Chapter Text
Stella had never been particularly close to her parents. Being the queen and king of Solaria, they were always busy, their royal duties keeping them distant. After their divorce, that distance grew even more, leaving Stella feeling isolated. She loved them, of course, but a part of her missed having parents who were present. That’s when her regression started—during her first year at Alfea when the loneliness became too much. Despite being surrounded by classmates, she felt like she had no real friends. She kept it to herself for a while, but by her second year, after returning from her expulsion, she opened up to Bloom and the other Winx girls.
To her surprise, they welcomed her with open arms. Some of them regressed too, so she found herself in a comforting environment where she didn’t need to hide. Bloom, her best friend, naturally fell into the role of her caregiver, making Stella feel safe and understood in a way she hadn’t experienced before.
One night, Stella woke up suddenly. She felt little—vulnerable—and as the fairy of the shining sun, she didn’t do well with the dark. The shadows in her room seemed to grow, and the silence felt heavy. She thought about going to Bloom’s room for comfort, this was an emergency, after all.
Grabbing her favorite stuffie, she quietly padded down the hall and slipped into Bloom and Flora’s shared room. Standing by Bloom's bed, she wasn’t sure how to wake her up without being loud, so she just poked her a few times. Fortunately, Bloom was a light sleeper.
“Hm? Stella?” Bloom mumbled sleepily, her eyes blinking open.
“Hi!” Stella giggled, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Bloom rubbed her eyes and sighed softly. “Stel, go back to sleep, it’s late, sweetie.”
“Nu-uh!” Stella shook her head, giggling again, clearly wide awake.
Bloom let out another soft sigh, but there was a smile on her lips. “Let’s go to your room so you don’t wake Flora up, okay?”
“Yay!” Stella cheered quietly.
Bloom climbed out of bed and took Stella’s hand, guiding her back to her room. With a flick of her wrist, she used her magic to light the room, knowing Stella’s fear of the dark. Once they were back, Bloom gently urged her toward the bed.
“Now, bed, little missy,” Bloom said softly, trying to coax her to lie down.
“Nooo, not sleepy!” Stella pouted, crossing her arms.
“But if you don’t sleep, you’ll be all tired tomorrow. You don’t want that, right?” Bloom reasoned, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Hmph!” Stella huffed but didn’t argue.
“Stel, please? How about I sleep here with you, huh?” Bloom suggested in her soft, caring voice.
“With the lights on?” Stella asked, her voice small.
“Of course, sunshine. Now, let me braid your hair so you’ll wake up with gorgeous hair in the morning,” Bloom teased lightly.
Stella giggled, sitting on the bed as Bloom gently braided her long, golden locks. As Bloom worked, she noticed Stella sucking her thumb, a clear sign that her little one was finally getting sleepy. Bloom thought about reminding her not to, but she decided against it—she wasn’t about to scold Baby Stella this late.
“Blu?” Stella mumbled softly.
“Yes, sweetie?” Bloom responded, still braiding.
“I’m hungry…” Stella pouted, looking up at her with wide eyes.
“Alright, let’s get you a bottle. Come on, let’s go to the kitchen,” Bloom said with a gentle smile, taking Stella’s hand once again.
In the small kitchen, Bloom prepared a warm bottle of milk while keeping an eye on Stella, who was busy having an animated conversation with her stuffie, giggling to herself. Bloom smiled at the sight—it was these moments that reminded her why she loved taking care of Stella.
Back in Stella’s room, Bloom sat down on the bed and pulled Stella onto her lap. Little Stella reached out for the bottle, making grabby hands. Bloom shook her head playfully.
“The last time you tried to hold it yourself, you almost made yourself sick, Stel. Let me feed you,” she said with a soft chuckle.
Stella pouted but didn’t protest as Bloom gently fed her the bottle. The warm milk seemed to calm Stella’s restless energy. Bloom knew how easily Stella got distracted—probably a result of her ADHD, which often kept her buzzing with excitement long into the night.
When the bottle was finished, Stella was clearly sleepy, though still fighting it. Bloom, ever prepared, picked up the pacifier and popped it into Stella’s mouth.
“It’s okay, Lala, you can sleep. I’ll stay right here with you,” Bloom whispered soothingly.
“Promise?” Stella asked, her voice muffled by the pacifier, but Bloom understood.
“I promise, sunshine.” Bloom smiled and placed a gentle kiss on Stella’s forehead.
Stella finally gave in, her eyes fluttering shut as she curled up beside Bloom, her thumb still resting near her lips. Within moments, she was fast asleep. Bloom lay down next to her, pulling the blanket over them both. It wasn’t long before she drifted off too, her arm protectively wrapped around her little sunshine.