who drops his sandwich.
“Karl! What have we told you about running in the… house… Oh, hey bud,” Sapnap chuckles as he ruffles the boys hair, “How old are you?”
“Five! I’m getting drinkies for me an’ Gogy!” Karl beams as he showcases the two cups. Sapnap raises a brow.
”George?”
“Uh huh! He’s in my room,” Karl explains as he shuffles past Sapnap, who’s quick to take the cups from the boy, setting them on the side and opening the fridge to grab the juice.
”He is, huh? Let Daddy make your drinks, buggy, why don’t you go get Georgie to come downstairs?”
Karl nodded, racing off upstairs once again.
When Sapnap enters the living room, he wasn’t actually prepared to see the older man regressed. Not expecting George to be so easily relaxed. He walks over slowly, almost nervously as he crouches down in front of the brunette sitting on the couch, “Hey, buddy, are you all right now?”
George’s face twists in confusion as he points to the sippy cup in Sapnap’s hand, “Joose p’ease?”
The texan’s eyes turn to the sippy cup before sighing softly, “Alright, buddy, but we all need to talk when Clay gets back.”
George doesn’t understand as he tries to drink his drink, frowning as the sippy lid hits his pacifier. He whimpers sadly before turning to Sapnap, “Hel’?”
Sapnap smiles as he sits down beside the brunette, slipping the paci from between George’s lips before encouraging the boy to try again. Karl giggles at the ‘show’. George’s face immediately shifts into relief as he relaxes into the couch. Karl can’t help but to think how small George looks, tucked between the cushions of the couch with a lazy smile ok his face, his eyes half-lidded.
”Daddy?”
”Yeah, Bud?”
Karl glances from George to Sapnap before whining, “Will Unc’e Drea’ be back soo’?”
Sapnap chuckled at the boy’s impatience, “Hopefully.”
Karl seems content with the answer, turning to the tv remote to turn it on. Cartoons would be a good time waste!
They managed to get through three episodes of adventure time when the front door cracks open, Clay calling out to the household as he shuts the door behind himself, shocked to see two littles as opposed to the one.
”What’s, uh, what’s going on?”
Sapnap shrugged, “I was kinda hoping you would know. I was just snacking when Karl came down with two cups for him and George.”
George cooed at the sight of Dream, his hand reaching out tiredly.
Clay instantly falls for the boy’s baby face, he had always had a special spot for George, and even when big he had an urge to protect the boy from anything that could hurt him. The Floridian hands Sapnap the Mcdonalds stuff before allowing two of his fingers to be grabbed by the brunette slumped on the couch. “Oh, hey little one, I got you some food!”
George giggles as he uses his other hand to reach for Clay’s face, wanting to press his hand on the blonde’s cheek.
”Are you hungry, bubby?” Clay coos as he leans closer for the brunette to touch him. He awes as George softly presses a hand against his cheek before letting go of both his hand and face and pointing towards the food that Sapnap had been organising for everyone. “Karl, bud, is this why you and George were being so secretive before?”
Karl frowns as he nods, taking his pacifier to eat his nugget meal that Sapnap had handed to him, “Uh huh, Georgie was nerv’s that he be a burnden and, and I being a good brofer!”
Sapnap chuckles as he ruffles the others hair.
“Well, thank you for being a good big brother, Karl, you did a great job,” Clay grinned as he helped George access his own meal, pouring the food into the box so the brunette didn’t have to worry about the paper packaging, “But remember, having two little boys on their own could go wrong so you need to warn your Daddy or I if you regress alone again, okay?”
Karl frowns, “Sorry Unc’e Dream, I jus’ wan’ed George t’be happy!”
”We know, bud, neither of you are in trouble,” Sapnap sighs with a heavy smile, “We’re just letting you know for next time… but that comes to another question… ah, no, we can ask George when he’s a little older.”
Clay raised a brow before turning his attention to George, who was humming as he ate.
”George, how old are you?” Clay asks softly.
The brunette raises three fingers tiredly, pushing the box toward Clay before sighing softly, “S’eepy, Da!”
Clay flushes as Sapnap coos at how cute George is being, Karl giggling at the coffee table. “Am I…?”
Clay turns to Sapnap, who nods encouragingly.
”You’re sleepy, baby?” Clay gets into action as he lifts the boy onto his hip. He had a lot of practice from all those months helping Karl when Sapnap was busy with work or shopping. “Guess we should get you ready for bed, huh, hun? Are you going to bed soon?”
The last question is aimed at Sapnap who shakes his head, “Me and Karl were gonna have some Daddy/Karl time, right, bud?”
Karl nods frantically.
George whimpers into Clay’s shoulder. The blonde softly hushes him, bouncing him gently before saying goodnight to the others and walking upstairs. George settling down into the blonde’s shoulder. “Da…”
”Oh, sweetheart, I’m here,” Clay hushes once more as they reach the brunette’s room, “Let’s get some pyjamas on you, yeah? Some nice warm clothes for bedtime?”
George hums as he’s gently sat on the edge of the bed.
Clay grabs some clothes, helping George with his t-shirt before disappearing into the bathroom to grab the boy’s toothbrush. When he returns George is already settled in bed, sucking on his thumb. “Oh baby boy, we have to brush our teeth first, sweetie. Here, should we brush them together?”
George nodded as Clay gave him his toothbrush, removing his thumb and replacing it with said brush. He watches as Clay brushes his own teeth and then copies him to the best of his abilities.
“Awl done!”
Clay chuckles as he takes the boy’s brush, “Do you wanna sleep here or in Dada’s bed?”
George audibly gasped, “Da, Da!”
Clay picked the boy up once again, rocking him as he moved to the bathroom. Washing both their brushes with one hand before heading into his own room, he settles George down before grabbing some pyjamas, “I’m just gonna grab a paci, sweetie, stay there.”
George pouted as his Dada left the room.
”I’m back, swee- Georgie!” Clay rushed towards the bed, pulling the sobbing boy onto his lap, “Sweetheart, what’s wrong? What happened?”
A sob left George’s lips as he tightened the hug.
”Georgie, are you okay?”
”Don’ go, Da,” George whispers beneath tears, “Don’ go?”
Clay holds him close, slowly stroking the boy’s hair to settle him down, “I’m not letting go, I’m here, little one. I’m right here.”
George sniffles as he lays against Clay’s chest. A yawn escaping.
The blonde carefully slips the pacifier between George’s shaking lips. “All better now. Let’s lie down, little one.”
George shuffles close to Clay as the blonde lays them both down, wrappinf the blanket upto his waist as he holds the brunette tightly, “Night, night, honey.”
”Ni’ ni’, Da…”