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Chopper may have been the best Strawhat to admit you were a little to. He was extremely understanding. While he may not be the most informed about psychiatric situations, he was still a doctor. He’d only had a couple run-ins with adults who regressed to a smaller age, and he was honestly a bit excited when you told him. It was his chance to get to know you better, and he was always family. Anything he could get you to talk about, he listened patiently and asked to know more.
It was entirely natural between you two, and he loved every moment he could spend with you, little or big. Today you’d regressed, and he seemed to have as much fun as you were having. You cradled him to your chest, and he laughed while making very little attempts to break free. It was laughter all around, and eventually he just sighed with a smile as his antlers brushed across your cheeks.
“Hey! This isn’t fair!” He laughed, reaching up to poke both your cheeks. It was one of the more relaxing days on the crew, and it was no wonder you regressed. While sometimes it can be stress related, he learned it can also happen at most given points in time. He was relieved you wouldn’t be stopping on any islands for a few days, and he took on the role of a caring brother. Chopper just couldn’t stand the thought of you regressing on the battlefield, and always took it upon himself to be on your team when the crew split up.
“But bubba! Cuddles!” You whined, laughing and keeping your arms wrapped fully around him. “You’re always soft!” Letting out another giggle, you nuzzled your face against the top of his head. “Cuddle time, cuddle time!” You cheered, not seeming to want to take no for an answer…not that he minded.
Chopper strained just barely in your grasp, and with a pout you finally let him go. “I promise after I’m done with the medicine cabinet we can play your favorite game.” He said, trying to gently allow him to continue working before you spent countless hours playing. He tried to reason, and somewhat bribed you into accepting. It wasn’t out of maliciousness, in fact it was quite the opposite.
He did things like this to help your little mind realize that doing important things gained rewards. It didn’t even take much convincing for you to accept, beaming at him with eagerness in your eyes at the thought of playing. You nodded eagerly, and kicked your feet in your chair while cheering, “Play time! Play time!” In that excited way that had him grinning too.
He worked quickly, yet efficiently. He loved to give you those small moments of joy while you were little, and it seemed to be appreciated by how much you often clung to him. Chopper was adamant with himself to finish up quickly, knowing your patience could only last for so long. He took glances at you as you sat in the chair in his med bay. It made him smile each time, seeing you eagerly looking at him as if asking if he was done yet.
With a clap, he spun around dramatically and faced you. “All done! So it’s time to play!” He said, grinning wide before yelping when you effortlessly picked him up and ran to the deck. His eyes were nearly spinning as he got carried, not anticipating it much at all. But as you reached the deck he couldn’t stop laughing. “Are you really that excited?” He said, patting himself off and took a deep breath to focus on the task at hand.
He placed the candied-looking ball in his mouth and said loud enough that you could hear, “Walk point!” Before turning into a large deer. While he always looked like one, the resemblance to an actual deer was uncanny in comparison to his smaller regular form. He stomped his front two legs down and bumped his nose against your face.
You giggled with glee, bouncing in place before patting his head. As he leaned down, you sat on his back and brushed your hands along the fur of his back. Even he was laughing happily and did a small spin to make sure you were firmly secured on his back. You sat just below his backpack, and the straps worked as handles for you to hang on to. The last thing either of you wanted was to go from play-mates to doctor-patient just from having a little fun.
“You ready?” He asked, tilting his head to the side to look at your smiling face. It made him smile as much as he could, and stood slightly on his back two legs to make sure you were holding on tight enough not to fall.
“Ready!” You cheered, holding onto the straps as he gave a nod of approval. This had always been your favorite game, and something only Chopper could play too. It wouldn’t be the same on an animal or on the backs of a crew member, but he certainly didn’t let just anyone ride on his back. It was exclusive to you, despite Luffy’s avid protests.
With a laugh, he started off slow, walking across the deck. But after ensuring you were secure, he accelerated to a jog. He nearly bounced, knowing it would make you laugh before running along the ship. He knew how much you enjoyed it, and hopped up the stairs to weave between the tangerine trees. It had you laughing with joy and even reached one hand out to touch the leaves as you passed before securing them back around the straps.
That usually lasted for a good hour or two before you were tired enough to get off. It tended to wear Chopper out too, not usually in a different form for too long. He could if he wanted to, but it still got to be an exhausting level at a certain point. It was all in good fun, though, and he never minded if he pushed himself a bit farther for your sake.
As he knelt down, letting you off, he shifted back to his regular form. It was no sooner that you did so that you sat on the wood of the deck and hugged him close to your chest. “Thanks bubba!” You giggled, and he seemed to relax into your hold to hug you back. It was a tender moment, and he enjoyed it just as much as you did.
“Of course! What kind of bubba would I be if I didn’t play with you sometimes!” He laughed, before pulling back just slightly to look at you. His brow furrowed for only a fraction of a second before he grinned again. “But you look pretty tired. It’s been a long day for both of us, so I think that calls for a cuddle-nap!”
You grinned wide, and rushed back to your room with him in your arms. Honestly, he wasn’t that tired. But he could see the sleepiness in your expression when he looked you over. And even though he wasn’t tired, he relaxed in your hold and ended up falling asleep anyways. When Sanji glanced in the room to see if you’d like a snack, he couldn’t help but smile.
Your bond with Chopper had always been special, and Sanji knew he couldn’t disturb the both of you when you were sleeping so peacefully. He let out a sigh, and tried to think of how he could hide your snacks from Luffy until you woke up. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he closed the door slowly and left you to rest. Neither of you knew he had come in to check on you, simply content to enjoy the serene moment while you could.