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Damien was sleepy, but of course he was: It was getting late for a little one like him. So, he was getting sleepy. He knew it, but he wasn’t gonna tell anybody or admit to it if they asked. He could stay up like the adults. And he really, really wanted to — they were out this late because William and Celine were going away for a week or so, leaving early tomorrow morning, and Damien really wanted to spend time with them.
He hadn’t intended to be little today, but he’d fallen into headspace. And that was fine. Celine had let him sit on her lap, where he was laying against her chest, listening to the murmur of conversation from the adults. (William wasn’t little, and Mark wasn’t even there. He’d been working evening hours, so he’d sent his love with Y/N.) They weren’t talking about anything Damien cared much about.
And, Damien had just been resting his eyes a bit, but then Celine brushed her fingers through his hair and said, “I think it’s time somebody got home and got to bed.”
“No, no, I not s’eepy,” Damien insisted, stirring and rubbing at his eye, trying to wake up more. He didn’t want to be the one to end the evening.
She kissed his cheek. “You are, and I know you are. It’s late, darling. Y/N’s going to take you home with them, and they’ll put you to bed.”
“‘M gonna miss you,” Damien whimpered, holding her face in his hands.
Celine melted, but didn’t let that show on her face. Gently, she reminded him, “I’ll be back soon, sunshine. We’ll get to play the weekend after next.”
“Pwomise?” Damien held out his pinky, looking at his sister seriously.
She smiled fondly and hooked hers around his. “I promise.”
“Otay,” Damien mumbled, satisfied. He turned and shuffled down off his sister’s lap, turning to William. “An, bye-bye Will.”
“Goodbye, Dames! Go get some sleep, my friend. You’ll hear from me soon.” They could call, of course, but William liked to send postcards from the places he visited to Damien at his work address, knowing they made him smile. (And just maybe got him to take a short break.) And he almost always brought back gifts for everyone — only if he found something he thought they’d legitimately like, but he usually did. He was good at that.
Damien nodded and smiled sleepily. He turned back to Celine and leaned over, snuggling into her for a hug. “Wuv you.”
She held him close, breathing in his scent and rubbing his back. “I love you too. So much. Now go to Y/N. Be a good boy, okay, Damien?”
“I will!” Damien promised. He was still reluctant to leave, but Celine slipped her hands out of his and got his cane to give to him.
So, Damien went over to William, who stood up to pull him into a big hug, making him smile. “I love you, Damien. Goodnight.”
“Night-night,” Damien said, snuggling into his chest for a long moment. Then William parted them and patted Damien on the back — careful to be less forceful than he might normally be. Finally, Damien wandered to Y/N, who received him in yet another hug.
They could tell he really was sleepy — as if it hadn’t been otherwise obvious — by the way he glommed onto them. Over his shoulder, they told the others, “Safe travels, you two. Please call when you get to the hotel, if you can. And I’ll be sure to tell Damien, if he’s still small.” They had work tomorrow, so he probably wouldn’t be, but they’d take care of things if he was.
“Of course!” William assured.
“Alright, I love you,” Y/N said, turning with Damien to leave. They got a last round of love-you-toos as they went out.
They’d had some rain earlier in the day, but it seemed to have mostly let up. Only a couple of drops fell between the house and the car.
Y/N held the door to the backseat open. “In you get, little one.”
Damien slid in, and when he was settled and safely out of the way, Y/N shut his door for him, and got into the driver’s side. Luckily, they’d rode up together — before he’d fallen into headspace — so they didn’t have to worry about coming back to get Damien’s car.
Y/N glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “It’s okay if you fall asleep, baby boy.”
Damien was watching out the window, blinking slowly. It was all dark, save the moonlight, as they pulled out of the Barnums’ driveway. Damien was hoping he’d see some animals out and about. “No, no, I stay up… wan’ stay up wif you. Keep you, um, company,” he said, enunciating carefully. His speech was rather indistinct, between his littlespace and his tiredness, but he got it.
Y/N smiled fondly. “You’re so sweet, Damien.”
Hearing that made Damien happy. He went back to watching out the window. The quiet sounds of the car were soothing, and he felt so contented as he watched the smattering of raindrops drip down the window.
When he yawned real big, Y/N said nothing, not wanting him to fuss or work himself up. Even if he fell asleep, he’d be alright to get into the house, and they’d get him right to bed, after.
Emerging from the countryside, they got onto the main road. Driving under the periodic streetlamps produced a rhythmic, dim flashing, which reflected in a pretty way in Damien’s raindrops. Admittedly, he saw them hardly in focus, and only between long, slow blinks by now.
Soon, his eyes felt too heavy to open at all. The streetlamps weren’t bright enough for him to tell, with his eyes closed, when they were passing overhead, so he just listened to the sound of the wheels on wet pavement and the rumble of the car’s engine.
His thoughts blurred into dreams — of his family, of rain, of animals, of light — as he fell asleep, head falling to one side.
Y/N, of course, kept very quiet. They limited themself to only the occasional glance back at him so that they could focus wholly on driving safely, and smoothly, so that they could get him home without waking him up. Luckily, at this hour, there was hardly any traffic, even in the city.
Y/N was tired, too, but plenty fine to drive. They felt as contented as Damien must. It was such a nice night, and seeing him safe and peaceful — and knowing the others who held their heart were similarly happy and well — made them feel at peace, too.
Soon — it wasn’t terribly far from the Barnums’ — they pulled into their driveway, shutting off the car and slipping out.
Y/N sorely wished they could pick Damien up; it was such a shame to have to disturb him, but they had to. They opened his door carefully and leaned down, putting a hand gently on his shoulder, rubbing when he didn’t stir at first. “Darling one, we’re home. Come inside and we’ll go right to bed, okay?”
Damien woke up, at least partially, with a noise of protest. “Mm, I s’eepy, Y/N.”
“I know you are, baby. Come along and you can go right back to bed,” they said, smiling. He looked to be less than half awake, but he let them guide him from the car, then into the house with one arm around him.
As they entered, they left the porch and entryway lights on for Mark, who’d likely be home in the wee hours of the morning. “Hold the hand rail,” Y/N instructed quietly. Damien’s room was just at the top, and when they got there, Y/N left their things by the door. There wasn’t much that couldn’t wait until tomorrow, but for the things that couldn’t:
First, they slipped off Damien’s clothes and guided him into a nightgown instead. He really was only half awake, with eyes often closed and seldom giving more than a mumble at Y/N’s prompting.
“My poor baby is so tired. Lay down for me, love; just a little longer.”
That one, Damien could do. A thumb found its way into his mouth as Y/N changed his diaper for nighttime.
“Stay right there, now. Can you do that, Damien?”
“Mmhmm…”
Considering him safe for the moment, they took away the dirty things, washed up, and darted down the hall to leave a note for Mark.
Dearest love,
Damien’s little tonight, so I’ll be with him in his room when you read this. I’ll see you tomorrow; we’ll try our best not to wake you up.
All yours,
Y/NP.S. William and Celine sent their love in return. I’ll let you know when they call tomorrow.
They left the note folded into a triangle and set on their own pillow so that the words faced out. With that done, they slipped into their own pajamas and returned to Damien… who’d just barely managed to keep himself awake because he wanted to be held.
“Y/N,” he mumbled around his thumb, making a grabbing motion with his free hand.
“All done, Damien. Bedtime now,” Y/N whispered, crawling onto the open side of the bed. They laid right beside him, allowing Damien to cuddle up to their chest as they pulled the covers up over both of them.
“There, little one. I’m right here.” His free hand gripped loosely to their nightgown, with his head laying on their chest. So gently, Y/N ran their fingers through his hair, then bent to press a kiss to his forehead.
In the most peaceful contentment, feeling completely safe in their arms, Damien fell back to sleep very quickly.
Morning came, and the light through the just-translucent curtains slowly roused them both. Damien became aware he was awake without bothering to open his eyes… after all, he felt so safe, so warm, so comfortable. His headspace was fuzzy and in-between, but just in an unresolved way.
He knew he must be in his room, though he didn’t remember coming in from the car. From the feel of his pajamas and Y/N’s arms around him, he assumed they’d taken care of him… like they always did.
He knew he would have to resolve his headspace soon — that he’d have to be big in order to go to work — but for now? Damien just wanted to stay in their arms and enjoy a few more moments of sweet, peaceful rest, so when Y/N began to stir, intending to wake them both up, he only snuggled closer to them and mumbled for, “Just five more minutes, please.”
And… Y/N didn’t want to end the moment so soon, either. “Okay,” they whispered, nuzzling into his hair.