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Rui had been having a rough time the past few days. Exams were happening, his troupe was preparing for a big show and there was an accident with one of the props, which he was in charge of remaking. The worst part, however, was just how little time he spent with Tsukasa. Over the past 72 hours, probably only 4 were alone time between him and his boyfriend. Normally that wouldn’t have been a problem, sure it’d be a little annoying, but it would be manageable. No, the real kicker?
Rui felt like he was on the brink of his headspace, unable to fully drop down.
It was incredibly annoying, feeling slightly fuzzy at all times, but not being able to do anything about it. He’d tried really hard, changing into fluffy pajamas, curling up under a soft throw blanket, and wrapping his body around a big plushie, but it just never happened. He didn’t have the time during the day to regress like he normally did, with silly cartoons and coloring books, so he just tried to do it before he went to bed. It never worked, leaving him frustrated and misty eyed, before he drifted off into fitful slumber.
He desperately wanted Tsukasa. The other knew of his regression, and was his caregiver whenever Rui needed it, but he was just as busy as Rui these days, so there was no time for the two of them to hang out while Rui was little. He couldn’t tell if Tsukasa noticed his odd behavior as of late, but Rui hoped he hadn’t. That’d be humiliating, Tsukasa seeing just how pathetic he was when he couldn’t go into littlespace for just a few days. Although, technically he hadn’t regressed in a few weeks, it’d only become a problem recently.
Now, Rui blinks blearily into wakefulness, a soft whine is torn from his throat as his arms no longer hold his plushie. He pats down the area around him, but is still unable to locate the stuffed platypus with his eyes closed. His whining gets louder, more distressed, and he sits up angrily, frustrated tears welling in his eyes. As consciousness comes to him, he realizes he’s feeling significantly smaller than he has in the past three days. He also notes that he needs to get ready for school immediately if he doesn’t want to be late. He lets out a shuddering breath, wiping away his tears with the slightly oversized sleeve of his soft sweater. He doesn’t wanna go to school, he wants to stay home and watch tv and cuddle his platypus!
Oh god, the nature of his own thoughts center himself slightly. He’s feeling very little, he needs to get back into his big headspace, and fast. He closes his eyes tight, and starts imagining things to try and get back into a bigger headspace. Taking deep breaths, he imagined scary movies he’d watch with Mizuki, shooter games Nene would invite him to play, conversations with Akito, anything and everything that would make him feel older. Blinking open his eyes, Rui felt big enough to start getting ready. Reluctantly, he tugged off the soft fabric of his sleep shirt, as well as his bottoms, before aggressively pulling on his school uniform.
Once he’s dressed and ready, he goes to leave his bedroom, but pauses. He’s definitely not 100% today, the fuzziness in his mind staying, and he really does not want to go to school today. Maybe, if he had something nice with him, he’d be okay? Biting his lip, Rui grabs his platypus plushie, shoving it deep into his school bag before running out the door.
—
Rui doesn’t even bother going to his class. By the time he makes it to the school, he's about ten minutes late, plus he’s tired and a little sweaty from running to try and make it on time. He stomps up the school's staircase and to the roof, a routine he hadn’t followed since middle school. He tossed his school bag onto the floor next to a bench, before sitting on it and bringing his knees to his chest. He still felt blurry, but he was teetering between headspaces uncomfortably, not quite big, but not quite small either. In all honesty, it made him want to cry. So cry he did, glaring daggers at the floor of the roof, overwhelmed tears spilling down his cheeks as his lips blubbered out quiet sobs. Eventually, the tears stopped, and he was left even more exhausted.
He imagined Tsukasa was with him, the blonde's comfort would no doubt be enough to finally push him into littlespace. But Tsukasa was probably in class, doing some stupid exam that Rui couldn’t be bothered to care about at the moment. Rui contemplated grabbing the platypus plushie from his backpack, but the fear of being caught with it, or worse, regressing at school, held him back. He wanted nothing more than to go home with Tsukasa and be cared for, but that wouldn’t be possible for at least a few more hours.
Reluctantly, Rui got out his phone, hoping to pass the time faster. The bright blue light screen only helped in irritating his eyes after crying, upsetting him even further. Nothing was going right, not even remotely okay. With a petulant huff, Rui opens up a stupid color by number app he installed on his phone. Filling in each little section with bright blues and oranges satisfied a small part of his brain, though it didn’t compare to coloring with his pretty markers and silly coloring books, nor Tsukasa encouragingly telling him that the art looks so good. Without even realizing it, Rui lost himself in tapping the soothing colors, his other hand going to his mouth, nipping at his fingernails.
Rui only came back to himself at the taste of copper on his tongue, startled by the fact that he’d bitten so far down on his nails that they’d begun to bleed. Rui panicked as he realized that lunch was about to start, meaning Tsukasa was going to come up to eat with him. He could barely stay big by himself, he’d probably crumble immediately in the presence of his caregiver. Rui scoffed at himself, forcing those big thoughts into his head again to try and stay afloat. Urban legends, spooky stories, inappropriate comedians, all were shoved into his head, not something a child would think about. He wiped his gross, spit covered hand on his pants, closing that stupid app on his phone, and wiping away any traces of tears still left on his face. Just as he shoved his phone back into his schoolbag, the rooftop door burst open.
“Rui!!” Tsukasa yelled, practically marching his way towards Rui. He sat just close enough that their knees barely touched, making Rui ache. “You weren’t in class! Have you seriously been up here all day?!” Tsukasa exclaimed, quickly getting to work on eating his lunch. Rui forced a laugh, waving his hand in dismissal. So what if he had? It didn’t mean anything!
Feeling those stupid little thoughts breaching his mind again, Rui pinched the skin on his thigh. Hard. It stung, but it grounded him and went unnoticed by Tsukasa, which was more than worth it. “I’ve been inspired, Tsukasa-kun! How could I go to class when my brain runs wild with such glimmering ideas?” Rui commented, gesturing with his hand. He was unaware of Tsukasa locking his eyes onto it, taking in the rough state of his bitten fingertips.
“Right,” Tsukasa said, sounding unconvinced. Rui winced, if Tsukasa found out how he was feeling, he might try to get him to regress right here on the rooftop! The thought was a little irrational, he knew that Tsukasa wasn’t going to risk exposing him like that, but Rui had bigger things to worry about besides the rationality of his thoughts.
“Ahaha,” Rui laughed weakly, trying to think of something to say. Something that would convince Tsukasa that everything was fine. “I,” Rui blanked, his already weak grasp on his big headspace slipping from him. He was so tired, he didn’t want to be here! He wanted his bed, his plushie, his cartoons, not this stupid rooftop! His hands started to shake, but he kept a tight lipped smile on his face. He’s slipping, but god dammit he knows how to keep his feelings in his head, so what if he’s feeling little? He just needs to pretend he wasn't until Tsukasa went back to class, and then he could run home and try to regress by himself!
“Rui, you’re acting odd.” Tsukasa says, shattering Rui’s dream of making it through lunch without issue. “Are you okay?” Tsukasa’s voice is soft, like he’s worried Rui might break if he speaks too harshly. Rui bites his lip, the gentle tone making him feel so much smaller. It’s so hard to stay big, everything in him is screaming to just fall into Tsukasa’s arms, but he can’t . They are at school, lunch is probably almost over, and Tsukasa has to go back to class. God, will he even be able to stay big after Tsukasa leaves? What if he regresses by himself on the rooftop? Rui’s hands can't stop shaking.
“I’m fine.” Rui mumbles, cursing himself at how pathetic it sounded. God, he sounds like an infant about to throw a tantrum, and he honestly probably was. The swirling emotions in his chest do absolutely nothing to help him stay big, they only push him down further. In fact, its an overstatement to still say he’s in his big headspace, but admitting that he was little to himself was only going to send him further into his headspace.
Tsukasa looked at Rui worriedly, what was so wrong with his boyfriend? It’s not often Rui skips class these days, and even less often does Rui lie to Tsukasa about how he’s feeling. It’s only when he’s hiding something that he doesn’t tell Tsukasa, so maybe if he can figure it out, Rui will let him help! He took in Rui’s current state, his bitten fingers, adorable pout, speaking patterns, and tried to think. What would cause Rui to be so sad and yet be so secretive about it? Bitten fingers, pouting, odd speaking. What is he missing? Hesitantly, Tsukasa reaches for Rui’s hand, but the other pulls away with a whine. The two make eye contact, and Tsukasa gets a clear shot at the misty look in Rui’s eyes.
Oh.
Tsukasa feels like smacking himself, all the evidence was right in front of him! His sweet boyfriend was feeling little! That was a problem, though, as they were very much in public, and having Rui regress out here would no doubt be humiliating for him, as well as just not safe. “Are you feeling little, my love?” Tsukasa asked, immediately getting his answer from Rui’s reaction. The other boy whined, kicking his feet and trying to wipe away fresh tears. He wasn’t little! He wasn’t! Tsukasa wasted no time, packing the rest of his lunch back up and getting out his phone, sending a text to Toya to please retrieve his bag from his classroom after school. Going to get it himself would waste too much time, after all. “Can I put my lunch in your bag, Rui?” Tsukasa asked. Rui just huffed, crossing his arms. Tsukasa took that as a yes, and he quickly shoved it into Rui’s bag before standing.
Rui was trying really hard not to start crying again, but his secret was out. He didn’t want Tsukasa to know! He didn’t want to come to school! He didn’t even want to get out of bed! Before long, tears were once again rolling down his cheeks, bottom lip trembling with barely repressed sobs. He felt so upset, nothing went how he wanted it to, and he really just wanted to go home. Tsukasa got up from his bag, and sat back down next to him for a moment. He reached his hand up and pulled Rui’s head into his shoulder, gently shushing him.
“You’re okay, sweetheart. Let it out, shh, go ahead and cry.” Tsukasa keeps Rui close, rubbing his back as the little sobbed. “You’ve had a rough day, haven’t you, love?” Tsukasa frowned at the way Rui immediately started nodding against his neck, hands clinging onto Tsukasa’s blazer. He was kicking and whining, very much throwing a tantrum, but Tsukasa knew it was because Rui was just overwhelmed and upset.
Rui couldn’t stop crying, he just wanted to go home! He didn’t care about anything besides going home! He pounded his fists against Tsukasa’s chest, wailing. Tsukasa didn’t mind the weak hits, starting to rock them in an attempt to soothe the distressed boy. They would leave as soon as Rui calmed down. “Shh, easy, it’s okay.” Tsukasa was getting a little worried, Rui didn’t usually cry this much in littlespace, and yet his tears showed no signs of stopping.
“Home!” Rui dug his face into Tsukasa’s shoulder, moving his hands to claw at Tsukasa’s back. He wanted to go home! Why wasn’t ‘Kasa taking him home?! Tsukasa winced, he knew Rui wanted to go home, but they can’t leave till he stops crying! Tsukasa keeps trying to shush him, rocking them back and forth, but it’s not working, nothing is. Rui is not calming down at all, in fact, he seems to be working himself up more and more. Tsukasa’s mind was reeling, normally holding Rui is enough to make him stop crying almost immediately, and rocking him typically makes him smile! Tsukasa thought he was acting weird earlier cause he was feeling little, but even now that he regressed he’s still acting odd!
Tsukasa tried to think of other things that could cheer up his little. Maybe he could put a show on his phone for Rui to watch? He moved one of his hands off of Rui, fishing his phone out of his pocket. He tried to turn it on, but the screen flashed with an empty battery. Damnit! He forgot to charge his phone last night, and that text to Toya probably used the last of his battery. Desperately, he leaned over and shoved his hand into Rui’s school bag, searching for his phone. He felt around loose papers and the lunch he put there moments ago, until his fingers brushed the smooth screen of Rui’s cellular. He reached to grab it, but felt something else against his hand too. Soft fabric brushed against the back of his hand, confusing him. What else was kept in Rui’s bag? He pulled out the phone, but went right back for the soft thing, hoping that it’d be something else that’d help him calm Rui.
Tsukasa almost cried in relief, it was Rui’s stuffed platypus! It always calmed the little down, the cute little thing brought a smile to Rui’s face every time without fail. “Rui, look!” Tsukasa leaned away from Rui a bit, making the other cry out even louder, but it was interrupted by the soft plush that was shoved in his arms. “Look sweetheart, your stuffie!” Tsukasa smiled, hoping that this would finally calm his sweet boy down.
Rui almost forgot he’d brought his platypus along, but it felt so nice to have in his arms now. The tears quickly stopped, and he buried his face into the top of its head with a quiet mumble, leaning back into Tsukasa’s hold. He was so little, he felt content enough to sleep right there in his caregivers warm embrace. Tsukasa’s arms felt like firm weights holding him in place, yet they were comforting in nature and reminded him of a nice blanket. The slow rocking resumed, more than enough to lull the tired little to sleep.
Tsukasa was flabbergasted, this was incredibly odd behavior from Rui! Yet, that didn’t mean it was completely foreign to Tsukasa. The way Rui was acting reminded him more of how Toya got when he was feeling small, very emotional and quick to cry. But that was because Toya was a baby when he regressed, unlike Rui, who was typically a toddler or small child. Could it be that Rui had regressed to a baby?! Rui’s never regressed further than a young toddler before, so this would be completely uncharted territory for him.
Tsukasa sighed, he could worry about that after he got the little somewhere safe to regress. He slowly maneuvers them to where Rui is balanced on his back, and Tsukasa has his arms wrapped around his legs to keep him stable. He picks up Rui’s school bag with one hand, and then begins the long trek out of the school and towards his house. Tsukasa rationalizes that his house would probably be better, it was closer and he had a lot of Rui’s little supplies there from a few weeks ago. He peaks out into the halls of Kamiyama, sighing as he realizes that lunch was over and classes started again, meaning the coast was clear.
Tsukasa stepped back into the ever so dangerous school halls, huffing at his own dramatization. He walked briskly, wanting to be quick, but also not wanting to startle Rui out of his slumber. The little snored faintly against Tsukasa’s ear, making the other smile fondly. God, he could imagine how peaceful his beloved looked right now, resting deeply after such a draining fit. Oh, how he longed to see that beautiful face-
“Oi! What’re you doing, Tenma?” A voice called from behind them, making Tsukasa freeze. Fuck, no one was supposed to be out of their class right now! Tsukasa slowly turned around, nervous to see who had called out to him. There stood Akito, a hall pass hanging limply around his wrist, looking at the pair with confused eyes.
“Ah, Shinonome!” Tsukasa winced at the volume of his own voice, hoping not to wake Rui. Akito’s eyes moved between the two, and Tsukasa desperately hoped he couldn’t see anything wrong. “What brings you into the light of my presence!” Tsukasa laughed, a small bead of sweat dripping down his cheek.
“Well I was gonna head straight back to class, but,” Akito paused, trying to step to the side and look at Rui clearer. Tsukasa quickly turned Rui away from him. “I see you two out here, and Kamishiros unconscious. Something wrong with him?” Akito once again tried leaning over to peek, but Tsukasa jolted him away. It was a bad move though, as Rui was shifted, the platypus slipped from his arms slightly and came into clear view. Tsukasa acting on instinct, pushing the platypus firmly back into Rui’s embrace, and bouncing him gently to keep him asleep.
Once Rui was fully soothed again, Tsukasa and Akito made eye contact. Tsukasa expected him to laugh or judge, but was only met with a look of understanding. Oh, right, Tsukasa wasn’t the only one who cared for Toya when he was little. “Ah, that’s what it is.” Akito mumbled to himself. “Alright, go get ‘im somewhere comfortable.” Akito shrugged, and Tsukasa gave him his most thankful smile before carrying on his way.
Clearing the rest of Kamiyama was easy, and thus began the walk home from there. It wasn’t particularly hot or cold outside, it was honestly rather a pleasant temperature, making Tsukasa grin. It really was a lovely day out, maybe he and Rui could sit on the balcony later and bask in the sun rays. Still, that would all have to happen later, there’s still a sleeping baby on his back, afterall.
As they approached Tsukasa’s house, he couldn’t help but feel grateful. The other boy may be as thin as a twig, but he was still a 182cm highschool boy. Tsukasa panted lightly as he eased the boy off of his back and into a bridal carry, making it possible for him to get his house keys and open the door. All the lights were off, everyone else was presumably at work or school, which would make caring for Rui all the easier. He shuffled in and closed the door, toeing off his shoes and rushing into the living room. Gently, he lowered Rui onto the couch, only taking a few moments to admire the gorgeous look on his face, before getting to work on making him more comfortable.
The first thing would be taking off those uncomfortable school shoes. Tsukasa slipped them off Rui’s feet, quickly moving to place them at the door before returning to his sleeping beauty. He made quick work of Rui’s tie, too, as well as unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt before stopping. It’d be better to wait till he was awake to fully change him into something comfy. Besides, Tsukasa knew that the big blue cardigan Rui wore was incredibly snug.
Pressing a quick kiss to Rui’s forehead, Tsukasa quickly ran off to retrieve things for Rui if he was still little when he woke up. Going up the stairs, Tsukasa scanned his own closet for the softest pajamas he could find, hoping they’d fit on his near too-tall sweetheart. He settled on a soft pink and blue, heart printed sweater, and a pair of black fuzzy pants. After a short moment of internal deliberation, he also grabbed a pull-up from a stack meant for Toya, just in case his theory about Rui being much smaller was correct.
With that gear in tow, he ran back down the steps, worried that Rui might awaken alone. By the time he was next to Rui again, the boy was still fast asleep, soft snores soothing any worry Tsukasa might’ve had. He folds the clothes with ease, setting them on the coffee table for quick access. Tsukasa, not one for standing idly, began to fuss over the sleeping little, pushing the platypus further into his arms, fluffing the pillow behind his head, pulling a throw blanket over his body, and overall doing everything to make Rui as snuggly as physically possible.
Perhaps he fretted too much, as soon Rui let out a quiet whine, beginning to squirm under the restriction of the blanket. His golden eyes blinked open, pale purple lashes fluttered against his rose dusted cheeks. “‘Kasa?” He called sleepily, eyelids remaining heavy as he looked towards the blonde. A warm palm made contact with his head, slowly combing through the strands in a repetitive, comforting manner. Rui felt like he was floating on a cloud, a tiny bird flying weightless through sunlit skies.
“Yes, it’s me, my love!” Tsukasa confirmed, appreciating the feather soft feel of Rui’s head and hair against his hand. From the way Rui was acting, quiet and content to just nuzzle into his hand, Tsukasa could assume he was probably still regressed. “I brought you something cozy to change into, if you would like.” Tsukasa offered, slowly dragging his hand down to hold Rui’s soft cheek. The boy’s eyes seemingly sparkled, excited at the prospect of being made even more warm and comfy.
“Uh huh! Wanna be cozy.” Rui giggled, feeling giddy. A pleasant warmth settled in his chest and face, smiling brightly at Tsukasa as he maneuvered him into a sitting position. Rui fell forward the moment Tsukasa tried to pull away, face landing in the welcoming crook of Tsukasa’s neck. “‘Kasa.” Rui sighed, gently curling his hand around the fabric of Tsukasa’s uniform shirt.
“You’re very affectionate today, sweetheart!” Tsukasa pointed out, opting to throw Rui’s thighs over his own, turning them both to face the coffee table so he could reach Rui’s little outfit. Rui just giggled, the sweetness of the noise making Tsukasa’s heart swell. “Would you like me to help you change, love?” Tsukasa asked, already ready to help his lover into his plush clothes. Rui mumbled out a yes, before lazily lifting his arms over his head to aid the process. “Haha, thank you very much! You’re so strong, Rui!” Tsukasa complimented, slipping the cozy cardigan off of Rui’s slim shoulders. Next to go was that scratchy button up, and then Rui’s pants and socks. “My love, would you like to wear a pull up tonight?” Tsukasa asked, holding up the disposable cloth. Rui’s round cheeks flushed a cute pink, and he looked away with a whine. “Shh, nothing to be embarrassed of! It’s just to make you more comfortable!” Tsukasa soothed him with a kiss to his cheek. After a few moments of silence, Rui nodded, chest shakily rising with a choked sob of embarrassment.
Tsukasa sped through the rest of the changing process, folding the old clothes and putting them back on the coffee table. Rui, now clad in the fuzzy pajamas, seemed to slip further, curling up as small as possible in Tsukasa’s lap, plushie safe in tow. The quick bout of embarrassed tears was gone the moment Tsukasa’s arms were around him again, replaced by a pleasant wave of comfort.
“Hm, what would you like to do, love?” Tsukasa asked, slowly rocking Rui back and forth on his lap. Rui mumbled out some nonsense, before whining and shaking his head. Confused, Tsukasa spoke again. “Would you like to color? You always make the prettiest pictures!” He suggested, eyeing the coloring bin kept down here. He and Saki were avid coloring book users, after all. Rui squirmed uncomfortably, before hesitantly nodding. Tsukasa was frazzled, Rui normally lit up at the mention of coloring, but he only seemed to deflate now. Tsukasa felt like he was failing somehow, not doing a good enough job at taking care of his sweet boy.
Still, Rui had nodded, so Tsukasa scooped him in his arms, standing up and walking over to the little bin of coloring supplies. Gently setting Rui down, Tsukasa opened up the bin, offering Rui some markers and a bird themed coloring book. Once again the little hesitated, pouting up at Tsukasa before reluctantly taking the offered items. Tsukasa was at a loss, he thought everything was good with his beloved boyfriend, why did he seem so upset? Tsukasa just watched as Rui began to color, pouting angrily at the pretty flamingos and scribbling in color seemingly random. As time dragged on, Rui’s coloring got messier and messier, his shoulders began to shake subtly, clearly working himself up into another fit.
Tsukasa reached towards him, ready to intervene and try to calm him down, but Rui reached his breaking point before he could. He threw the marker he was using against the ground, starting to wail loudly. Rui hastily brought his hands up to his face, covering his eyes and curling his fingers into his hair as shaky sobs escaped from his throat. His legs were kicking helplessly, seemingly trying to fight off some problem that couldn’t be seen.
“Shh, shh, Rui, Rui it’s okay sweetheart.” Tsukasa tried to console him, but Rui just started crying louder, sobbing and hiccuping wantonly into the air. Tsukasa gingerly engulfed the younger boy in a hug, not expecting Rui to cling onto him desperately, blubbering against the exposed skin of his neck. “My love, what’s wrong?” Rui wailed loudly in response, legs still kicking restlessly, his hands going to tug harshly against the back of Tsukasa’s shit.
“Don’ wanna!!” Rui cried, smushing his face even further into Tsukasa’s neck. Tsukasa shushed him, once again moving him to be sat on his lap, knowing how much the other liked it. Rui’s body shook with the force of his cries, helpless to do anything but accommodate the intense feelings swarming in Rui’s head. “Don’ wanna color, don’ wanna do ‘nything!!” Rui pulled back his head for a second, only to slam it back into the warm crook of Tsukasa’s neck again, repeating the process until the other boy had to pull him away entirely, sturdy hands holding his face still.
“Shh, you don’t have to color, we can just cuddle and take a nap if you want. Shh, it’s okay, my love.” Tsukasa soothed, slowly wiping away the waterfall of tears that poured from Rui’s eyes. Rui’s lips trembled as he continued to sob, snot and tears making a mess of his flushed and anguished face. Tsukasa leaned forward, pressing a loving kiss directly between his loves eyebrows, before reaching behind him to grab the stuffed platypus. “Here you go, my dear, everything is okay.” Tsukasa gently put the plushie in Rui’s lap, going so far as to wrap Rui’s arms around it for him. “You’re just a baby, right?” Tsukasa finally asked, relief flooding his chest when the little nodded, cheeks burning a bright red.
Rui sniffled softly, bringing the plush up to hide his sheepish face. Tsukasa laughed, but not in the condescending way Rui was used to. Strong arms wrapped around his waist, and before long Rui was hoisted into the air, Tsukasa’s arms moving to rest under his thighs and hold him against his hip. Rui was a little startled by the show of strength, but quickly relaxed into the warm hold. He felt so, so tiny, he doesn’t think he can remember a time he dropped so far.
“Why don’t we get you something nice to drink, baby? I bet you’re exhausted and thirsty after that, yeah?” Tsukasa asked, already carrying Rui into the kitchen. Rui mumbled nonsense against his lover's neck, nodding nonetheless. Tsukasa’s heart felt full to the point of exploding, Rui was just too cute!
Tsukasa went to get one of Rui’s sippy cups from the cabinet, but paused. Rui was incredibly little right now, he might be too far gone to even hold a sippy cup. “My love, would you like a bottle right now?” Tsukasa asked, eyeing the cute baby bottles he had for Toya. He’d have to get Rui some for himself, he had just never thought to because the other had never dropped so low before. Toya was practically always a baby though, so at least he was prepared and knew what he was doing.
Rui was too small to even feel ashamed anymore, so he just made a soft sound and nodded again. A warm bottle did sound really nice, and maybe Tsukasa would even let him take a nap afterwards. What Rui didn’t realize was Tsukasa would have to put him down to make it, and he was in for a rude surprise when he was set onto the counter. He let out a sad cry as Tsukasa started to move away from him, reaching to cling to one of his arms desperately, eyes going glossy. His precious stuffed platypus fell to the ground, making him extra sad.
Tsukasa reacted quickly, grabbing the plush off the ground and gently putting it back into his littles arms, before grabbing Rui’s face and wiping away the tears that had begun to fall. “Shh, it’s alright. I’m just going to be right here, okay? Kasa needs you to be strong for just a few minutes while I make you a bottle, okay? You’ll have your platypus, right?” Tsukasa gently combs his fingers through soft purple locks, soothing the little one's worries. Rui hesitates, but nods anyway, clinging to his beloved platypus. Tsukasa gives him a loving pat on the head, which Rui leaned into, sniffling away the last of his tears.
Tsukasa wasted no time in making the bottle, already missing the feeling of Rui in his arms. He goes about making the formula with ease, repeatedly turning to look at Rui and make sure he’s okay. The little was messing with the soft limbs of his plushie, a contented look on his cute face. Tsukasa couldn’t help but feel relieved that Toya was spending the night with Akito, if the other boy was home and feeling little too, Tsukasa wasn’t sure he’d be able to watch both of his littles at the same time, especially if both of them were babies.
Once the bottle was done, he turned back over to Rui, setting it on the counter and opening his arms. Rui excitedly shimmied himself off the counter, throwing one arm around Tsukasa’s neck, the other cradling his platypus close to his chest. “All done, my beloved! We may finally go cuddle.” Tsukasa pulled Rui back off the floor and into his arms, grabbing the bottle on their way out of the kitchen. Rui nuzzled into his chest, blinking slowly as he looked beyond his star and to the room they were entering. Panic seized his heart as Tsukasa walked straight past the couch, worried they were going to do something other than cuddle and sleep.
“‘Kasa!” Rui whimpered, tugging at the collar of his shirt. “Wanna sleep, ‘Kasa!”
“Shh, we are, we’re going to nap, it’s alright.” Tsukasa soothed as they began to walk up the stairs. Rui’s eyes filled with tears again, overwhelmed and hurt, Tsukasa was lying to him! Rui croaked out another pathetic sob, feeling that nasty swarm of negativity fog up his mind. Before he could be thrown into his third fit of the day, he was gently placed down on Tsukasa’s bed. “I figured my bed would be much more comfortable than the couch.” He explained with a forehead kiss. Rui sank into the plush mattress, the frustration giving way to fluffy comfort once more. “Kasa’s gonna change out of this uncomfy old uniform, then he’ll join you.” Tsukasa secured the platypus in Rui’s arms before changing as fast as he could into some fuzzy pajama’s of his own.
Rui’s eyes felt heavy, Tsukasa’s bed was so big and warm, and his plushie was soft, everything had a sort of fuzziness to it that made Rui so sleepy. Tsukasa slipped into the bed next to him, gently pulling Rui up to sit with his back to Tsukasa’s chest. Rui mumbled something illegible, but his confusion faded when the bottle was gently pushed against his lips. Pure bliss buzzed through his body as he slowly drank the warm drink, Tsukasa holding it for him to make sure he didn’t drink it all too fast.
When Rui was content with the amount he had drank, he turned his head to nuzzle against Tsukasa’s chest, a small bit of the drink dribbling down his chin, quickly swept away by Tsukasa’s warm thumb. Tsukasa gently tapped Rui’s shoulder, making him whine tiredly as he turned from his comfortable spot smushed against Tsukasa’s chest. It wasn’t for no reason, though, as in Tsukasa’s hand was a very nice looking pacifier, which, similarly to the bottle, was gently placed against Rui’s mouth. He eagerly accepted it, finding contentment in the simple rhythm sucking it offered.
Finally, Tsukasa laid them down properly for a nap, flicking off the lights, the room now illuminated by the natural lighting of the midday sunlight peeking through the thin curtains. Rui was already half asleep, laying on top of Tsukasa with his platypus hugged under his chin. With Tsukasa's arms tightly wound around his waist, he slipped off into the comfortable numbness of unconsciousness, knowing he’d be just as warm when he awoke.