Chapter Text
Harlequin woke up in warmth, slowly waking in Jester‘s warm lap as he read. Harlequin internally sighed as he let his brain sink into the role he always needed to fulfill with Jester. Harlequin didn‘t always hate it, it was quite relaxing sometimes to just give in and be his Mommy's baby, but… still, he wasn‘t a kid. Didn‘t always want to be treated like one either. Harlequin tensed his hands a bit as he turned.
“… Mommy?” Harlequin looked up at Jester from how he was laying on Jester‘s lap, having been comfortably napping. His sleepy gaze made Jester melt a bit.
“Yes, my little dove?” Jester ran his hand through Harlequin’s curly hair, his smile disarming Harlequin.
“Can we have a snack?” Harlequin asked softly, trying to gently pry away from him. Harlequin knew Jester was very… parental.
“Of course, my love, what would you like?” Jester immediately scooped Harlequin into his arms as he stood, making Harlequin let out a little sound of frustration at not being allowed to walk. “Now, now, little ones like you need to be safe, hm?”
“… yes, Mommy,” Harlequin resigned himself, trying to stay quiet and content with what was happening. Harlequin had been dealing with it since he was little after all. He laid his head on Jester‘s shoulder as Jester took them into the kitchen connected to Jester‘s room.
“What would you like, hm?” Jester asked again, checking through what they had in stock for now. Jester frowned a bit, clearly knowing he needed to go shop but didn't want to. Not yet at least.
“… mmh… Mommy‘s pick…” Harlequin’s eyes tiredly fluttered shut, he was still sleepy. He was slowly fading into the headspace of being little, but not completely yet.
“Well, if you insist,” Jester kissed Harlequin‘s temple. Harlequin’s claws nestled into Jester‘s clothes, wanting to be close, which Jester melted at. His sweet little boy. Jester rocked Harlequin, soothing him to let him nap. “My baby needs some more sleep, hm?” Jester chuckled softly, Harlequin only nodded.
“… mhm,” Harlequin shifted his legs to cling a bit better to his mom. Harlequin barely processed what Jester continued to speak about with how little and sleepy Harlequin felt. It didn‘t help that Jester lightly rocked him as he walked, making him a meal.
Harlequin knew it was wrong, knew being Jester‘s actual little one forever wasn‘t… proper, but he was his Mom. How could he ignore his Mom‘s needs? His Mom raised him, protected him. Harlequin just convinced himself to melt into it. Being his Mom’s baby was… good… because it meant his mom loved him truly.
“… Mommy…” Harlequin sleepily rubbed his eye as Jester finished up mixing something, placing it over heat.
“Just a little more time, my little prince,” Jester gently adjusted his hold on his baby, rocking him. “Sleep if you need, I’ll wake you when food is ready, okay baby?” Jester’s voice was so soft, it was hard for Harlequin to even try and fight.
Harlequin felt a hot embarrassment burn in his chest, if any of the others figured out Jester was like this to him… that Harlequin let it happen and enjoyed it? Harlequin didn‘t want to think about it. He was just having to be his Mommy's baby right now, why was he letting adult problems reach him while he‘s supposed to just be little for Mommy?
Harlequin must've dozed off with how he felt Jester gently assist him in opening his mouth for a spoonful of something.
Harlequin obediently ate, making Jester happy. “There‘s my little prince,” Jester kissed Harlequin’s temple.
“… Mommy…” Harlequin mumbled in between bites of food. Though, the food was more akin to baby food than anything for proper adult teeth.
“Mommy‘s right here, bunny,” Jester gently kept feeding Harlequin until the bowl emptied. “There‘s my sweet boy, eating it all, no tummy ache?” Jester asked, kissing Harlequin’s temple again.
Harlequin shook his head with a small “Mh-mh…”
“That‘s good,” Jester rocked him as he put away the dishes into the sink, planning on handling them later, after getting his baby back to bed. “Does my baby want a nap?” Jester cooed softly.
Harlequin nodded sleepily, a nap sounded honestly delightful in his sleepy state. Jester chuckled as he carried Harlequin out of the kitchen. Harlequin’s eyes stayed shut, but he assumed they headed towards his bedroom. He only opened his eyes enough to look at Jester, who looked down at him with a soft, parental smile. Harlequin nestled closer to Jester.
“… Mommy joins…?” Harlequin asked in the sweetest little mumble he could manage, he understood this defeated what he wanted earlier, but… his Mom just loved him. Just wanted him safe. Cared for. Loved.
“Hm? Of course, baby. Of course, Mommy will join,” Jester chuckled, kissing Harlequin’s brow instead of his temple.
Harlequin let his eyes drift shut, Mommy had him, Mommy was safe. Very safe. Mommy is… well, his Mommy. He wouldn’t hurt him, would he? No, Mommy loved him and cared for him and did everything a Mommy was supposed to do.
Well, until the pain started to sleep into his gut, making him wince. Harlequin didn‘t even fully register when he got plopped down onto his bed until Jester got warm blankets around him. “… Mommy?” Harlequin rubbed his eyes as he looked up at Jester again.
“Yes, my sweet angel?” Jester tilted his head.
“… my tummy hurts…” Harlequin mumbled, curling into Jester.
“… my poor baby…” Jester gently near swaddled Harlequin into warm blankets and snuggles. Jester giving the love for free to make Harlequin melt into him like any good baby would to their mommy.
Harlequin nestled into Jester, stomach aching. He rubbed his eyes, not from sleepiness anymore but from how he ached made his eyes tear up, which he was trying to hide from Jester out of him not wanting Jester to worry or get more of a reason to smother him. Harlequin did curl into his Mommy more though.
“Mommy’s here, my baby…”