Work Text:
Sanemi never got sick, or at least he never got really sick. But Sanemi was also tough so when he first came down with just a sore throat he thought nothing of it, until he woke up a couple days later and he felt like shit.
His throat hurt more than it had before, he had an awful headache and a low fever. Nothing he would actually be worried about but it was also on this day when Genya woke up little. And Sanemi did not have it in him to deal with his brother being regressed.
And even more so: Sanemi didn’t want Genya catching whatever bug he had.
So Sanemi had to quickly resort to never-before-used plan B, and asked Giyuu to watch Genya for the day or at least until he was big again.
It wasn’t that Sanemi thought Giyuu was a great care giver. But Genya knew Giyuu, and Giyuu has been around Genya when he was regressed many times before. So really Sanemi considered Giyuu to be the safest person to entrust his brother to.
The only downside was that it was going to take Giyuu a bit to get to the Shinazugawa apartment.
So in the meantime, Genya was sitting on Sanemi’s bed watching over his brother with concern.
“Nemi,” Genya whined.
“No whining Genya,” Sanemi rasped.
This had the exact opposite effect and Genya just whined more.
Sanemi knew it was just because his brother was worried about him, but was too small to put into words how he felt.
“I’m gonna be fine, Gen,” Sanemi told his brother trying his best to reassure him, “it’s just a cold and Giyuu will be here soon.”
Genya frowned and inched closer to Sanemi.
Sanemi sighed, “Bud, I don’t want you getting sick.”
Genya moved back a bit, but was still too close for Sanemi’s liking.
But before Sanemi could say anything else there was a familiar knock at the door, followed by the sound of the door being unlocked.
“It’s me,” Sanemi and Genya could hear Giyuu call from the entrance.
Genya slowly climbed off Sanemi’s bed and went to the bedroom door.
“Hey,” Giyuu greeted Genya, reaching up to pat the boy's head. An awkward reminder that despite how small Genya was mentally, he was still nearly fully grown.
“Thanks for coming over,” Sanemi said, sitting up in bed.
“It’s no problem,” Giyuu replied.
“You’ve seen me take care of him before. If you need a hand with anything just let me know,” Sanemi told Giyuu.
“Got it,” Giyuu grabbed Genya’s hand, “we’ll be in the living room.”
Genya looked upset as Giyuu led him away from Sanemi’s room. Sanemi hated to see Genya like that, but there wasn’t much he could do. Plus he tried to convince himself it was good for Genya to be apart from him sometimes.
In the living room Giyuu got Genya seated on the floor. He was totally clueless on what to do. It was still early in the morning and Giyuu doubted that Genya had eaten breakfast yet, but he also knew breakfast was the hardest meal to get Genya to eat.
He looked down to see Genya on the floor, one of his thumbs in his mouth, his free hand fiddling with his pant leg.
If there was one thing Giyuu knew, it was that Sanemi didn’t want Genya to suck on his thumb. Without saying anything Giyuu went to Genya’s room leaving the little alone in the living room. He quickly looked around Genya’s room until he found Genya’s pacifier which was sitting on the top of his dresser. He also saw Genya’s Bingo on the bed and grabbed it, as he had rarely seen the little without the plushie of the cartoon dog.
When Giyuu returned to the living room Genya looked like he was about to burst into tears.
“Genya,” Giyuu said as softly as he could as he knelt down in front of him, “what’s wrong?”
Genya sniffled, his thumb still in his mouth, “left,” he mumbled.
“Oh,” Giyuu hadn’t thought about telling Genya he was going to his room. “I’m sorry Genya,” he continued carefully, taking Genya’s thumb from his mouth and replacing it with his pacifier. “I had to get some stuff from your room.”
Genya seemed to understand as he nodded.
Then Giyuu handed Bingo to Genya and the little seemed to light up.
“Have you had breakfast yet?” Giyuu asked.
Genya shook his head as he played with Bingo.
Giyuu figured the next step was to get Genya something for breakfast. He wasn’t really fond of the idea of fighting with Genya to get him to eat something, but knew that when Genya wouldn’t eat food, Sanemi could get his brother to at least take a bottle.
“Lets get you a bottle,” Giyuu told Genya, before he grabbed the little and stood up. It took Giyuu a second but eventually he had Genya balanced on his hip.
Giyuu didn’t find carrying Genya around as easy as Sanemi did. In fact, from his point of view, Sanemi effortlessly carried Genya around. But he did manage to get Genya to the kitchen and sat him down at one of the chairs at the table.
Giyuu at least knew the cupboard where Sanemi kept Genya’s bottles.
He opened the cupboard and grabbed one of the bottles down, then went to the fridge and pulled out the milk, and filled the bottle. He knew that Sanemi would heat up the milk for Genya in the microwave but wasn’t exactly sure how long he had to put it in for.
He could probably ask Sanemi, but he knew that Sanemi needed his rest right now and warming up milk in the microwave was an easy task. Lucky Giyuu put the milk in just long enough for it to be warm for Genya.
When Giyuu went to feed Genya the little already had his arms raised and his hands stretched out doing a grabbing motion.
Wordlessly Giyuu lifted Genya up and took him to the living room. Giyuu sat on the couch and had Genya on his lap. He then gave Genya the bottle which he eagerly took.
Giyuu held Genya as he drank the milk. This was something that Giyuu had seen Sanemi do often. He would never admit it but he always found the scene of Sanemi feeding his brother a bottle to be heart warming.
When Giyuu first learned about Genya’s age regression months ago he found the idea worrisome. At first he couldn’t comprehend how a sixteen year old acting like a toddler was healthy, but Sanemi thoroughly explained the concept of age regression to him and he started to understand more.
Then Giyuu had spent enough time around Genya when he was regressed that it no longer felt weird. It was just a normal part of all their lives.
Eventually Genya’s bottle was empty, the little whined at first when Giyuu took the bottle away but seemed fine when it was replaced with his pacifier once more.
Giyuu stayed on the couch with Genya a bit longer, the little contently suckling on his pacifier as he played with his Bingo plush.
Giyuu soon found himself running his fingers through Genya’s hair the way he often saw Sanemi do.
Genya seemed to like it as he leaned into the touch more, but it wasn’t long before Genya was beginning to grow restless as he squirmed in Giyuu’s lap. Giyuu in turn set Genya down on the floor.
The little seemed happy with the change though all he did was go back to playing with Bingo.
Giyuu watched Genya play for a bit until eventually the little grabbed his arm and tugged on it.
“What’s wrong Genya?” Giyuu asked. He wasn’t the best with nonverbal communication, which was probably a problem right now considering Genya mostly relied on nonverbal communication when he was little like this.
“Want to play,” Genya told Giyuu, letting go of his wrist.
“Oh, yeah I can play with you,” Giyuu agreed.
Genya let out a happy sound then grabbed Giyuu’s wrist again, and pulled slightly, getting him off the couch. “My room,” Genya instructed.
Giyuu lifted Genya off the floor, making sure that Genya had Bingo, before heading towards Genya’s room. As they passed Sanemi’s room, Giyuu peeked instead to see his boyfriend was fast asleep.
Once they were in Genya’s room, Giyuu set Genya on the floor who then crawled over to his closet and pulled out a small toy box.
Giyuu assumed the box was hidden in the closet in case any of Genya’s friends came over who didn’t know he regressed. He couldn’t imagine Genya wanting to explain his age regression to friends either.
Genya opened the box and began pulling out different toys.
Giyuu went over to Genya and sat across from him. “What do you want to play?”
Genya shoved a bunch of blocks between the two of them, then he started stacking them. Giyuu did the same until they had built a few towers, then Genya knocked them over laughing.
Giyuu wasn’t exactly sure how it was fun, building towers just to knock them over seemed like a waste of time, but he also couldn’t say he understood the mind of a toddler.
Genya began building another tower of blocks, and Giyuu again joined in, and once all the blocks had been piled up they were knocked over.
Even though Giyuu thought the game was weird, he kept playing because it was making Genya happy.
This happened two more times before Genya froze and tears started rolling down his cheeks.
“Genya? What’s-” before Giyuu could finish what he was saying Genya began sobbing.
Giyuu panicked, unsure what to do, but as he moved the blocks aside to get closer to Genya he realized what had made the little upset.
Genya's pants were wet and he sat in a puddle after he had accidentally wet himself. Giyuu felt a pang of guilt, he never once considered asking Genya if he needed the washroom. And now he felt totally out of his depth.
He had seen Sanemi do all sorts of things with Genya but he’d never once seen Sanemi change Genya after he’d had an accident. It was always something private between the brothers, which made sense to Giyuu.
Giyuu was trying to think of what to do next as Genya kept crying.
“What’s wrong with Genya?” Sanemi’s hoarse voice came from behind Giyuu.
Tokioka quickly turned around, “Sanemi, I,” he wasn’t sure what to say next.
Upon seeing and hearing his brother Genya just ended up crying more as he reached his arms out to his brother.
“Why's he so upset?” Sanemi asked.
“He had an accident,” Giyuu was finally able to explain.
“Oh,” Sanemi breathed.
Giyuu wasn’t sure if Sanemi was annoyed or just tired and he wasn’t sure what the better option could be.
“I'll get him cleaned up. Go wait for us in the living room,” Sanemi told Giyuu.
Giyuu stood up and nodded then left the room without saying anything.
Once in the living room he sat on the couch. He felt awful. He was supposed to be here to watch Genya so Sanemi could rest but in the end Sanemi was still needed. It was such a simple job and he couldn’t do it correctly.
Eventually Sanemi came out of Genya’s room holding his brother who had been changed into new pants.
As Sanemi entered the living room, Genya reached his hand out towards Giyuu and started doing a grabbing motion.
“We're not upset at you,” Sanemi assured as he sat down by Giyuu. Genya almost immediately moved from Sanemi’s side to Giyuu’s lap.
“What?”
“We're not upset,” Sanemi repeated.
Giyuu just stared at Sanemi, unsure of what to say.
“Genya tends to have accidents when he's little,” Sanemi clarified, "I should have prepared him and you for that.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, and Genya likes you,” Sanemi pointed out.
Genya made a small noise of approval from Giyuu’s lap.
Sanemi reached over patting his brother's head, “he never sits with other people when he's little. He trusts you.”
“Oh,” Giyuu repeated, an unfamiliar yet warm feeling washing over him as he held Genya.
He slowly and carefully ran his fingers through Genya’s hair the way he always saw Sanemi do. Genya responded to this by resting his head against Giyuu’s shoulder. And Giyuu couldn't help but smile.
Giyuu turned to Sanemi who was smiling as well.
“Maybe you should go back to bed,” Giyuu suggested.
“Nah, I'm already out of bed and awake,” Sanemi replied, dismissing him.
Giyuu just nodded, there was no point in trying to convince Sanemi to go back to bed.
“Did he have breakfast?” Sanemi asked.
Giyuu shook his head, “just a bottle.”
“Let's see if we can get him to eat lunch then,” Sanemi said, as he got off the couch.
Giyuu stayed with Genya in the living room as Sanemi went to the kitchen. Genya looked over Giyuu’s shoulder and the back of the couch trying to see what his brother was up to.
“He’s getting you something to eat,” Giyuu explained to Genya. He seemed content with that answer and went back to cuddling with Giyuu.
After a few minutes and the beeping of the microwave, Sanemi returned to the living room. In one hand he had a bottle and the other a small plastic bowl with watermelon cut into small cubes.
Genya seemed extra excited as reached towards Sanemi with grabby hands.
Sanemi sat back down on the couch, and Genya almost immediately started crawling into his brother's lap.
Sanemi chuckled at his brother's enthusiasm, and Giyuu couldn’t help but smile.
Sanemi placed the bowl and bottle down on the coffee table as he maneuvered Genya around so he was sitting more comfortably in his lap. The whole time Genya was babbling away.
Sanemi grabbed the bowl of watermelon and held it close to Genya who didn’t hesitate to grab one of the cubes and eat it.
Giyuu was surprised as he hadn’t seen Genya eat anything so readily before.
After Genya had finished his watermelon, Sanemi gave his brother the bottle of milk. Genya rested his head against Sanemi’s chest as he drank.
Once the bottle was empty, Sanemi stood up holding Genya, “I’m gonna get him cleaned up then put him down for a nap.”
Giyuu nodded, then watched his boyfriend carry his brother down the hall.
Giyuu leaned back on the couch suddenly feeling exhausted. He wondered if this is how Sanemi felt after taking care of his brother all day. He had to hand it to Sanemi for that.
“He’s not sleeping yet but he’s in bed,” Sanem told Giyuu as he came back into the living room.
“Sorry I couldn’t handle Genya on my own,” Giyuu apologised.
“No, my brother is a handful at the best of times,” Sanemi assured Giyuu as he sat down by him on the couch. “I’m still grateful you took care of him this morning.”
“Of course,” Giyuu replied.
“I mean it, Giyuu,” Sanemi pressed.
“I’m not as good of a caregiver as you,” Giyuu muttered.
“Of course you aren’t. I have six younger siblings and have been taking care of Genya ever since he started regressing. I have lots of practice and you’ve only watched me take care of Genya.”
Giyuu blinked, then looked down, “oh.”
“You’re too hard on yourself. Stop that,” Sanemi scolded Giyuu.
“I’ll try,” Giyuu responded.
“You better,” Sanemi sighed, “I’m gonna go back to bed. If Genya wakes up wet come get me, past that you can put on Bluey when he wakes up.”
“He really likes Bluey,” Giyuu commented.
“He does, I’m surprised he doesn’t have the whole show memorised at this point.”
“He might,” Giyuu noted, “but you should get some rest.”
“Yeah,” Sanemi stood up off the couch and before he went down the hall to his room he turned back to Giyuu, “thanks again, Giyuu.”
Giyuu nodded.
“And, I love you.”
Giyuu felt his face heat up. Despite the fact he and Sanemi had been dating for a while they rarely said stuff like that, “I love you too,” he mumbled.
Giyuu knew Sanemi was back in his room when he heard the door shut softly. He figured while he waited for Genya to wake up from his nap he would clean up the apartment, and it would be another thing Sanemi wouldn’t have to worry about.