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He'd already had such a long day.
It had really only been a few hours since the sun had come up, give or take. George had streamed late the night before, making up the end of a stream train that started in the early evening and hadn't ended until early morning light was peeking through the curtains. As much fun as he always had with his friends, those events drained the life out of him, resulting in the need for at least a day or two of rest.
He'd been expecting it, really. Dream and Sapnap knew he tended to slip when he was so exhausted, and they wouldn't have been surprised if he'd toddled into one of their rooms looking to be cuddled to sleep. They even had a habit of keeping various plushies and other comfort items in their rooms to avoid having to carry the boy back and forth when he needed them. They were ready to welcome little George with open arms.
What he hadn't expected, however, was to slip while he was already in bed, trying to doze off. It should've been a sign when he crawled under the covers and instantly tried to burrow himself in a mountain of blankets, like a little bunny making a nest to sleep in. Sapnap called him bunny sometimes, whenever he started thinking too hard and scrunched up his nose. Sappy's little bunny.
He dozed off thinking about it, imagining himself with rabbit ears hopping through flower fields and snuggling up with his Dreamie and his Sappy, nose twitching so they would kiss it. He would brush his nose against theirs and get fingers combing through his hair in return, brushing his bangs away from his eyes so he could see them better.
He might've fallen asleep that way, daydreams blending into real ones until he woke up a few hours later with bunnies still hopping through his mind, but his brain didn't quite feel like cooperating. While it was rare for him to slip while asleep, it was the only explanation for why his mind didn't tell his half-asleep body to stay put under the covers. Unconsciously, his legs kicked out, tightening the sheets around him in a way that felt suddenly claustrophobic. He instinctively squirmed his body around, focused more on freeing himself than where the edge of the bed was.
He toppled over the side of the mattress, still wrapped up in the sheets and dragging the blankets down with him. His eyes snapped open, his adult headspace crashing down on him like a ton of bricks at the feeling of his body hitting the hardwood floor. White-hot pain shot through his arm like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his shoulder. It dragged a choked cry out of his throat, teeth clenching so hard his jaw ached.
Without the cushion of a fuzzy headspace, his cheeks burned hot as tears rushed down them, embarrassed and disoriented at having fallen out of his very much adult-sized bed. Not to mention he'd hurt himself bad enough that he couldn't even try to move his arm without letting out a pathetic whimper. Blinking back tears, he clutched his bicep and carefully rolled onto his back, taking a second to inhale a few deep, stabilizing breaths.
Carefully, he sat up, turning his tear-stained face towards the cracked open door. "Dream?" he called out in a voice that still shook with pain, focusing most of his attention on just not passing out. He really didn't think he could make it to the door without agitating his injury further, not when every little movement brought a fresh wave of tears to his eyes and made his ears ring. His steadiness wavered on the fact that he'd watched Dream go into Sapnap's room for the night, meaning both of his boyfriends were probably - hopefully - just down the hall. "Dream!" he called again as loud as he could, knowing the distress was obvious in his voice but not having the pride to care.
Almost instantly, he heard a door creak open and he thanked whatever higher being was up there as hurried footsteps thumped against the hardwood floor. His own door was pushed open, light switched on to reveal a sleep-rumpled Dream looking at him with a bleary but concerned expression. "What's wrong?" he asked immediately, taking in the sight of George curled up on the floor with his arm cradled to his chest.
"My arm," George swallowed, jerking his chin towards the shoulder that felt almost out of place. He instinctively shied away from Dream's hands reaching for it, still blinking hot tears from his lashes. "I fell out of bed."
"Baby, let me see," Dream cooed softly, kneeling down in front of him. Even though he wasn't regressed, the gentleness sent a wave of comfort through George's mind, calming him enough to sit still for Dream to unwrap the blanket still tangled around his body.
He inhaled sharply when the movement jostled his arm the slightest bit, a pained sob bubbling up from his chest. Dream's hands instantly flew away from his body, guilt plastered all over his face even though he didn't mean it. "We're going to have to go to the hospital, okay?" he frowned, reaching back to cradle George's cheek in his palm. "Can you stand up?"
"No," George whispered, leaning his head into Dream's hand. He almost wished he was little right now, just so he could cry and let himself be comforted without shame bubbling in his stomach. "Feel like I'm gonna pass out."
Dream's frown deepened with concern, and he turned his head towards the open door, rising to his feet. "Sapnap!" he hollered down the hall, already going to George's closet to dig out a pair of shoes he could slip on without too much movement.
Their other boyfriend showed up at the door in five seconds flat, clearly just as alarmed by Dream's tone as Dream had been with George's. "What happened?" His eyes widened at the sight of the brunette on the floor, tear-stained face and in his pajamas.
"He needs the emergency room, I think his arm is broken," Dream spoke with his head inside the closet, pulling out an empty backpack. He began to fill it up, stuffing in an extra hoodie, one of the throw blankets off George's bed, a stuffed frog from the box of plushies in the closet.
Sapnap frowned, looking back and forth between them. "George, are you...?" he began, trailing off with a raised eyebrow at the plush toy in Dream's hand. The unasked question hung in the air between them, even making Dream look over to see for himself if it was the case.
"No," George shook his head immediately, though he didn't even try to resist when Sapnap leaned down to pick him up. He bit down on his tongue, but couldn't hold back the shaky whine when his arm shifted the slightest bit. "I'm not little."
"It's just in case you slip," Dream explained, using George's new height in Sapnap's arms to slip a pair of Nike slides onto his socked feet. George's face felt hot at all the careful handling of his body and the mere suggestion of slipping in public. Dream was right, though; the pain and the overall stress of the situation was making his head feel fuzzy, though it might have been sheer lightheadedness.
"Shit, you're really pale," Sapnap frowned down at him suddenly, cradling the man tighter against his chest. His voice sounded odd, like he was speaking through a tunnel. George clung to the fact that he could hear it at all to keep his eyes open.
He heard Dream mutter something about traffic, and then they were moving quickly out of the room. George felt almost like a rag doll, limp against Sapnap's chest while his arm stayed clutched against his body to keep it from moving. Maybe he could close his eyes for just a moment...
Patches greeted them at the door several hours later, immediately yowling beneath their feet. The sun had long since risen, the early afternoon much too bright for a trio of two exhausted adults and one half-conscious baby. Dream leaned down to scoop the cat up into his arms as he stepped over the threshold, clearing the way for Sapnap to safely bring George inside. "Set him down on the couch, I'll get his stuff out of the bag," he hummed, carrying his squirming pet into the kitchen to be fed a late lunch.
George blinked sluggishly, his free arm hooked around Sapnap's neck for ample closeness. He'd been in that position since they left the hospital, cradled in the other's arms even in the back seat of the car on the way home. He'd slipped sometime on the drive back, either from the stress or the residual effects of the sedative he'd been given. He didn't want to do anything but sleep.
He only perked up when Sapnap suddenly leaned down to place him on the sofa, slightly jostling the sling that held his injured arm. It didn't hurt, there were too many painkillers in his system for that, but it sent an uncomfortable twinge through his shoulder. His eyes were instantly filled with tears. "Hurts, daddy," he whimpered, brain stuck on the ghost of his pain before they'd popped his shoulder back into place.
"I know, honey," Sapnap frowned, kneeling down beside the sofa so he could slip a pillow beneath the baby's head. He didn't comment on the name; it was still rare for George to refer to either of them with such titles, but he clearly needed the comfort and Sapnap didn't mind a bit. It was honestly kind of cute. "You can rest now, okay? The doctors got you all fixed up."
George reached out with his free hand, grasping blindly at the air until Sapnap took it in his own. A shaky breath left the baby's lips, head tilting towards the sound of footsteps across the room. "Dada too," he mumbled when Dream came into view, carrying the same little space supplies he'd haphazardly stuffed into a backpack earlier.
"Look who's here, bubba," Dream cooed, holding the stuffed frog up for George to see. The boy's eyes went wide, hand releasing Sapnap's in favor of reaching for his beloved stuffed friend. "I've got your blankie, too."
"You want your paci, Georgie?" Sapnap hummed, one hand still rhythmically brushing the hair back from the baby's forehead. He dug into his pocket, fishing out the blue and yellow soother he'd grabbed in their rush to leave the house. He removed the protective cap with one hand, slipping in between George's lips and watching as he began to suckle on it.
Dream tucked the plushie into the boy's good arm, draping a baby blanket printed with sleeping kittens over him. "There we go, sweetheart," he said softly, taking a seat next to Sapnap on the floor where they could both be within arms reach. "Get some sleep, okay? We'll be right here."
With a few quiet babbles behind his pacifier, George relaxed into the cushions, his long lashes fluttering as he fought his tiredness over having a clear view of his caregivers. It was barely a minute before his sleepy brain won, and his eyes slipped shut with the reassurance of Sapnap's hand still resting on his head. He drifted off easily, followed soon after by Sapnap with his head leaning on Dream's shoulder for "just a minute to rest", leaving Patches to keep the man company as their family settled into peace again.