Work Text:
“Shhh-shhh… I know, Mini. It’s okay, sweetheart. Mama’s got you.”
Angel cooed as he paced the nursery floor with the wailing baby in his arms. Crymini had recently began teething, and because of this she was absolutely miserable. No matter what Angel tried it was clear she wasn’t going to settle anytime soon.
Husk walked into the room with some teething ointment and skeleton-themed teether keys.
“I got the stuff,” the cat said.
“Thanks. She won’t stop screamin’ though,” Angel replied.
“Hey, Mini, come over here. It’s okay,” Husk cooed as he gently took Crymini into his arms.
Angel took the ointment and put a drop of it on his finger. He then gently rubbed the medicine on Crymini’s teeth. The spider pulled his finger away wiped away the drool from her chin.
“Poor baby,” he softly crooned. “I know it hurts.”
“You wanna try your skelly teether?” Husk offered as he held up the teether keys.
Crymini tearfully whined as Husk handed her the comfort item. She babbled, her way of saying “My mouth hurts, Mommy and Daddy.”
“I know, Princess,” Angel softly cooed. “The medicine will help you feel so much better, won't it, Husk?”
Husk nodded as he began to walk around the room with her. “Yes, it will.”
The cat started to hum to her while patting her bottom.
Without thinking, Crymini began chewing on Husk’s shirt.
“Papa’s shirt’s not for chewing, baby,” Husk said as he unlatched the baby from the fabric. “You can chew on your skelly teether, though.”
“S'elly,” Crymini hiccuped as she held the teether in her hand. She began to chew on the teether. However, her teeth began to hurt again, causing her to resume crying.
Husk sighed and began pacing with her again, bouncing her gently as he hushed her.
“It’s okay, Mini. I’ve got you.”
“Poor thing...” Angel muttered. “She’s so miserable. I wish regressors didn’t have to suffer this kind of pain.”
Husk sat down in the rocking chair. “I do too.”
The cat soon started purring and rocking back and forth in the chair. Angel came by and rubbed Crymini’s back.
Crymini's cries slowed down as she was soothed by her caregivers.
“There we go,” Angel hummed as he wiped her tears. “You feelin’ better now, sweet girl?”
Crymini fussed as she shook her head.
“That's okay, baby. You'll feel better soon,” Husk assured. “Do you wanna come to Mommy?”
Crymini nodded.
Angel had lifted her from Husk’s arms and into his own. He guided her head to his shoulder and began to sway from side to side. Crymini started to chew on her teether keys again.
“You did such a good job calming down, Mini,” Angel praised. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I’ll go make her a bottle while she’s calm,” Husk offered. “I’ll be right back.”
He kissed Crymini’s cheek and left the room to make her some warm milk.
“Hey, wait,” Angel called out. “Don’t you think a bottle’s gonna hurt Mini’s mouth?”
Husk paused and pondered at the spider’s question. “I didn’t think about that. I don’t think it should, though.”
“Bring a sippy cup, too. That way, we won't have to worry about Mini poking holes through the bottle if she starts chewing.”
“Yeah, of course.”
Husk then made his way downstairs.
“Mama…” Crymini whined pitifully, sucking on her thumb to soothe herself.
“Here, baby, let's chew on the teether instead,” the spider gently prompted as he replaced the digit in Crymini's mouth with the teether keys. “Fingers are yucky.”
She whined once more and turned her head away.
“You can't chew on your fingers, princess. They're probably filled with germs that can make you sick. Mommy and Daddy don't want to see their little princess get sick.”
Crymini huffed and buried her face in Angel’s shoulder. The spider internally sighed, then took a deep breath. He knew that Crymini wasn't trying to give him and Husk a hard time. Teething was cursed upon age regressors in Hell, especially those who regressed incredibly young.
“It's perfectly fine. However, you can't chew on people's shirts or your fingers,” Angel reminded.
Crymini huffed again and rubbed at her eyes.
“Wan’ paci.”
“I think we have a teething paci somewhere.”
Angel walked over to the diaper caddy and searched through the pacifier box. He spotted two flower-shaped teething pacifiers. Crymini reached for them with impatient whines.
Angel hushed the hyena softly as he popped a red teething paci in her mouth. She suckled on the rubber for a moment before beginning to chew on it, resting her head on his shoulder with a soft coo.
“There we go, sweet girl,” Angel crooned. “Is that better?”
Crymini nodded.
Angel played with Crymini's hair until Husk came back into the room.
“Looks like Mini's feeling better,” Husk said with a soft smile.
“I think she is,” Angel hummed as he patted Crymini’s bottom.
“Hey, pumpkin,” Husk cooed as he held up the bottle and sippy cup. “How are you? I got you something to drink, which one do you want?”
Crymini pointed to the bottle.
“Baba.”
Husk handed Crymini the bottle and kissed her cheek. She whined once more and held her arms out to the cat.
“Daddy…”
"Okay, here we go," Husk said as he gently removed Crymini from Angel’s arms. She whimpered and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Husk planted kisses on top of her head as he carried her back to the rocking chair. He sat down and began to feed her her bottle. However, Crymini started chewing on the rubber nipple.
“Hey, let’s not chew on that,” Husk gently chided as he briefly pulled the bottle away. “You’ll poke holes in it.”
Before the hyena could whine and fuss again, Husk replaced the bottle with the sippy cup, which she took willingly.
“There we go. That’s much better, huh?” the cat crooned. Crymini hummed peacefully in response.
Angel grabbed Crymini's baby blanket from her crib and handed it to her, gently rubbing the fabric over her cheek. Crymini cooed behind the cup and reached out to touch the blanket.
“You like the blankie?” Angel cooed as he stroked Crymini's hair. “You want it, pumpkin?”
She reached for the blanket with soft whines.
Angel handed her the comfort item, and she cuddled it in her arms.
Once Crymini was finished with her milk, Husk then popped the teething pacifier back into her mouth.
“M'kay, Mommy's gonna hold the baby, now,” Angel said as he covered the hyena up with the blanket and picked her up from Husk's arms.
The spider cradled Crymini, who snuggled in his embrace. This caused Angel to form tears in his eyes, covering his mouth to keep himself from crying.
“You okay?” Husk chuckled.
“Yeah,” Angel sniffled. “Mini's just too precious for this world.”
Crymini reached up to pat Angel’s face, grinning around her pacifier. He took her hand and wiped his eyes with it.
“Mama no sad,” Crymini said.
“I'm okay, baby. These are happy tears,” Angel reassured. “Because you are the sweetest thing ever.”
Crymini snuggled closer to him. “You da bestest mommy. Daddy’s da bestest, too.”
“Awww, thank you, Mini,” Angel cooed as he and Husk kissed her cheek. “You ready to take a nap now?”
Crymini responded by rubbing her eyes. Angel shifted her to his shoulder and began patting her back.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Husk chuckled.
“'m s'eepy,” Crymini mumbled tiredly, chewing on her teething paci.
“I know you are, cuddle cub,” Angel cooed. “Let’s get some sleep, yeah?”
The hyena let out a big yawn, nearly letting the paci fall out of her mouth. Angel caught the soother and popped it back in. He then began to walk around with Crymini, patting her back as he hummed a lullaby.
“I'll look after her,” Husk volunteered. “You go on and take a break.”
“Are you sure?” Angel asked. “She’s about to fall asleep. I don’t wanna wake her.”
“It’s fine.”
Angel nodded and gently shifted Crymini over to Husk.
“Have a good nap, baby. Hopefully, it'll help your teeth feel better,” the spider said.
“Can you say 'night-night, Mama'?” Husk cooed as he gently took Crymini's paw and waved it at Angel.
“Night-night, sunshine…” Angel cooed as he squished Crymini’s cheeks and gave her a big kiss on the forehead.
“Nini, Mama,” Crymini replied. Angel gave her another forehead kiss and left the room.
“Alrighty, let's get you in your sleep sack,” Husk said.
“'Eep sa',” Crymini repeated.
“Yeah, we gotta get you warm and toasty for nap time.”
Husk carried Crymini over to the changing table and laid her on the soft pad. The hyena cuddled her blankie as he gathered the changing supplies. Crymini yawned and rubbed her eyes as Husk changed her.
“Da'y, up,” Crymini muttered after the cat rebuttoned her onesie and zipped her into a magenta sleep sack. Husk picked her up and cradled her in his arms.
“Ma'en'a.”
“Hmm? What’s that?” Husk tilted his head to the side.
“Ma'en'a,” the hyena repeated as she pointed at her sleep sack.
“Yeah, magenta's the color of your sleep sack. You know your colors really well.”
After returning to the rocking chair, Husk held Crymini close and draped a blankie over her.
”My baby,” Husk whispered as he kissed the top of the hyena’s head.
Crymini yawned once more and snuggled into his chest. Her pacifier bobbed sluggishly between her lips as she struggled to keep her eyes open.
“There we go. Just rest your eyes, pumpkin. You've had a long morning.”
Crymini finally succumbed to sleep. Husk stood up and carried her over to the crib. He laid her down and tucked her in. He then left the room and closed the door behind him.