numberonebaka prompted: "The boys are all in hradspace and they're playing outside. Jeremy, somehow, falls and scrapes his knee. Little Tyler sees how Klaus (and maybe marcel?) kiss Jeremy's boo-boo better and gets jelly. He tries to replicate it, but because he's a hybrid he can't really do it." I did edit it to jus have it be Jeremy and Tyler, as I couldn't find a way to include Marcel!
Also, for frkhems, who wanted to see Tyler Jeremy playing in the tub.
Tyler loves going to the park, especially the one for little boys like him. They have similar equipment in their backyard at home, but it's different somehow.
Today is extra special because it's just Tyler, Jeremy and their daddy. Marcel isn't feeling small, so he's off with friends. Tyler likes spending time with him, but for a little bit, he can pretend he's the biggest brother! Jeremy listens to what he says and wants to play with.
"Let's play tag!" Tyler demands as they sit in the sandbox.
Jeremy grins. "'Kay!" He smacks his older brother's shoulder. "You're it!"
Tyler puffs his chest as he chases him around the playground. He makes sure to go slow. Jeremy isn't as big as him, plus he's human. Klaus is always warning him to be gentle.
"You can't catch me!" Jeremy taunts.
"Nuh uh!" Tyler fires back. "I'm gonna getchya!"
He's so close to grabbing his brother by the arm, but Jeremy tumbles out of the way. His elbow skids against the asphalt. Tyler smells the blood instantly, jumping back a little. Jeremy whimpers, big tears falling down his face. He can barely make out the first syllable in "daddy" when Klaus books it over. Their dad drops to his knees, gathering his youngest in his arms.
"Oh, what happened, my little angel?"
"Owie, Daddy," Jeremy whines, rubbing the spot. "Hurts."
"Don't worry. Daddy will fix you right up. C'mon."
Tyler isn't sure why he hangs back. Usually, he'd be all over his dad, making sure that Jeremy is okay. Instead, he doesn't move. Klaus carries Jeremy back to the bench he was sitting on and settles him on his knee. He quickly gives Jeremy his otter then grabs the first aid kit. Klaus sings a soft, Norwegian lullaby to distract him. Jeremy sniffles, but most of his tears dry up. Tyler folds his arms over his chest, his lips jutting into a pout.
Klaus takes out the box of Sesame Street Band-Aids. Jeremy gets an Elmo one pressed to his barely there cut.
"Just one last part," Klaus says. He gently kisses the Band-Aid. "A kiss from Daddy to make it all better."
Now, Jeremy is smiling. "All better," he agrees.
Tyler stomps his foot. It's not fair! Why does Jeremy get the fun Band-Aid? Tyler never gets them. He rarely gets hurt or ill. Jeremy is such a klutz, he's always getting some sort of Band-Aid or kisses from Daddy to make it all better.
No! Not fair!
Tyler begins running quickly again. It takes a few tries for him to purposefully trip himself. The first time, his knees don't even get hurt. The second, his jeans just barely rip. Tyler casts a look to his dad and brother. They're still cuddled up. Jeremy's admiring his stupid Band-Aid that Tyler is convinced he doesn't need.
There's one more attempt. This time, Tyler's jeans do rip in the knee and his skin just barely scrapes. He opens his mouth, ready to let out a whine…only to watch as it quickly heals.
Tyler kicks his legs, letting out a grunt. "No! No!"
There's a whooshing sound. Klaus' voice comes from above. "Ty? What in the world are you doing?"
Tyler's lip quivers as he looks up. Jeremy is hoisted on his dad's hip, clutching his otter . He looks just as confused as Klaus. Tyler's voice comes out in a whine.
"I don't have an owie!"
Klaus tilts his head. "No, you don't."
"I can't get owies!"
"That's a good thing, my little pup."
Tyler crumples into a ball, hugging his knees close to his chest.
"No, it's not."
Klaus frowns. He glances at Jeremy. "Can you go sit on the bench? Dada will be right here. I need to talk to your brother."
Jeremy hesitates, then nods, allowing Klaus to put him down. "'Kay Dada. Is TyTy okay?"
"He'll be just fine. You go. There's some books in the bag, you can look at those."
Jeremy scampers off to the nearby bench. Klaus crouches in front of Tyler, pushing some hair out of his face. The little one frowns, suddenly feeling very silly.
"Why do you want to get hurt?" Tyler shrugs. "No, no. None of that. We have to use our words, remember? Daddy can only help you when you do that."
"'tupid," Tyler mumbles, allowing a slight lisp.
"Your feelings will never be stupid," Klaus assures him. "Talk to me. What's going on?"
Tyler sniffles. "Jeremy gets Band-Aids and kisses from you."
Klaus tilts his head for a moment before a small smile comes across his lips. "Ah, but you don't get that. Because you don't get hurt like Jeremy."
"Not fair," Tyler mumbles, putting his thumb close to his mouth.
Klaus gently moves his thumb. "It's good you can't get owies like your brother. It means you're safe and healthy." Tyler whines. Klaus adjusts him, so he can inspect his knee. He nods. "You know what? I think you need a Band-Aid after all."
Tyler sniffles. "Really?"
"Really. I see a little scrape, right there." Klaus points to the clear skin.
"Don't see it."
"Well, that's because I have special Daddy powers. I can spot owies from a mile away. C'mon, let's get a Band-Aid on you."
Tyler smiles, holding up his arms. Klaus carries him over to the bench where Jermy is flipping through a board book about shapes. He settles with his middle son on his lap and reaches back into the bag. The box of Band-Aids come back out.
"Which one would you like?" Klaus asks.
Tyler thinks about it for a moment. "Oscar, Daddy."
"Ah, a very good choice," he declares.
"He's grouchy. Like me sometimes."
Klaus smiles. "Yup. And just like how all of Oscar's friends still love him, you are very, very loved. Even when you're grouchy."
Tyler beams. Klaus applies the Band-Aid to his knee. He adjusts the little boy and presses a kiss to it. Tyler wiggles with glee.
"There, a kiss from Dada."
"All better," Tyler agrees.
Klaus is glad he checked Jeremy's diaper before they left the park. The little one is in need of a change. He sets up the portable mat in the backseat and gets to work. Jeremy is distracted by a set of plastic keys. Klaus makes sure to keep an eye out for Tyler, who's still in the stroller nearby. He sees that pout returning once again. Tyler looks down at his pants and whines.
While returning his gaze to his youngest, Klaus nods. It is very rare that Tyler becomes jealous of Jeremy. It usually goes back to feelings about his time before he became a hybrid. Richard and Carol never had him wear diapers or pull-ups. He didn't sleep in a crib or go through potty training. From what Klaus understands, he never really needed any of that. After all, he usually drops a little older. Most of the time, Tyler is just fine in his big boy underwear. He gets to play older games and still gets one on one with Klaus.
That doesn't mean he sometimes craves the attention that Jeremy gets.
Once the diaper is discarded and Jeremy's fastened in his car seat, Klaus consults the bag. There's no way that Jeremy's diapers would fit Tyler. He digs through a bit until he finds a few spares from back when they took one of Jeremy's bigger friends with them to the park.
Klaus turns around, crouching in front of the stroller. "Little pup," he says. "Are you feeling a little younger right now?"
Tyler gnaws at his thumb. Klaus gently pushes it away. He really should've clipped a pacifier to his shirt. "Dunno," he mumbles.
"Do you maybe need a little baby time? Like Jeremy gets?" Tyler hesitates. "I know you can't use diapers the same way he can, but you can still wear them. And maybe tonight, if he's okay with it, you can sleep in his crib with him."
Tyler plays with his fingers. "But I'm not a baby."
"Not usually, but I think it's okay if you want to be one now. You know I'll never pass up a chance to cuddle my baby."
A small smile plays on Tyler's face. "Baby TyTy?"
"Yes, you are just a little baby."
Klaus lifts him out of the stroller and lays him onto the mat. He finds Tyler's favorite pacifier with Winnie the Pooh on the front and lets him suck on that while he diapers him. He goes through the same process he would as if he were Jeremy, not skipping a single step. Tyler is giggling behind his pacifier and trying to reach up for his dad's curls.
For a moment, Klaus is reminded of all the things he lost with Tyler. Marcel was 10 when he came to live with him, Jeremy not much older at 12. In many ways, still physically little boys. And yet, Tyler came to him at 18. A fresh hybrid who had faced so much trauma in his lifetime. He never got to see him at the same stages as his other sons. If Tyler's little space gives any clues, Klaus would've had his hands full.
He wouldn't have minded that one bit.
Perhaps he needs this just as much as Tyler.
"There we go," he announces. "All nice and dry. I don't think your pants are going to fit over this, but we're heading straight home anyway."
Tyler nods. Klaus safely straps him into his booster seat and gives him his Pooh Bear. There is no sign of pouty Tyler. Instead, just a happy baby boy.
Tyler spends the rest of the afternoon and early evening doing everything Jeremy does. He plays with the younger toys, such as the stacking ring and the Little People farm. Jeremy doesn't seem to mind one bit. Usually, his brothers will play with him, but he has to go along with whatever they want. Today, Tyler is on his level. When he needs a diaper change, Tyler gets one too.
Klaus feeds both of them at dinner, which makes it take a little longer. Still, he doesn't mind. Tyler happily holds his mouth open and giggles over Klaus' airplane noises. Any other night, Klaus' hand would get pushed away and Tyler would make a mess of his own. Klaus enjoys watching him slip enough to enjoy this.
Once the dishes are cleared, Klaus consults the clock. If he's going to get both boys to bed on time, he needs to start now. "I see two little boys who need a bath," he says.
"Daddy's tub?" Jeremy asks.
"Yup. You two will take one together."
Tyler and Jeremy cheer. Klaus hoists one on each hip. His circulation is nearly cut off by the double set of arms wrapped around his neck, but he ignores it the best he can. Once they reach the master bath, he starts up the tub and adds not just the bubble bath but about half the bin of toys. Both boys squirm and wiggle as he undresses them, eager to get in the tub. The first thing Tyler does is splash Jeremy, earning him one back.
"Careful boys," Klaus reminds them. "Remember to sit on your bottoms. No standing up."
"Yes, Dada," Jeremy says, grabbing the boat.
Tyler whines. "That's mine!" He tries to take it, but Jeremy holds on tighter.
"Nuh uh! My boat!"
"No!"
"Hey, hey, hey, let's calm down now," Klaus says. Tyler flashes him his wide, puppy dog eyes. "You two are getting a bit cranky. It's getting late. Brothers don't argue like this, do we?" Tyler and Jeremy hesitate before shaking their heads. "That's right." He reaches into the bubbles and finds an identical boat. Tyler instantly makes grabby hands, but Klaus holds it back. "We don't snatch toys. What do you have to say to Jeremy?"
Tyler frowns, looking at his brother. "Sowee, Jer."
"S'okay," Jeremy's face brightens. "Race?"
Tyler eagerly nods. Klaus allows the two to play together, only having to warn them a few times to remain sitting down or on their knees. He gets to work on bathing Jeremy first, making it a game with the washcloth. Jeremy giggles and splashes as he's lathered up. Tyler takes the opportunity to put more Little People on the ship, knocking them over every so often.
"Overboard!"
Jeremy attempts to do the same, but Klaus redirects him so he can clean his legs. "Dada."
"Dada's almost done, then it's TyTy's turn.
True to his word, Klaus finishes up with Jeremy and moves onto his middle son. Tyler is just as wiggly, if not more so. It takes a few attempts to wash his face.
"Someone is a squirmy little pup," Klaus quips, holding his chin so he doesn't miss an inch.
"Wanna play."
"And you will. The sooner you stop squirming, the sooner Dada will be done."
That doesn't do much to curb the wiggling. Still, Klaus manages to get it done. He sits back and watches the boys play for a bit, allowing some extra time. Tyler is slower with his movements, lisping much more than usual in his space. Klaus soaks up every moment, knowing come tomorrow, things will be back to normal.
Eventually, the water turns cold and Jeremy's fingers start to prune. Klaus dries both boys off and wraps them in towels. The next stop is the nursery, where he gets both ready for bed. He selects matching footie pajamas with little stars sprinkled across them. Klaus would dress the boys in matching outfits every day, if they'd let him. Alas, the most he gets is around the holidays and the occasional evening with pajamas.
Per Klaus' instructions, Bethany left out two bottles: one with blood and the other warm milk. Klaus settles both boys in the crib. He's never been happier that he got one big enough for two. Something in the back of his mind had to anticipate a moment such as this.
Tyler and Jeremy snuggle up with one another, their respective comfort items in their arms. Klaus pulls a blanket up over the two. He leans over the crib and watches them drink their bottles. They hold on with both hands, somehow both entirely focused on eating and making sure they're never far apart.
"My sweet babies," he whispers.
Another true sign that Tyler is younger than usual: he doesn't argue with being called "a baby".
Tyler won't usually drop like this, but sometimes he just needs to be babied a little bit more than usual. Of course, Klaus is happy to oblige!
Next time, we get some more of Little Marcel!
As always, let me know what you think and feel free to leave prompts :)