Chapter Text
Taako has long since learned to expect the unexpected, or at the very least, take everything in stride.
And if you were to ask him, he’d say he did an amazing job when Magnus first brought up that he also wanted to regress.
They lay sprawled on their living room floor, the carpet under their backs as they stare up at the ceiling. They’d just finished up with a training session, so upon making it back to their apartment, Taako collapsed on the floor and refused to get up. Magnus joined him seconds later, but not before detaching Steven from his belt and setting him in the space between Magnus and Taako.
Taako’s not used to the apartment being this quiet. Lord knows where Merle has disappeared off to, and he never thought he’d see the day where Magnus was too tired to speak. But he’d be lying if he said he didn’t relish the sense of peace it brought him. On most days, he prefers the chaos, but he doesn’t mind the calm and the quiet every now and then.
He blinks heavily, watching Steven lazily circle his fish bowl. He wouldn’t mind taking a nap, either. The floor isn’t the most comfortable, but it would beat having to get up. Maybe he’ll even regress if the mood suits him. It’d been a few days since he’d last regressed, and even then, he’d been too tired to do anything more than color for a bit. It’s been a while since he’s gotten into some mischief.
“Taako?” Magnus asks suddenly. Taako lifts his head to see Magnus staring intently upwards, fidgeting with his fingers. And here Taako had thought he’d fallen asleep some time ago. “Can I ask some questions?”
Taako rolls onto his stomach, eyeing Magnus with equal parts suspicion and curiosity. “About what, my dude?”
Magnus won’t look at him, keeping his eyes firmly set on the ceiling. A faint pink dusts his cheeks. “Well…it’s just…um…”
Taako reaches over and playfully smacks Magnus’s head with the back of his hand. It’s not a particularly hard hit, just enough to get him a little riled up. “Spit it out, my man.”
Magnus winces and says his words in a rush. “IthinkIwannaregress.” Once the words are out of his mouth, his face turns a brilliant shade of red, which he tries to cover up by using his deeper “hero voice.” He springs into a sitting position, like that will help drain the redness out of his face, and slaps on a cheesy fake smile. “You know, to help understand you better! I want to help in any way I can and I thought I could do that by…well…you know…”
“No need to explain yourself to me, homie.” Taako says. He gently pats Magnus’s knee, since Magnus’s shoulder is currently out of reach. “I get it. It’s fun being the baby.”
Magnus dares a peek at Taako, looking from under his lashes in a way that makes Taako’s heart melt. “You really don’t mind?” From the sound of his voice, he already has half a foot in headspace.
Oh God. Taako pointedly stamps down the urge to scoop Magnus into a hug. Manipulative little shit. There’s no way he can know just how much Taako cares for him already.
“Just name the time and the place, my dude.” Taako pauses and purses his lips in thought. “And also your likes and dislikes, your age range, activities, discipline preferences, hard limits, and communication.”
Magnus’s face falls, his brow twisting with anxiety, so Taako rushes in to say.
“It’s a joke! Remember the saying? You do you and I’ll adapt, mkay?” Just to test a theory, Taako pulls a Fantasy Lifesaver from his pocket and offers it to Magnus. He’s learned for his own sake to have candy on his person whenever possible, because it keeps him from sucking his thumb in public when he regresses. They’re also for Angus—but Taako would rather die than admit that out loud.
Magnus noticeably perks up, grinning as he pops the candy into his mouth. It’s green apple—his favorite flavor. The truth comes out a little easier after that. “I think it’d be really fun to play a bunch of games. Like, hide and seek and tag. But definitely cuddles too. Those are important.”
“It might be hard to play tag indoors.” Taako points out. “You okay being tiny in public?”
Magnus winces. “Maybe not yet.”
“That’s chill. Baby steps, you know?” Taako laughs at his own joke. “Anything else?”
Magnus crosses his legs at the ankle and absently moves one knee. He’s surprisingly honest right now, and he knows more about his preferences than he initially let on. Taako’s already making mental notes that Magnus might need a little prodding into headspace, maybe some sort of distraction to help him regress.
Taako presses a little harder when it becomes clear Magnus can’t think of anything else. He just needs a nudge in the right direction, perhaps. Simple, direct, preferably yes-or-no questions. Easy peasy. “What are your favorite snacks, punkin?” He’s seen how Magnus eats normally, and it doesn’t matter if he stays regressed for an hour or a day, he will need lots of snacks.
Magnus considers this for a second, humming in thought. “Granola—no, wait, fruit snacks. And goldfish crackers. Ooh, and apple juice!” Magnus grins, and it’s like his entire face transforms with childlike glee.
He must need it—must have needed it for quite some time now—if it’s this easy for him to feel small. God, even Taako’s worst, most stressful week without regressing probably couldn’t get him this energetic and cutesy.
Taako grips Magnus’s knee, giving him a light jostle. “Look alive, boo-boo. Taako needs some prep time before he can handle any rugrats.” Maybe, somewhere deep down, Taako just wants Magnus to feel as cared for as Taako feels when he regresses. Because he’s sure if it were anyone else—well, he wouldn’t have even said yes, let alone wanted to prepare for it.
Color floods Magnus’s face, as if he hadn’t even realized how close he’d been teetering on the edge of headspace. Does he even know what his headspace feels like? Or will Taako have to help him with that too? “Oh, sorry…”
Taako waves him off, trying to look as casual as possible. He can already tell Magnus is going to be a sensitive little bean, and that he’ll have to watch how he says things to prevent any hurt feelings. “Coloring books don’t steal themselves, you know.” He’s joking. He has at least four stolen coloring books in his room right now. But those are his, and Magnus doesn’t need to know that.
“Right.” Magnus mops a hand over his face, and, as if it’s a great effort, forces himself to sit up straight.
“Can you make it till Friday?” Taako asks. Weekends are always ideal for full drops, and there’s no doubt in his mind that Magnus is going to drop hard if Taako let him.
“Yeah,” Magnus says, in what is probably the least confident “yeah” Taako has ever heard.
“Yes, you can.” Taako says. “Come on, are you really going to tell me you don’t have a ‘proficiency in staying big for two days’ tucked away somewhere?”
Magnus musters a smile. It’s small, and weak, but it’s a smile nonetheless. He nods, a faint bob of his chin. “Thanks for this, Taako. I…I really appreciate it.”
Taako scoffs. “Don’t act like it’s some big thing, darling. After all, how hard can it be?”