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The sound of a fan buzzed in a room. Spinning around over, and over, and over. Akutagawa blinked up at it, trying to regain his sense.
Where was he? How'd he get here? Why's he feel so… fuzzy?
He's snapped out of his thoughts by the feeling of a calloused warm hand resting atop his cheek. A thumb rubbing soothing circles into the spot. “Hey, baby. You up?”
That voice.. he knows that voice. It's like struggling to swim, trying to remember who that comforting voice belonged to.
The color orange catches his eye.
Chuuya! The teen whispering to him is chuuya.
But how'd he get here? What's happeneing?
Akutagawa reaches up, limbs weak as he bumps his curled hand against chuuyas temple.
He doesn't know why he does that.
He tries to speak, tries to choke something out, but can't. He feels too at peace here, laying in a soft bed while his superior hovers over him.
He must have made a face, scrunched his nose up perhaps, because chuuya begins to laugh.
He really looks stunning like this.
“Yes, yes. Your chuuya-nii is here, sweetheart.”
Akutagawa pauses, blinking his big black eyes up at chuuya slowly. Like a confused little kitten.
Chuuya is filled with fondness at the sight.
He pulls akutagawa into his lap, cradling the boy. It's really so easy, given how tiny akutagawa is. So thin and delicate, like a little doll.
“Do you remember what happened, aku?” Chuuya asks patiently, sighing when akutagawa shakes his head.
“Well,” the man begins, petting akutagawas head like he's a pet, “we were on a mission, and it went alright. This was our first mission together! Isn't that exciting?”
It's slowly coming back to akutagawa. It isn't often he sees chuuya, what with the difference in their ranks. It's not often he sees other people at all, too caught up in his training.
Chuuyas still smiling fondly at him. Akutagawas heart aches and he doesn't know if he can handle the adoring look on chuuyas face. Not when it's directed towards him.
He remembers formally meeting chuuya before the mission. Dazais judging eyes, dark and horrifying. He doesn't understand how chuuya didn't crumble under that gaze.
He remembers chuuya tugging him along, explaining the details of their job. He doesn't remember the details.
He doesn't remember much else from the mission, except–
Chuuya grins as realization dawns upon akutagawas face. “That's right, kiddo. You got hurt, but it wasn't too bad for you to need the medic.”
Akutagawas cheeks burn, as he remembers.
Chuuyas hand rubs over akutagawas tummy, and it's only then that the rabid dog is made aware of his clothing.
A babydoll styled nightgown, one he only wears when small. Something gin bought for him with her first check.
He can feel socks on his feet. He wiggles his toes, choosing not to look down an figure out which ones they are. They are soft.
He hopes, oh he hopes to God that the panties he's wearing are the same ones he had on before the mission. He doesn't think he'll be able to take it if chuuya changed those aswell.
“Do you remember now, baby?” Chuuya murmurs, gloved hand still rubbing over the soft fabric of akutagawas nightgown. “You got all little and cute when I was patching you up. I couldn't just leave you all alone.”
Akutagawas flushed from head to toe by now, utterly humiliated. He couldn't even imagine what the older was going to do with the information he'd obtained.
Maybe it's how weak and mixed up he feels. Maybe it's the security of chuuyas arms around him. But he can't stop himself as he begins to wail.
Chuuya looks shocked, blue eyes going wide as akutagawa bursts into tears. They're fat, rolling down his cheeks. His face is quickly turning red, the efforts of his sobs not helping his already bad breathing problems.
“Hey, hey!” Chuuya says, a little too loud. The volume of his voice startles akutagawa, only making the baby cry harder.
The ginger panics, trying to calm akutagawa by gently rocking him and peppering kisses to his forehead and cheeks and temple.
“Fuck— I mean- agh! Please don't cry, baby! What'd i do? What's wrong?” He stammered. Akutagawa subconsciously thought for a moment that he seemed even more disoriented than akutagawa by this abrupt tantrum.
Chuuya cupped the back of akutagawas head, guiding the boys face to the crook of his neck. “Shhhh, shhh baby. It's okay. You want your paci? Or– your bottle? Oh, shit. You had diapers in that little crate of yours, do you need to be cha–”
Chuuya is cut off by a humiliated wail.
Akutagawa had been hoping he'd just left his nightgown and socks out, or that chuuya had found them in his hamper.
How the fuck did chuuya find his crate of little supplies.
The items had practically been forced onto him by gin, and he'd needed a place to hide them. He figured a crate in his closet would be relatively safe.
Guess not.
“Okay i'm.. I'm gonna get you your paci, okay? And then I'll make you a bottle?” Chuuya mumbled hesitantly.
Akutagawa didn't respond, only continuing to bawl.
He's cut off by rubber being shoved into his mouth.
The puppy blinks, sucking tentatively on the binky as he sniffles and hiccups.
“There you go baby. That's better, isn't it?” Chuuya coos, kissing his forehead and lifting him up with him as he stands.
The older boy balances akutagawa on his hip, bringing the slowly quieting boy into the kitchen. Akutagawa burrows his face into chuuyas neck again, letting his eyes flutter closed.
He listens to chuuya clutter around, grabbing things and opening cabinets.
He's content to not think of anything, nuzzled close to this safe, warm older figure.
Safe.
Is he safe? He hopes so. Prays so.
He's cut off by his quickly down spiraling thoughts by chuuya crooning to him and stealing his paci away.
Akutagawa whines softly, giving chuuya a needy look. Why'd he take that little bit of rubber comfort away?
Chuuya chuckles, shaking a bottle in one hand. “I know, I know. But this is better, isn't it?” He says, tilting akutagawa back slightly.
The baby doesn't know when they moved to the couch, or when chuuya had made a bottle.
He also isn't prepared for when chuuya pushes the rubber nip towards his lips. The ginger has been so kind, but he wasn't expecting chuuya to want to feed him.
Akutagawa accepts the nub between his lips, suckling lazily and welcoming the warm formula into his mouth.
“That's a good girl.” Chuuya purrs, adjusting akutagawa in his arm.
Something in akutagawas chest pounds at the feminine term, and he can tell chuuya notices his happiness by the way he grins.
“That's right, hmmm? You're just my sweet little baby girl.” He coos. Akutagawa smiles shyly around his bottle.
His tummys all full and warm from his formula, and his eyelids are getting heavy.
He tries to keep them open, he really does. Chuuya notices.
“Are you sleepy princess? You just woke up, cute little thing.” He says as he pulls the bottle away from akutagawa, now mostly empty.
Once the puppy's swallowed his last mouthful of liquid sweetness, chuuya tickles his stomach playfully. Akutagawa giggles, squealing and kicking his legs.
They're both laughing, chuuyas low chuckles a contrast from akutagawas high pitched giggles.
“Noo!” Akutagawa chokes out, the first thing he's said since he woke up. “big brother– sto-op!”
Chuuya smirked as he slowly put a stop to his tickles. He doesn't look surprised by the name, if anything he looks delighted.
“Sorry, sweetheart. Your little laugh is just so cute!” He teased, hooking his hands under akutagawas armpits and situating him in his lap. The puppy slumps against his lap, cheek pressed to chuuyas collarbone.
“D'you wanna watch something on TV? I think that pony show you watched yesterday is on around this time.”
Akutagawas eyes sparkle with delight, and chuuya immediately fumbles for the remote. He switches on the TV, and gets a warm feeling in his chest by how utterly happy the rabid puppy looks.
Applejack and rainbow dash are racing across a trail, akutagawas eyes trailing them greedily as if they may disappear any moment.
Chuuya chuckles, kissing akutagawas temple as the boy becomes more and more engrossed with the television.
“Sweet princess.” He murmurs, before pulling out his phone. He flicks through his messages, nothing sticking out until he spots a notification from dazai.
He cringes.
The message asks about akutagawa. Chuuya wasn't sure, but he figured the boy probably wouldn't want his mentor to know about his regression.
He lies.
He tells dazai that akutagawa is still sleeping. Dazai will probably be able to tell he's lying. The demon prodigy reads his message and does not respond.
Chuuya sighs, deciding he can worry about that later. He clicks away at a phone game until he hears a whine and his eyes snap back to akutagawa.
The boy he squirming, a pout on his face. “B-big brother..” he mumbles shyly, fiddling his fingers. Chuuya crooning, petting the baby's hip.
“I gotta go potty..”
Chuuyas heart sinks to his ass.
He's immediately scooping akutagawa into his arms and rushing him to the bathroom. God fucking forbid this kid piss or shit himself while sitting on chuuyas lap. Dear god.
“Can you go by yourself?” Chuuya asks, and to his relief akutagawa nods softly. The ginger stands next to the bathroom door while the puppy goes about his business, waiting til akutagawa comes back out.
The princess bites his lip, looking up at chuuya. Chuuya raises his brow. “what is it, princess?” He asks, folding his arms. Akutagawa gives him a hopeful stare.
“Bath?” The boy requests quietly, looking down at his feet. His caregiver smiles, nodding. “‘Course.”
It's a blur as the ginger undresses akutagawa and fills up the tub. The water is a lovely tempature, filled with bubbles as akutagawa sinks into it.
Chuuya is climbing in behind him, settling so that akutagawa can curl up against him.
The rabid dogs breathing is calm as chuuya drags a washcloth over akutagawas skin, gently washing him of any dirt and sweat that might have culminated on him.
The baby's practically purring, the feeling of being cleaned by someone he could trust so comforting.
“You like that, sweetheart?” Chuuya murmurs, lifting akutagawas leg out of the water to wash it properly.
He feels the little nod against his collarbone, and he's filled with love.
This little thing, so cute and vulnerable and trusting him with it.
He feels like his chest may explode.
He could really get used to this, he thinks as he finishes washing akutagawa and they both cuddle up in the water.