"daddy..."

josh's eyes open to find tyler sitting on his stomach, each thigh on either side of him. the brunette smiles, kissing the older man on the tip of his nose. josh doesn't speak, he's too tired. instead, he wraps his arms around tyler and pulls him against his chest.

tyler squeaks, pulling himself back up. "come on, we have to get thumper. you promised."

"hold on, let me wake up. just want to hold my baby for a second," he says, pulling tyler against him once more.

tyler doesn't pull away this time, only huffs. "i'm not little right now."

"doesn't mean you can't be my baby." josh smiles sleepily, pressing a chaste kiss into the mess of brown tufts that is tyler's morning hair.

"i guess you're right," tyler agrees, nuzzling himself against the older. "but if we don't go soon, what if somebody takes him?"

"nobody will take him, honey. i texted my boss last night and he said he would keep thumper safe until we got there to pick him up."

"but i miss him," the younger says softly, jutting out his lower lip and batting his eyelashes. even non-regressed, tyler still knows how to pull at josh's heartstrings to get his way.

"okay, okay," josh caves.

he sits up, tyler sliding against him. they dress together, josh letting tyler pick out his own outfit because the boy insists he's big enough to do it on his own. he ends up wearing leggings, a dumbo t-shirt, and mismatch socks.

"you look adorable, baby," josh compliments, finishing buttoning his jeans. the pink that grows across tyler's cheeks speaks for itself.

he walks downstairs first, tightly holding josh's hand and pulling him behind. he rambles about how he had a hard time sleeping and how much he misses his stuffie while josh slides on a pair of vans.

"can you help, please?" the brunette asks, pointing at his unlaced adidas sneakers.

josh nods without hesitation, kneeling down and tying the laces in a double knot because he knows tyler likes to pull at them in the car. after standing, he kisses tyler's forehead.

"thank you," the latter says lightly, toying with the hem of his shirt.

josh can sense tyler growing anxious, so he takes the younger under his arm and leads him out to the car. he helps tyler buckle like always because even if the boy claims to feel big, josh still likes to treat him like a prince.

🍼🍯🍼

tyler seems to completely age-up on the way to the restaurant, him and josh singing along to (non-explicit, of course) rap songs on the radio. when they pull into the parking lot, tyler doesn't let josh turn the car off until one of the songs is finished. when it's over, the two walk inside hand-in-hand.

josh takes the brunette through the kitchen to the employee break room, the latter mesmerized by all of the cooking taking place. as soon as tyler steps foot in the break room, his eyes fall upon a tiny bunny resting on a table. he gasps, rushing over to thumper and hugging the bunny against his chest.

"look, daddy!" tyler turns to josh, holding thumper out. "found him!"

"i told you he would be safe, honey." josh holds tyler's chin between two fingers and kisses him sweetly, making the younger blush profusely.

"go home now?"

"mhm, let's go."

tyler walks ahead, but josh places his hand on the small of his back to guide him through the busy kitchen without getting in the way. they're about to make it out when somebody calls josh's name. both turn to the noise, which happens to be coming from one of josh's friends.

"hey, josh. i thought you didn't work today," she says, her eyes roaming from josh down to tyler. she gasps softly. "ohhh, you're the one that left the little bunny here. tyler, right?"

the brunette nods bashfully, clutching thumper tightly as he tries to hide under josh's arm. the latter only chuckles. "honey, this is my friend ashley. i've known her since i first started working here. can you say hi?"

he feels the boy shake his head and grip the back of his shirt. tyler is incredibly shy when it comes to meeting new people. part of it is due to his social anxiety, and the other part is simply due to him regressing as they speak.

"sorry, he's shy," josh speaks for him, arm falling around his small frame and holding him close.

"that's alright," ashley waves her hand, dismissing the situation. "i get it. i have to get back to work, though. it was nice meeting you, tyler. see you later, josh."

"see you."

"bye-bye," the little one squeaks, amazed and quite honestly intimated by the woman's beauty. ashley coos, smiling at tyler before returning to the kitchen.

"that was nice of you to say goodbye to her, baby. you're such a good boy," josh gushes as the two start on their drive back home.

"daddy's good boy?" tyler asks, gazing at josh with angel eyes. the latter can't resist reaching across the dashboard to squish his flushed cheeks.

"that's right, you're daddy's good boy. isn't that right?"

"mhm!" tyler hums happily, nuzzling his nose into thumper's soft fur. "daddy?"

"yeah?"

"ashwey pwetty," he says. "wan' be her fwend."

"oh yeah, babe? i bet she would love to be friends with you. who wouldn't want to be friends with an angel?"

tyler giggles, watching josh drive with complete adoration. he's super happy and super lucky to have such a loving daddy. he always feels safe whenever he's with the older, whereas being in a car with anybody else would make him incredibly anxious. any time dallon gives him a ride, brendon and ryan have to sit on either side of him and keep him occupied so he doesn't start to panic. tyler smiles big, watching josh stop at a red light and glance over at him.

"what's got you so smiley, hm? happy to have thumper back?" josh chuckles, holding his hand out.

tyler takes it graciously, giggling when his daddy presses a big, fat kiss on the back of his hand and makes a mwah sound. "yeah, an' cuz i love you."

"awh, i love you too," the older grins, letting tyler hold his hand as the light turns green and he drives away. "when we get back, do you want me to make you breakfast?"

"i help?"

"not today, ty. you're too little for that."

tyler giggles, knowing full well josh is one hundred percent correct about that. his daddy is so, so smart. tyler can never fool him. "okie. mickey mouse pancakes, p'ease?"

"should've known," josh replies. ever since the first time he made tyler mickey mouse pancakes, the brunette seems to eat them for breakfast at least five times a week.

once they're back at josh's, josh situates the little one on the couch. he hands tyler a fuzzy blanket, thumper, and a sippy cup full of milk. as tyler makes himself comfy, josh turns the tv on to nick junior. peppa pig fills the screen, followed by an excited "yay!" from tyler.

"i'll be back shortly, my little bunnies," josh hums, kissing both the top of tyler's and thumper's heads.

tyler blinks at him, sucking away on his sippy cup, too comfortable to even attempt to move his lips. thoughts of how much he loves josh and how perfect josh is flow through his mind as his stare falls upon the pink pig on the tv screen. tyler really tries to watch, but he can't stop thinking about how much he loves josh.

he loves josh so much it makes him want to cry...

"oh no, what's wrong bub?"

tyler sniffles, holding thumper in one hand while the other wipes at his wet cheeks. he doesn't respond, just approaches josh and latches himself onto the man's side. josh carefully guides tyler away from the hot pan on the stove, then kneels down to look him in the eyes.

"use your words, ty. i can't help if i don't know what's wrong," he speaks softly, thumbs brushing over tyler's hot, damp cheeks.

"i-i..." tyler starts, hiccuping too bad to even get more than a few words out. he's breathing heavy, seemingly gasping for air.

"shhh, deep breaths," josh remains calm, knowing how much tyler works himself up when he cries. "take deep breaths, bub. it's okay."

after a few moments of josh mindlessly rambling sweet nothings to the brunette, tyler's breathing seems to have steadied. he takes a deep breath, mimicking josh in inhaling and exhaling. "i just luh' you s-so, so much."

any hint of anxiety disappears from josh, a little smile forming on his lips. "that's why you're crying?"

tyler nods furiously, sniffling and wiping snot on his arm. josh retrieves a box of tissues and hands it to the boy. he bends down to kiss tyler's forehead. "i love you so much, too. sometimes it makes me want to cry happy tears. is that what they were, happy tears?"

the brunette nods again, blowing his nose into a tissue. he hands it to josh, who takes it without argument and tosses it in the trash bin. josh laughs airily. tyler is just so unbelievably cute.

"oh, i see. that's totally understandable. do you want to sit out here while i finish making breakfast?"

he nods, yet again, using josh's extended arm to hoist himself onto the counter. his free hand now finds its way to his mouth, thumb habitually placing itself between the boy's lips. josh doesn't try to stop him. he kisses tyler's forehead once more then turns back to the stove.

he plans on marrying tyler so hard some day.