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“But I don’t want to go to bed! No!”
Ludwig glanced up from his computer screen, hearing Feliciano’s voice echo from downstairs. This was becoming an unfortunately common occurrence, Feliciano having tantrums before bedtime. Ludwig could hear the faint murmur of Kiku’s voice, and hoped he’d be able to reason with the regressor.
His hopes were shattered by the next shout.
“I won’t go! You can’t make me! I want to draw and play with Alto and stay up! Please Kiku, please don’t make me go…” Ludwig could hear the tears beginning to fill Feliciano’s voice, and he pushed himself to his feet with a heavy sigh. Kiku panicked around tears, which meant it was time for intervention. Ludwig double-checked that his work was saved, closed his email, and headed downstairs.
“Ludwig!!” As soon as he stepped off the last stair, Feliciano crashed into Ludwig’s chest. He was in full tantrum mode, tears streaming down his face. “Please, please, please, don’t make me go to bed! You know I’ll be good, don’t you? You wouldn’t make me leave?”
“What is all this trouble?” Ludwig said, putting a hand on Feliciano’s head. Such a small man, their Feliciano. How so much energy fit into that tiny body, Ludwig would never understand. “Why are you giving Kiku backtalk about bedtime?”
“I don’t want to sleep!” Feliciano sobbed. “I don’t want to stop playing.”
“You will be able to play more in the morning,” Kiku murmured, appearing behind Feliciano with no warning. Ludwig managed not to jump, having lived with the other man’s soundless movements for years. “Bed is important for little ones.”
“No!!” Feliciano slammed his fists against Ludwig’s chest. “No bedtime!”
“Feliciano, we don’t hit each other in this house,” Ludwig said severely, catching Feliciano’s hands before he could draw them back for another strike. “Even if you are upset, we do not hurt others.”
“But it didn’t hurt you,” Feliciano accused, tugging against Ludwig’s grip ineffectually. “You’re strong and I’m weak and… please don’t make me go.”
“We have rules for a reason. We don’t hit, and bedtime is ten pm. Those are the rules we agreed on.” Ludwig squinted down at Feliciano’s wriggling form, tugging uselessly against Ludwig’s grip. He wasn’t really holding him that tightly, but he kept his grasp. “You know that.”
“Let me go!” Feliciano finally huffed, and Ludwig immediately released his hands. Feliciano spun on his heel and ran off out of the room, fast enough that Ludwig could imagine a dust cloud spinning in his wake.
“Mien Gott.” Ludwig sat down on the stairs, staring at the doorway Feliciano had disappeared through. “This is the third night he’s fought us about bedtime. What’s gotten into him?”
“I don’t know.” Kiku frowned slightly. “He seemed happy before bed came up. He had no problems with his nap earlier. Do you think he had a nightmare?”
“And didn’t wake us? I doubt it.” Ludwig was well used to Feliciano’s nightmares, and he always woke them up crying, desperate for cuddles (and often for a midnight snack). “I’m going to find him.”
“Good luck.” Kiku sighed, and pushed back his bangs for a moment. “Tell him I’m not angry, if he worries.”
“I will.”
Ludwig pressed a kiss to Kiku’s forehead and headed out the door after their upset regressor. He hesitated in the hallway: Feliciano loved playing hide-and-seek, and he was notoriously good at it. Ludwig would never have guessed how many places Feliciano could curl his body up to fit inside. Once he’d found Feliciano in the cabinet over the fridge, with no idea how he’d gotten up there.
Now there was a house stretching ahead of Ludwig, with any number of tiny corners that could be hiding the little boy he was looking for.
“Feliciano!” Ludwig called, and regretted the military tone he automatically slipped into. Wincing, he made a conscious effort to soften his voice. “Feliciano, please come talk to me.”
There was no answer. Behind him, he could hear Kiku beginning to neaten the living room, putting away some of Feliciano’s toys.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Ludwig said, beginning to walk towards the kitchen. “We won’t make you go to bed, I promise. We’re ready to listen.”
“Pinky promise?” asked Feliciano’s tearful voice from somewhere behind Ludwig.
“Yes, Liebling, I pinky promise.” Ludwig turned, holding out his pinky. Feliciano cautiously emerged from the basement door, a cobweb caught in his hair.
“I- I’m sorry.” Feliciano ducked his head and came forwards to hook his pinky into Ludwig’s, avoiding the other man’s eyes. “Am I in trouble?”
“You’re not in trouble,” Ludwig said. “Will you come and sit with us?”
“Okay, bene,” Feliciano said meekly. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.” Ludwig turned on his heel and led the way back to the living room, Feliciano trailing behind him. He hated seeing Feliciano like this, so quiet and withdrawn, eyes still shiny with tears. But he had broken the rules, and it was clear there was a problem. Ludwig should not give in and fall back on tickles, on chocolate milk, or on big warm hugs to save the day. They needed to talk.
Kiku looked up from his tidying and straightened when he saw Feliciano behind Ludwig. Wordlessly, he held out his arms. Feliciano choked on a sob and ran straight into the embrace, clinging to Kiku.
“I’m sorry!” Feliciano bawled. “I’m sorry I yelled, and I was such a brat, and I won’t do it ever again! I wouldn’t blame you if you left forever and didn’t want to see me, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“Hush, little one.” Kiku patted Feliciano’s head. “It is alright. We will talk about what you need.”
“O-okay.” Feliciano drew back from the hug, wiping his nose and eyes. Ludwig sighed and grabbed several Kleenexes from the box on the side table, approaching the weeping boy.
“Blow,” he instructed, holding one of the tissues to Feliciano’s nose. Feliciano obediently blew his nose with a sad honking noise. “Good. Again.” Once Feliciano’s nose was clean, Ludwig used the other tissues to wipe his cheeks and clean the fingers Feliciano had been using to wipe his snot. “There. All done.”
Ludwig straightened and went into the kitchen to throw the used Kleenexes in the garbage, and by the time he got back, Feliciano and Kiku were both sitting on the couch. Ludwig sat on Feliciano’s left side, so that he was between his two caregivers.
“Okay, let’s talk. Why are you so upset about bedtime, Liebling? You know you need sleep.”
“I know.” Feliciano teared up again, his eyes cast down to his hands. “I’m sorry. It’s silly.” Ludwig couldn’t tell if Feliciano was still regressed or not, but he waited patiently.
“It’s just-” Feliciano broke off, sniffling. Ludwig passed him the box of Kleenexes, which got him a small watery smile. “Well, Ludwig, you’re so busy. I hate going to sleep because I know you’re staying up.”
“Feliciano…” Ludwig stared at him, at a loss for words. “I don’t have free time at night to play, honestly. I go to bed as soon as I finish working.”
“I know that.” Feliciano curled up, hiding his face with a tissue. “I guess I just hope? That you might have time? And when I go to bed, that hope is over. And I can’t. I can’t let go of the hope.”
“Schatz, I’m sorry.” Ludwig tugs Feliciano into his arms, cradles him close. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy and I didn’t realize you were missing me.”
“I know your work is important,” Feliciano sniffled. “I shouldn’t… be so upset.”
“No, no!” Ludwig held him closer. “My work isn’t as important as you are. I could be delegating more of it. You know me, I… I like to keep a close eye on things. But I have a good team. They can handle some of the work.”
“Really?” Feliciano’s big eyes peeked up at Ludwig from behind his Kleenex.
“Absolutely.” Ludwig nodded, determined. “In fact, I would like to call in sick tomorrow and spend the day with you.”
“REALLY?” Feliciano’s mouth dropped open.
“Yes, really.”
“It will be good to see you more,” Kiku put in, placing a hand on Ludwig’s arm where it curled around Feliciano. “I have also been missing you.”
“I missed you both as well,” Ludwig admitted. “It’s been a long few weeks. I think a break with my favourite people will be… good.” The anxiety was already twisting in his stomach at the thought of taking a full day off work, but he pushed it back. This was his family. They deserved his time. Things at the company wouldn’t fall apart just because he stepped away for one day.
“I love you,” Feliciano whispered, pressing his face against Ludwig’s chest.
“I love you too,” Ludwig said, cradling Feliciano’s head carefully. “Now, why don’t we go brush your teeth and cuddle in bed?”
“That sounds nice.”
Feliciano looked halfway to falling asleep in Ludwig’s arms already, his eyelashes brushing his cheeks as he blinked longer and slower, his eyes clearly resisting being open.
“I’ll see you in bed,” Ludwig said to Kiku, and was met with a quiet smile and nod. Kiku reached out and smoothed Feliciano’s hair back from his face, then sat back.
“I look forward to it.”
“Love you!!” Feliciano said, reaching towards Kiku.
“I love you too.” Kiku caught Feliciano’s hand, pressed a small kiss to his palm, and stood. “Be nice for Ludwig, and I’ll see you soon.”
“You guys really are the best,” Feliciano said, sleepily returning to Ludwig’s embrace. “I want to be with you forever.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Ludwig promised, and he meant it.