Chapter Text
Tommy was even fidgetier than usual, and that really wasn’t something Tubbo had even thought was possible. Tommy was like a perpetual motion machine, always moving unless interrupted by an outside force. This, though, was definitely out of the ordinary.
They were hanging out because Tommy invited him over, and usually when Tommy invited him to things (be they meetups, video calls, games, anything really) it was because he had something specific to share with Tubbo and he wanted his full attention. But he’d really yet to show Tubbo much of anything this visit. They just sat on the sofa and watched a tv show they’d both already seen while Tommy barely talked and fidgeted like he was covered in ants.
Just as Tubbo was about to ask what was up, Tommy blurted out “I’ve got something to talk with you about.”
The shorter raised a brow, maneuvering himself sideways on the sofa and pulling both legs up to fully face Tommy. He tried to keep his posture attentive but casual. “Alright. What did you want to talk to me about, Big Man?”
Tommy’s face twisted into an odd sort of grimace before he smothered it and went back to playing with the collar of his sweater. He rolled his jaw back and forth, taking several irregular inhales like he was prepared to speak and then gave up at the last second. Just as Tubbo was starting to get irritated, Tommy once again said - asked - in a rush, “you know Age Regression?”
Tubbo’s brain froze, body keeping position but going completely rigid. A flash of panic shot through him. In an instant he was wracking his brain to try and determine what had given him away. Did he have something weird in his browsing history? Did he accidentally say something incriminating recently and couldn’t remember? Was he just that bad at hiding it? Before he could descend into a full-blown freakout, Tommy continued in that shaky ramble he would occasionally adopt when he was nervous.
“I mean— do you know of it? It’s a pretty, you know I guess it’s a straightforward term but sometimes— people are weird about things, you know? ‘Course you know, and I want, first, I want you to get the full idea—” Tommy pulled a bit harder at his collar and Tubbo idly thought he was going to stretch it out soon if he didn’t calm down.
“I know what it is,” he clarified when Tommy took a pause to breathe, the other stuttering to a stop and turning to him. Tubbo tried not to show the relief he felt, worried how suspicious it would be, but he couldn’t help the way his shoulders loosened at the revelation that his secret hadn’t been found out. “Coping mechanism, yeah? People use it to deal with bad stuff and relax. Reject adulthood, become child. That kind of thing.”
Tommy’s posture also significantly loosened, and his hand fell away from his sweater collar. “Oh thank god, oh that is so much that I don’t have to explain. That— that makes this whole thing like eighty times easier, actually.”
Tubbo hummed, prompting him to continue. Despite the logical next step of the conversation, he somehow still hadn’t expected Tommy to say what he said next. Like, at all.
“That— I’m, uh, a Regressor. Or a Little, whichever term you’re familiar with. I am the baby mode, that’s me. ToddlerInnit real and true.” Tommy flashed him a sheepish smile, the apples of his cheeks and the tips of his ears beginning to turn bright red. Tubbo instantly took pity on him and smiled brightly.
“That’s great, man! I’m glad you have a solid and healthy way to de-stress.” And really, that was the truth. Tubbo knew more than almost anyone how brutal the internet had been to Tommy beneath all the success. He deserved a bit of a mental vacation every now and then. “I’m honored you trust me with this. Especially like, not knowing how I felt about it. I’m sure that was scary.”
“Well,” Tommy shrugged. “It was, I guess, until it was out of my mouth. And then it was just kinda like, it’s you, ya know? I don’t think you could ever do something to hurt me on purpose, Tubs. You are simply too wholesome.”
Despite the fond exasperation at the last comment, Tubbo felt his throat ache around a sudden lump. He pressed his lips together and tried to covertly wipe his suddenly wet eyes, but he thought he was probably less inconspicuous than he hoped. He considered then just blurting it out in return, that of course he’d accept this part of Tommy because he had something similar, but instead he just gave his friend a watery smile and a firm hair ruffle.
“Anyone looks wholesome next to you.”
He laughed loudly and freely as Tommy dissolved into offended squawks and haphazard threats until the two somehow wound up snuggling as Tommy talked excitedly about his experience with regression. Tubbo listened intently, and even through the odd weight in the pit of his stomach he was genuinely happy that at least one of them had positive feelings about their headspace. (And maybe trying to enjoy it vicariously, just a little bit, but that was Tubbo’s business.)
“It was— You remember the stupid baby gifts Dream sent me with the merch that one time, yeah? That’s what kickstarted this whole thing, that was. Stupid joke, but it didn’t end up so bad. I sort of— well I didn’t want to acknowledge anything that was happening, there at the beginning, y’know? It was, like even though I didn’t have a problem with what I read I just felt uncomfortable sort of applying it to myself.” Tubbo could definitely sympathize with that, he was still sort of undergoing that problem. He was glad Tommy had overcome it a decent bit, so far as to even tell him about it. “This whole living on my own thing, it’s made some things easier and harder at the same time. It’s been a lot of stress, and I felt like I was keeping a secret from you on top of it. I knew, I think, that it would turn out okay though. Probably why I felt so antsy about telling you, sorry about that.”
Tubbo just laughed him off. “Don’t worry about it, I kind of thought you were going to tell me something bad so this is definitely a good outcome.”
Tommy had mentioned living on his own specifically though, and it made Tubbo concerned. He knew Regressors didn’t particularly need Caregivers, as their headspace was about rebuilding a sense of self and that was different person to person, but Tommy very heavily relied on people for comfort and reassurance. A Little Tommy seemed like those wants would only be intensified. It couldn’t hurt to ask, he thought.
“D’you have a,” he pretended to stumble over the word, “Care— Caregiver, yeah? Someone to help you when you’re feeling smaller?”
Tommy brightened up, nodding wildly. Tubbo felt a fondness creep into his chest watching his messy curls flop over his forehead. “Yeah! Yeah, yeah I do. I’m glad you mentioned, actually, I told him I would update him with how our talk went.”
Tubbo snorted as Tommy pulled out his phone. Scatterbrained forever. “Do I know him, then?”
“It’s Wilbur,” Tommy said by way of answer, and somehow Tubbo just couldn’t bring himself to be surprised. He’d always taken such good care of Tommy, it was an almost instant relief. And Tommy now living in Brighton, he probably got even more in-person care than he did living at home. Tubbo absentmindedly carded his fingers through Tommy’s hair, righting out the frizzy mess as much as he could. “Oh, he’d like to call. You alright with that?”
He hummed. “Yeah sure, go ‘head and put him on.”
The Discord ringtone played for approximately three seconds before the answer tone sounded and Wilbur’s upper body at his home desk appeared onscreen. A grin instantly lit up his features. “Well, don’t you boys look comfy?”
Tubbo could see them in the camera preview, Tommy nudged right up against his shoulder and his arms holding the younger close with one hand buried in his hair. He squirmed a bit at Wilbur’s teasing lilt, uncomfortably close to being small with all the regression talk, but didn’t bother to move away from Tommy. It was true physical touch wasn’t normally his thing, but certain people and circumstances could be considered exceptions. Ranboo knew his limits so intrinsically that Tubbo felt comfortable with him just for the virtue of not having to verbalize when he was getting overwhelmed. Right now, Tommy had just been vulnerable with him and he wanted to comfort him in a way he knew the other received well. Tommy’s weight pressing into him was reassuring and warm, and it was okay. The teasing was a slippery slope, though.
“Shut up, Wil-bur,” Tommy huffed, though he pushed his head further into Tubbo’s hand when the petting slowed. “You’re just jealous.”
“I am,” Wilbur admitted easily, laughing when Tommy spluttered. “Hello, Tubbo.”
“Hi, Wilbur,” Tubbo greeted in turn, pulling a hand away from Tommy’s waist to give a small wave and then returning it right back. “There something you wanted to contribute to the share circle?”
He laughed again, something a bit softer than his usual high-pitched giggle but still fond and amused. “Not really, just wanted to see how you both were. Tommy’s been agonizing over this for days now and I just wanted to make sure you both were really okay."
“He’s mother-henning us,” Tommy muttered conspiratorially. “Helicopter parent he is, Tubs.”
“I thought it was just planes you knew how to fly?” Tubbo asked Wilbur with utmost sincerity, smirking when both the other boys burst into laughter. “We’re alright, Wil. Your boy’s just crushing me into the sofa. No big deal.”
Tommy squawked in offense and Tubbo simply ignored him in favor of watching the way Wilbur’s face softened at Tommy being called his boy. He almost wanted to roll his eyes, but it was sweet. He ached for something like that, someone to take care of him (care for him) that way, but he was okay with the secondhand affection this provided him with.
“I see that, Tubs.” Tubbo dragged Tommy into a more comfortable position to hide his almost full body flinch at the nickname. Too much, way too close to making him feel Small. Even if it was just Wilbur unconsciously mimicking Tommy, hearing it in that fond tone made him feel warm and gooey on the inside and it was not doing him any favors. “I’ll let you boys have fun, then. Feel free to message if either of you need anything.”
They both called out their assents and goodbyes and then Tommy hung up the call, eagerly snatching the remote off the arm of the sofa and resuming their show binge with more enthusiasm.
Later that night, when Tommy was passed out with his back pressed up against Tubbo’s in his big bed because he had no regard for personal space, he received a Discord message from Wilbur asking if he might want to come with them next time they go to visit Phil and Kristin. It reframed a couple of past interactions, especially the way Kristin sometimes doted on Tommy, but it also made him feel a little bit anxious. If he was being invited in the aftermath of that conversation, it probably meant the Watsons’ house was somewhere Tommy frequently regressed. And while Tubbo had never been around another Regressor before, it seemed unlikely that it would make it easier to hide his headspace. Still, Tommy was his best friend and he wanted to be eagerly supportive in any way that he could. So he simply replied “if evryones ok wiht it” and resigned to suffer.