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Sanemi sighed as he looked through the contacts on his phone. He and Giyuu were supposed to go out but Genya was regressed and Sanemi couldn’t just leave his brother alone. So now he was trying to find someone to watch his brother.
But the problem was, almost no one knew about his brother's regression. Kyojuro might be the only person who did know but he was busy and couldn’t come over. So now Sanemi was trying to find someone he could trust with Genya. .
He sighed again, placing his phone down and rubbing his temples.
He could just cancel his plans with Giyuu, but he got his reservation at this nice restaurant weeks ago.
“You okay?” Giyuu asked.
Sanemi nodded, “not sure what to do with Genya.”
“Rengoku can’t come?”
“Nope.”
“What about Kocho?” Giyuu suggested after a moment of silence.
“Kanae?”
Giyuu nodded.
“Why her?”
“She’s nice,” Giyuu began, “trust worthy, I think she’d be great with kids.”
Sanemi was silent as he thought about it and sighed one more time. “Fuck, we have no other options.”
Sanemi picked up his phone again and found Kanae’s number and dialed it. He was tense as it rang. He knew it was likely weird that her coworker was randomly calling her.
“Hello?” Kanae said as she answered the phone.
“Hey Kanae,” Sanemi replied.
“Is everything okay?”
“It is, I was just wondering if you are busy this evening.”
“I’ll be free, why?”
“Okay, this is going to sound weird,” Sanemi ran a hand through his hair. “But I was wondering if you could look after my brother tonight.”
“Genya? Why?”
“Do you know what age regression is?” Sanemi asked cautiously.
“I do. Is that why you need me to look after Genya?”
Sanemi let out a sigh of relief, “yeah. He’s little right now and Giyuu and I are supposed to go on a date.”
“Sure. Is there anything I need to know?”
“Yeah,” Sanemi told Kanae the things she’d likely need to know about his brother when he is regressed.
“Sounds great, what time should I be there?” Kanae asked.
“Giyuu and I will be leaving around six,” Sanemi told her.
“Okay, I’ll see you then.”
The call ended and Sanemi sighed again.
“What’d she say?” Giyuu asked.
“Yes, she’ll be here in an hour.”
Giyuu nodded.
Sanemi went over to Genya’s room where his brother was coloring. Sanemi sat down next to him and watched Genya color, his brother not even noticing he was there.
“Hey bud,” Sanemi said, getting his brother's attention.
Genya stopped what he was doing and turned to his brother.
“Giyuu and I are going out tonight,” Sanemi began, “so one of our friends is gonna come over to watch you.”
Genya put his crayon down, he didn’t look happy about the situation.
“Don’t worry, it’s gonna be Ms.Kocho, you like her right?”
Genya shook his head.
Sanemi frowned, “but you said you love her classes.”
Genya still looked unhappy as he began to pick at his pants.
“It’ll be okay bud,” Sanemi said, trying to reassure Genya. “She’s nice.”
Genya kept picking at his pants still looking uncertain.
Sanemi pulled Genya into his lap. “Is there something wrong with Kanae?”
“Scary,” Genya mumbled.
It took Sanemi a moment to realize what Genya meant. Of course his brother would be upset at a female caregiver, he was already nervous around girls in his normal headspace.
“It’ll be okay,” Sanemi repeated, “Kanae is very nice, she’ll take good care of you and if anything goes wrong she’ll call me.”
Genya was quiet for a moment then he rested his head against his brother's chest, “kay,” he eventually mumbled.
“Good,” Sanemi stood up, bringing Genya with him.
He brought Genya to the living room and sat him down on the couch. “How about some Bluey?”
Genay seemed to light up as he nodded.
Sanemi smiled and put Bluey on for his brother. “I gotta finish getting dressed for tonight,” he told his brother before leaving his room.
It was almost six, Giyuu was already dressed and ready to go, and Sanemi was just finishing getting ready himself and now the two were with Genya in the living room as they waited for Kanae.
Then there was a knock at the door and Sanemi went to answer it.
“Hey Kanae, thanks for coming over,” Sanemi greeted.
“Of course,” Kanae smiled brightly.
Genya still seemed nervous as he peered out from behind Giyuu. She was his biology teacher so it shouldn’t be that scary, but even past the fact that Kanae was a girl, she was a new care giver to him.
Sanemi showed Kanae into the apartment, as Geny quickly ducked behind Giyuu.
“Genya,” Sanemi’s voice was soft, “come on, she’s not scary.”
Genya peaked out again to see Kanae standing by the couch next to Sanemi. She was smiling softly at Genya. She stepped closer to him crouching down a bit to meet his eyes. “Hey Genya,” she greeted him.
He pressed himself into the couch and brought a thumb to his mouth. He knew in his big headspace Kanae was a nice person and one of his favorite people so he could trust her but still he was hesitant because in his little brain she was a stranger to him.
“Gen,” Sanemi’s voice was still soft, “Giyuu and I have to get going soon okay. You’ll be safe with Kanae and if anything happens she’ll call us.”
Genya eventually slowly nodded.
Sanemi reiterated the stuff he told Kanae on the phone about Genya. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was just as nervous to leave Genya with Kanae as Genya was.
He was maybe over protective of his brother when he was regressed. He never wanted anything bad to happen to him when he was little and never wanted Genya to lose the safety it provided.
Genya was standing by Kanae as Sanemi and Giyuu were getting ready to leave. There were tears in his brother's eyes which broke Sanemi’s heart.
“We’ll be back before bedtime,” Sanemi told Genya.
Genya nodded, still teary eyed.
Sanemi hesitated at the door looking back at his brother, until he was nudged by Giyuu, “we’re going to be late.”
Sanemi nodded, “right. See you later Gen.”
Sanemi and Giyuu left and for a few seconds Genya was okay, but once those seconds passed he started crying.
Kanae awkwardly but carefully lifted Genya up. “It's okay,” she cooed.
Genya sniffled and despite not really trusting Kanae in his current state he pressed his face into the crock of her neck.
She lightly rubbed his back. “What do you want to do, hun?”
“Nemi,” Genya mumbled.
“He’s out with Giyuu,” she told him softly, “he’ll be back later.”
Genya responded with a whine.
“How about we go play in your room, okay?” Kanae offered.
Genya didn’t respond, he just let Kanae carry him to his room.
Once there she went to Genya’s closest and pulled out the toybox that Sanemi had told her about then grabbed some of the toys from it.
Genya just stared at them, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. In the end he just played with his blocks as Kanae watched.
After a bit Kanae softly clapped her hands together, “I think it’s time for dinner.”
Genya stopped what he was doing and shook his head, he didn’t want to eat, not when Nemi wasn’t around.
“You sure?” Kanae asked.
And Genya nodded.
“Why not?”
“Nemi.”
Kanae sighed softly but didn’t stop smiling, “sweetheart, Sanemi won’t be back for a while.”
Genya crossed his arms and whined.
Kanae pulled him into her lap and he whined again.
“Sanemi told me you don’t like eating,” Kanae said. “Would you at least take a bottle?”
Genya was quiet but eventually nodded.
Kanae put Genya down so she could stand up then lifted him off the floor before taking him to the kitchen.
She sat Genya at the kitchen table before she went to prepare a bottle for him. Genya just watched from the table. Once she was done making the bottle she returned to Genya then took him to the couch to feed him. He was content as he drank his milk.
After his bottle was finished the two stayed in the living room. This time Kanae pulled out his art supplies and he began to draw. Mostly random things as he scribbled on the paper, every once in a while turning to show Kanae what he had drawn as he grew more comfortable with her.
But just as things were getting better, Genya froze as he found himself growing wet. He whimpered as tears gathered in his eyes.
Before Sanemi left he had put Genya into a pullup, but Sanemi wasn’t here to change him and Genya didn’t want to be wet until his brother got home.
“What’s wrong?” Kanae asked, noticing that Genya had become upset.
He didn’t respond, he just whimpered more as tears began to roll down his cheeks.
Kanae reached for him and tried to bring him into her lap but he pushed back, because he knew if he was put on Kanae’s lap she’d know he had an accident.
But Kanae eventually won and got Genya on her lap where he began crying.
As Genya had thought the moment Genya was on her lap Kanae knew why Genya was so upset. “It’s okay,” she told Genya as she rubbed his back, “Sanemi told me this happens sometimes.”
Genya just sobbed more.
“I know it’ll be awkward, but I’ll have to change you. Is that okay?”
Genya nodded. He didn’t want to be changed by Kanae, but he also didn’t want to be wet any longer.
Kanae got Genya to his room then laid him down. She was quick to change him so the experience wouldn’t be too uncomfortable for either of them.
Genya was still sobbing when they went back to the living room. Instead of going back to drawing he just sat on Kanae’s lap.
She seemed okay with this as she rubbed his back rocking him.
Once Genya started to calm down she turned on the TV for him and they watched Bluey.
Genya was starting to get tired. He didn’t want to sleep though because he wanted to see his brother who was supposed to be home before his bedtime.
Just as he was begging to nod off in Kanae’s arms the door to the apartment opened and Genya quickly sat up, “Nemi!”
Kanae smiled and got off the couch, bringing Genya with her.
Genya immediately reached out to his brother when he saw him. Sanemi quickly got his shoes off then smiled softly at his brother taking him from Kanae’s arms and Genya immediately nuzzled into the crock of his brother's neck.
“How was he?”
“He was good,” Kanae replied, “had some little upsets but overall it went well.”
Sanemi smiled at Kanae, “thanks for looking after him.”
“Of course,” she replied, smiling herself, “I’d be willing to look after him again in the future,”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Kanae eventually left and Sanemi went to Genya’s room and started getting Genya ready for bed.
“Did you have fun with Kanae?”
Genya nodded.
“That’s good.”
Sanemi carried Genya to the living room and sat down on the couch with him. Genya pressed himself close to his brother and closed his eyes.
Sanemi stayed with Genya on the couch cuddling him, even after Genya had drifted off to sleep in his arms.
Eventually Sanemi took Genya to his room and tucked him into bed, leaving the nightlight on as he left the room.