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It had been a normal day at the hotel. Well, as normal as it could be when a certain little someone was regressed to the mindset of an infant.
Niffty was laying on her tummy in the middle of the lounge, wearing a dark red onesie and surrounded by little toys—rattles, blocks, stuffed animals, her favorite rubber ducky, and a small music box decorated with bugs she had stabbed herself. She babbled and clapped as she played, occasionally gnawing on her duck’s head—adding to its collection of teeth marks—and petting Fat Nuggets whenever he came over to nuzzle her cheek.
Alastor was sitting close by on one of the couches, quietly supervising her, sipping coffee from his ‘Oh Deer’ mug, and only interfering when she was about to put her hand or a bug in her mouth. No one else was in the room besides Husk, who was under the pretense of cleaning glasses behind the lounge bar. The deer saw through it. He knew the cat was secretly keeping an extra eye on Angel's pig as well as their little darling.
Alastor (now kneeling on the floor) squashed a tiny black roach between his fingers with a revolted sneer, wiping the remains on the carpet. He turned his attention to Niffty, watching as she pretended to make two plushies—a green duck and a red…sasquatch?—make out with small noises that sounded like kissing. Alastor's smile widened, finding her little sounds and actions endearing. He playfully ruffled up her hair, making her squeal in delight as she dropped the toys to bat his hand away.
“Papa!” Niffty giggled and rolled onto her back, making sweet little grabby hands towards her caregiver.
Alastor gingerly picked her up from the circle of toys, bringing her into a gentle hug.
“My little darling,” he said as he combed his fingers down her back. Niffty bounced in his hold, arms around his neck, chirping happily.
Alastor held her in place as he sat back down on the couch, taking the place of KeeKee, who scurried away from where she was resting. For a moment, Alastor let himself relax as he crossed his legs and continued to stroke his little girl's back. He took in the small coos from the girl as he let her touch his ear, and the faint squeaks from the glasses Husker was ceaselessly cleaning. The moment was short-lived, however, as he felt Niffty suddenly start fussing and reaching in his arms.
“Niffie?” Alastor said as he hiked her up his shoulder from where she was slipping. “Whatever’s the matter, my dear?”
To his bare surprise, it seemed that Niffty was reaching out for Husk, who was behind them. She was making grabby hands towards the cat and murmuring something that sounded faintly like ‘Dada’.
Alastor smirked knowingly as he shifted his body to be facing the bar. It was no secret Husk had been more downhearted since his lover, Angel Dust had moved out of the hotel, and it was fair to see that Niffty didn't enjoy seeing one of her other caregivers so glum.
Alastor hummed as an idea formed in his head, something he knew would cheer the cat up just a little bit. He moved the girl into a cradling position, stroking her cheek as she fussed at her third favorite caregiver disappearing from view.
“Oh, Husker?”
A grunt of acknowledgment from the cat.
“Hot soup!”
Husk barely had time to react as Niffty was suddenly hurtled towards him. He yelped, instinctively dropping his rag and glass to catch the little gremlin.
“What the fuck, Alastor!?” Husk yelled, his wings flaring up in surprise. He adjusted his hold on Niffty, who was squealing from the sudden thrill.
The man in question grinned as he picked up his mug from the side table. (And it had a coaster under it this time. Fuck you, Lucifer)
“Well, I couldn't help but notice you've been more down in the dumps than usual, Husker.” Alastor took a sip from his mug. “And you know what they say; nothing cheers a person up more than holding a baby.”
Husk snarled at Alastor as Niffty played with the fur on his cheeks. He softened as he turned his attention to her. “Don't think she really counts as a baby. Not even when she gets like this,” he mumbled, letting the girl fidget with his bow tie. Something in him snapped suddenly. “Wait, fuck it, I don't want her!”
Before Alastor could register the cat's words, Niffty was already being catapulted towards him. His eyes widened as he held his arms out to catch her, dropping his mug, which shattered on the floor.
“What in the everlasting hell, Husker!?” Alastor yelled, using his shadows to teleport in front of the bar. He kept Niffty in his hold as she continued to laugh and clap her hands excitedly.
“You threw her at me first, asshole! I wasn't ready for that!”
“Well, you seem to be paying attention now, so hold her again.”
Alastor tossed Niffty over the bar into Husk's arms, earning a small chuckle from the maid.
Husk scowled. “No, you take her.”
He cast her back into Alastor’s arms.
The deer humphed. “I insist. You take her.”
Niffty was slung back into Husk's arms.
“No. You keep her.”
Niffty was pitched back to Alastor. The deer's eye twitched.
“She's your ward as well, you know,” Alastor said as he lobbed her back to the cat.
Husk sent her back. “Well, I got too much to do right now, alright?”
Husk was about to bend down to pick up his rag, but the giggling girl was propelled into his arms once again. Alastor was not taking no for an answer, and neither was he as he shoved her back into the deer's arms.
This back and forth went on for a while. Husk and Alastor continued juggling Niffty back and forth over the bar, maintaining eye contact and scowls while their little bug squealed, kicked, and clapped as they argued like an old married couple. The commotion from the three gained an audience from Fat Nuggets, who jumped onto a bar stool, curious about all the noise. His small head followed Niffty as she flew between Husk and Alastor, his tiny hooves resting on the smooth wooden counter as he watched. KeeKee jumped up onto the bar as well at some point, joining the pig in observing the spectacle.
“For fucks sake, I told you,” Husk said as Niffty was thrown into his arms. He threw her back. ”Holding a damn baby ain't gonna brighten my mood, Alastor.”
A grumble of static from the radio demon. It was clear he was growing tired of the game of catch they were having. The way he was tossing Niffty was starting to become more rough and forceful, as if saying he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.
Niffty, meanwhile, was still giggling and smiling from the everlasting stimulation of being juggled by her caregivers. She picked up on her papa's harsher growing tosses, which only made her laugh harder at the thrill of more force.
“JUST HOLD YOUR FUCKING CHILD, YOU MANGY ALLEY CAT,” Alastor roared as he slammed Niffty into Husk's arms.
Husk yowled before harshly shoving her back into Alastor’s arms. “KEEP HER! I ALREADY FUCKIN’ SAID I DON'T WANT HER!” He flared his wings and flashed his teeth, equally as done with this game as Alastor.
The black pupils of the radio demon’s eyes slit into thin radio dials, unconsciously preparing to throw Niffty as if she were a football. The little maid giggled still, completely unaware of the heightened tempers in the room.
“I SAID; HOLD YOUR FUCKING CHILD!”
He threw her, Nuggets and KeeKee still watching. She flew right past Husk, still clapping. Husk barely had time to react.
A tiny cracking sound as she landed behind the bar. A small coo of pain—or was it pleasure?
Alastor, Husk, Fat Nuggets, and KeeKee stood frozen, pupils shrunk and ears alert in surprise as their brains caught up with what had just happened. After a moment, they all slowly turned to peer behind the bar to check if the girl was alright, their ears collectively flattening. She seemed to be fine…mostly. She had landed face down in a dustbin of empty alcohol bottles—mostly unbroken…except for one her face landed on.
“Shit,” Alastor and Husk said.
~~~
Husk had joined Alastor on the couch now. The radio demon was reading a newspaper and sipping his cooling cup of coffee. The bartender had Niffty laying in his lap, her small form covered with a thin pink blanket and surrounded by big fluffy pillows. The little maid had a bandage over her nose from the earlier incident and was practically guzzling on a bottle of milk that Husk was feeding her. Husk supported her head as she ate, looking down at her with a content smile on his face. Fat Nuggets sat on a pillow overhead the girl, watching attentively, and KeeKee was curled up on the other end of the couch.
Niffty gurgled sleepily as Husk put the mostly empty bottle aside, reaching a hand towards his face and rubbing her eye with the other.
“Shhh, baby girl.” Husk propped her up on his shoulder and rubbed her back gently until she let out a few small burps.
Niffty curled up contently against him, the blanket having been discarded before Husk wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Dada…” she murmured as her eye started to blink shut.
“Yeah, I love you, kid,” Husk said as he continued rubbing her back to soothe her to sleep. “Don't you forget it.”
Niffty hummed quietly as she started to drift off.
“Your papa loves you too.” Husk eyed Alastor smugly. The deer was suddenly very interested in the weather report and was impressively reading it upside-down.
“Mm…” Niffty gurgled as she rested against Husk's shoulder. “Bubba…”
The small babble made Husk frown, his ears flattening once more. His grip loosened on Niffty as he looked at Fat Nuggets, who was staring up at him blankly, yet with a small hit of sorrow behind his small eyes.
Husk's face softened as he moved Niffty up his shoulder. “Yeah, baby,” he said, his voice slightly breaking. “Your bubba loves you too…”
He felt Niffty go limp against him, falling asleep from all the excitement.
Husk gently lay the girl down in a nest of pillows and cushions he set up beside him, making sure she was comfortable before leaning down and kissing her cheek.
Fat Nuggets crawled onto Husk's lap in Niffty's place. He nuzzled the cat with his snout as if sensing he needed some comfort. Husk petted the pig in return.
“Thanks, porkchop,” Husk said affectionately.
Fat Nuggets oinked softly before trotting over to the pillow nest to snuggle up next to Niffty.
Husk watched as the piglet got comfortable before gently adjusting the blanket to be covering both of them, a soft smile on his face. It felt odd to the cat in a way, with him being so sweet and careful with them, but part of him didn't really care.
“You're getting emotional, my friend,” came Alastor’s smug-ass voice from behind the newspaper.
Husk jumped in surprise before scowling and rolling his eyes.
“Oh, fuck off, Al,” Husk said quietly, as not to disturb Niffty or Nuggets. He picked up a nearby cushion from the pile before hurtling it towards Alastor.
The deer shot up in surprise as the cushion hit his face, making him drop his mug again.
Husk smirked as he relaxed back on the couch, completely oblivious to the coffee table and debris that were about to hit him, courtesy of the radio demon.