Roses_of_Magic prompted "Jeremy has a bully. That's the prompt, is someone is picking on Jeremy and Tyler finds out about it, maybe the reason Jeremy never told them could be that he already feels like a baby?"

I want to add, that for this verse only, I've made some changes in terms of how Littles "work", for lack of a better word. In my other verses, outside things like bedtimes, in older spaces, they were still treated like teenagers/young adults. In this universe, that's still true, but there are certain areas where they're not and that'll be shown in this chapter. Also, I've made what Littles can and can't do a bit more fluid. The reasoning for all of this is, in my other verses, the Littles are only children. Even in "Baby Vampire", Marcel and Kol aren't really ever Little at the same time. Here, there's 3 of them and it allows them to have different abilities and keep it from getting boring, both for me to write about and you guys to read. Hopefully, you're okay with these changes! As I said, it's for this fic only!

Klaus barely looks up from the table as he sets it. "Tyler, tell your brother that dinner's ready."

"Sure," Tyler says. He walks to the doorway and cups his mouth, calling in the direction of the stairs. "Jeremy! Dinner's ready!"

Klaus sets the plate down, fixing his middle son with a look. "Tyler."

Tyler shrugs. "What? I did as you asked." A sly smirk plays on his lips.

Klaus doesn't change his glare. The boy has been testing him all afternoon. "Unless you want to sit at this table with a sore bum, cut the sass and get your brother."

"Ah, see, that's much better communication."

Tyler is out of the room before Klaus can grab the wooden serving spoon. His eldest carefully pries it from his hand, setting it back in the salad.

"He's being a dick," Marcel says. "Don't feed into it." He jumps once his bottom is popped. "Papa!"

"You watch your language," Klaus chastises. "I do not know what has gotten to you and Tyler today, but I am in no mood."

"It's been raining," Marcel offers with a shrug. "There's not much to do in this house."

Klaus rolls his eyes. "Yes, the multitudes of games-both board and video-plus streaming services, books, pool and air hockey tables, workout equipment, just isn't enough."

Marcel smirks. "So glad you see it our way."

Klaus shakes his head, ignoring the kiss to the cheek from Marcel. He really will be happy when this rain clears up. His boys do not do well cooped up all day. At the very least they haven't dropped. Dealing with bored young adults is better than whiny children.

Tyler reappears, alone. Klaus raises a brow. "Forget something?"

His son shrugs. "He says he's not hungry."

"Regardless, he knows the rules. He's supposed to join the rest of us."

"I told him it was his funeral. He threw a pillow at my head." Tyler dramatically rubs his forehead. "That hurt, by the way."

"I'm sure it really wounded your hybrid bones." Klaus rolls his eyes. "You didn't try very hard. Go back up there and get him to come down. I don't care what it takes."

Mischievous glee takes over Tyler's eyes before he leaves the room once again. Marcel leans against the wall.

"You just gave Tyler carte blanche? You sure that's not going to backfire?"

"Maybe it'll get whatever's rattling around in his system." Klaus finishes setting out the silverware. "Your brother knows better than to do anything extreme. Especially to Jeremy."

"Ah, yes, your favorite child."

"Marcel, do not be ridiculous. I do not have favorites." He pauses. "You know that, don't you?"

"Papa, relax. I was just joking. Of course Tyler and I don't think that."

Klaus relaxes a bit. His ear perks up at the sound of his youngest screaming. Tyler comes back into the kitchen with the teenager flung over his shoulder. Jeremy is punching his back, over and over, demanding to be put down.

"Oh, you want down?" Tyler asks. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Tyler flips the boy onto his feet. Jeremy folds his arms over his chest, glaring at his brother.

"You're a dick!"

"Hey," Klaus steps between the two. "You don't use that language."

"I told him I didn't want to come downstairs!"

"And I told him to get you. We all have dinner together. That's not negotiable."

Jeremy huffs. "It is when Tyler or Marcel want to go out!"

"Yes, but for once, we're all here." Klaus gestures to the table. "Everyone sit."

Jeremy doesn't move as his brothers follow the order. "I told Tyler I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat something," Klaus says. "A growing boy like yourself can't skip meals."

Jeremy scoffs, walking over to his chair. He throws himself back in it, refusing to serve himself. Klaus walks over and puts some on his plate, grabbing the bib. He ties it around Jeremy's neck. His son rips it off, throwing it back on the table. Klaus pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Jeremy, you know the rules, what has gotten into you?"

"I don't need a stupid bib." He flicks the Finding Nemo themed cup beside his plate. "Or a sippy cup. I'm not a little kid!"

"You sure are whining like one," Tyler pipes up from his own seat. He has a sippy cup too, though his is more like a water bottle instead of the step up from a baby bottle that Jeremy has. Sometimes he has to wear a bib too, but tonight Klaus trusts he'll be fine without it. "Just put it on so we can eat."

Jeremy glares at him. "Shut up, Tyler! No one asked you!"

Klaus crouches down so he's at his pouting son's level. "I am going to warn you again to watch your language. You do not speak to anyone like that, but especially your brothers."

"I didn't want to be down here in the first place."

"What is bothering you?"

"Nothing! God!"

Jeremy pushes his chair back and jumps out of it. Klaus grabs his arm and pulls him closer. He once again gets back at his son's level, meeting his eye.

"This behavior isn't acceptable. Use your words and tell me what is bothering you."

"Currently, my stupid brother forced me to come downstairs and my equally stupid father won't let me go!"

Klaus smacks his bottom three times. Jeremy frowns, stomping his foot.

"That's not fair!"

"Perhaps you do need a bit of a break," Klaus says, keeping his voice even. He takes Jeremy's phone from his pocket. "Go back to your room and stay there. Do not turn on the TV. Just sit on your bed."

"That's what I wanted anyway!"

Jeremy bolts from the room. Klaus rises to his feet, tilting his head back and counting from 5. He hears the door slam shut.

"Jeremy Mikaelson, if you slam one more thing, I will take your door off the hinges!"

Tyler's smartass voice pipes up. "Don't go soft, Dad, do it." Klaus whips around to him, narrowing his eyes. Tyler's smile fades. "Alright, not a good time, geez."

Klaus shakes his head, dropping the bib on top of Jeremy's plate before going to his own seat. "Did you say something to him?"

"No. He was in a mood from the moment I walked in there."

"To be fair, Papa," Marcel says. "You did force him down here."

"You all get irritated with my rules over mealtimes, but you don't throw fits like that," Klaus says. "I can hardly allow him to act however, just so he can get out of doing something."

"Well, he's a teenager. Those hormones suck. Remember what I was like at that age?"

Klaus doesn't wish to. His sweet, compassionate little boy had moments of raging like a monster, slamming doors and sneaking out of the house. This was before the classification system was put into place, so there was even more mystery behind the amplified feelings. Marcel still gets that way some times in his older headspaces.

Tyler's already eating, ignoring the rule of waiting for everyone. "I wasn't much better at his age. Still not sometimes." He shrugs. "Just how teens are, Daddio."

"Yes, but Jeremy isn't the two of you." Klaus frowns off their disbelieving looks. "You disagree?"

"You brush it off as him being cranky," Marcel says. "But sometimes he is just going to be an angsty teen." He grabs his fork, then pauses when he looks over at the vacant seat. "Are we waiting for him?"

"Nay. There's no point. It would only aggravate him more. I shall talk to him after supper."

Tyler and Marcel keep the conversation going for most of the meal. Klaus listens out for Jeremy's room, but there's very little noise. Once Tyler has started on dishes and Marcel is off to read, Klaus wraps up Jeremy's dinner and puts it in the fridge. He carries the sippy cup upstairs, not knocking as he enters his youngest's bedroom. Jeremy lays on his stomach, head buried in the pillows. Ottie is flung against the wardrobe. Klaus scoops him up and heads over to the bed.

"Have you calmed some, Angel?" Jeremy doesn't respond. Klaus sits beside him and puts his hand on his back. Two dark eyes just barely look up at him. "I brought you your milk." Klaus holds up the cup.

"Not thirsty," Jeremy mumbles.

"You need to at least drink," Klaus tells him. "Though, I did save your plate. It's ready, whenever you want it." Silence. "Little one, why are you so upset?"

"Because I have a very annoying dad."

Klaus purses his lips to hold back a chuckle. "And how is that different than any other day?"

"Maybe that's why I'm so grumpy."

"Ah, I see." Klaus sets Ottie down and puts the sippy cup on the night stand. He rubs Jeremy's back, happy when he doesn't pull away. "You're not happy with me?"

"I didn't say that."

"You're acting as if I did something. So, what is it?"

"I told you, I'm not hungry."

"And that is very out of character for you, my little starfish," Klaus says, his voice soft. "You and your brothers are never not hungry. Unless you're ill." He frowns. "Does your tummy hurt?" He feels his forehead. Normal.

"I'm not sick," Jeremy whines. "I just want to be alone."

Klaus tilts his head. This isn't like his son, at all. When he first came to live with the Mikaelsons, he was very shy, but still clung to Klaus. It was how they bonded, honestly. The poor thing dropped into Little space for a few days, clearly unable to cope with the change. Klaus held him constantly, especially in his swaddle. Ever since, Jeremy has at least wanted to be around his dad, if not the brothers he idolizes.

"You know you can tell me anything, Starfish," Klaus says. "'Tis what daddies are for."

"I don't want to talk. I don't want to eat. I just want to be by myself."

Klaus sighs. Years ago, with Marcel or even the early days of Tyler, he would've fought harder. Which would just lead to a huge argument and harsh words being exchanged. He's learned to pick his battles. There's no sense in baiting them into arguments.

"Alright, all I ask is that you drink your milk," Klaus says. "It'll put something in your tummy."

"Fine," Jeremy grumbles. He sits up a little and accepts the cup from his dad. He takes a few small sips.

"I'll be back in a bit to get you ready for bed."

Klaus kisses the top of his head, inhaling his strawberry shampoo. He makes sure that Jeremy is still drinking his cup when he leaves the room.

A few days later, Tyler adjusts his AirPods as he heads into the home gym. He's lucky that he falls into the small group of Littles who can workout and play sports. Like, Marcel, he can tell when he's going to drop. Since he's proven that he won't hide it from his dad or coach, Klaus agreed to both sign a waiver consenting for him to play football and renovated a room for his gym equipment. Marcel and Klaus only occasionally use it, so Tyler mostly has it to himself. It's what he's expecting when he enters.

Except, Jeremy is on the bench, about to grab the rod containing Tyler's usual weights. For a hybrid, it's got a bit of bite to it. For a human…

Tyler vamps across the room, pushing his brother off. Jeremy falls to the ground with an oof. Tyler stands above him, his heart still racing a little.

"What the hell is your problem, dumbass?!" Tyler exclaims. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Jeremy rubs his arm, standing up. "Yeah, because you pushing me onto a hard floor won't do that!"

"That's nothing compared to what Dad would do if he caught you in here!" Tyler shakes his head, jutting his thumb towards the door. "Get out of here."

"This isn't just your room. You can't kick me out of here."

"There's nothing in here that you can use. I don't go into the studio and start eating the paint."

Jeremy glares at him. "You're not Dad! You can't tell me what to do! You're not even in charge right now!"

A deep voice comes from the doorway. "No, I am." Both turn to see their eldest brother standing there, arms crossed over his chest. "What is going on in here?"

"Tyler pushed me!" Jeremy tattles.

"He was trying to use my weight bench!" Tyler argues back before Marcel can get too upset. Sure enough, the vampire focuses his stern look on the little one.

"You know you're not supposed to be in here."

"I'm not little," Jeremy says, frowning.

"You know even out of space you're not supposed to do anything exerting. If you dropped, you could hurt yourself."

"Even out of space, you could've gotten hurt with all that," Tyler interjects, folding his arms over his chest. "That's for hybrids, not little boys."

Jeremy stomps his foot. "I'm not a little boy!"

"You're doing a great job proving that, JerBear."

Jeremy grumbles. "Don't call me that."

Marcel sighs, shaking his head.

"Jeremy, go up to the studio."

"No. You're not Dad."

"He left me in charge," Marcel says. He leaves out the part about Bethany still being here, in case he dropped. She's too busy to tend to their squabbling, thankfully. "I'm the eldest, what I say goes."

Jeremy groans. "I hate you both!" He storms for the door.

Tyler relaxes his muscles, allowing a smirk. "Love you too, JerBear."

"Stop calling me that!"

The door slams shut behind him. Tyler shakes his head off Marcel's concerned look.

"He's a dumbass kid."

"Don't say that," Marcel chastises. "He's still our baby brother."

"Our dumbass baby brother. Like you wouldn't say the same thing if it were me."

"That's different. You actually are a dumbass." Tyler rolls his eyes. "Jeremy's never been into sports or anything physical like this."

"Maybe he's trying to be like his awesome big brother." Marcel raises a brow. "Hey, stranger things have happened."

"Should we tell Dad?"

"A part of me wants to say yes, just to see Daddy's Little Boy get in trouble, but…" Tyler trails off with a sigh. "As entertaining as Jerkass Jeremy is, I don't want to see this go on. You know he'd get whooped."

Marcel reluctantly nods. "We just have to hope he doesn't come back in here. What if you hadn't caught him in time?"

"The door locks, I just never remember to. I guess I'll have to now." Tyler shakes his head. "I can't wait for this phase to be over."

"You and me both," Marcel agrees, a hint of worry still in his eye. "And you sure you're okay? You don't feel like you're about to drop?"

Tyler sighs again. Sometimes Marcel is too much like their dad for his own good. "I'm fine. Unlike our brother, I'm smart enough to not use the equipment unless I know I'm ready."

"Just checking," Marcel pauses, his face breaking out in a smirk of his own. "Little Pup."

Tyler chucks a water bottle in his direction as the door shuts behind him. Why couldn't he have been the oldest?

Jeremy leans against the back of the school, flipping through his sketchbook. His muses are dead as of late. No desire to work on his current projects nor start new ones. He read something about artists doing their best work when struggling. He should be whipping out Picaso style pieces at this point.

"Little Gilbert!"

Jeremy grimaces at the sound of Andy's voice. He shoves his sketchbook into his backpack and swings it over his shoulder, starting to walk off.

"Whoa, wait up!"

Jeremy keeps walking. Andy vamps in front of him. Jeremy sighs.

"Leave me alone, Andy," he mutters.

"Aw, what'd the little baby say?" Andy smirks. "I can't hear you." He shoves him, causing Jeremy to stumble a little. "Almost like you have a binky in your mouth."

Jeremy glowers. "Shut up. You're no better, you're a Little too."

"Yeah, but not that little," Andy says. "At least I can still play football and get some real muscles." He picks up Jeremy's arm, which the younger one quickly pulls away. "You'd probably snap in half if you fell the wrong way."

Jeremy folds his arms over his chest, heat rising to his cheeks. "Shut the fuck up."

"I wouldn't use that word wittle baby, would hate to see you get a timeout over it."

He shoves him again. Jeremy attempts to get him back, but Andy is quick, pushing him towards the brick wall. Jeremy manages to avoid it, falling on his knees. He winces in pain as his jeans tear open, scraping the skin. Tears burin his eyes as he tries to will himself not to cry. That will only prove this jerk's point.

Jeremy tries getting up, but Andy kicks him again, causing his knees to get even worse. Andy's laugh is swiftly cut off by a growl. Jeremy backs up a bit, watching as Andy is shoved up against the wall. Tyler holds him by the collar, his eyes red.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Tyler snarls, baring his fangs. Andy squirms against him. "Or should I say species?"

Jeremy attempts to get up, but his knees hurt too much. He whimpers in pain, falling back on his bottom. Luckily, his pull-up acts as a cushion.

Andy tries to laugh it off. "C'mon, man, I was just joking around."

"Kicking my baby brother around is just joking, huh? Well, I guess, I'm just joking too."

Tyler shoves Andy back, causing him to fall against a tree. He groans in pain, holding his back. Before it can heal, Tyler races over, clocking him square in the jaw. A few tears fall down Jeremy's cheeks as he looks at his knees. There's a lot of blood. This cut is deep.

"Ty…Tyler…" Tyler either doesn't hear him or is choosing to ignore his cries as he punches Andy again. "TyTy!"

Tyler pulls away from the jerk, catching sight of his baby brother's face. He vamps back over and sits beside him, examining his knees. A slight hiss escapes his lips as his eyes return to their normal color.

"You need to get this checked out."

"It hurts," Jeremy whispers, hiccupping a little. In the distance, he can see Andy healing his injuries, but still hanging back, clearly terrified of the hybrid.

"I bet," Tyler whispers. He lifts Jeremy into his strong, protective arms. "Let's get you to the nurse."

Jeremy wraps his arms around his neck. "D…don't tell Daddy."

"I can't keep this one from him, bud."

Klaus breaks about 50 traffic laws on his way to the school. Getting a call that both of his boys are in the office is bad enough, let alone knowing one is being interrogated by the principal and the other is injured. He bursts through the door of the main lobby, his eyes darting between the two offices. The secretary looks up. He can hear her heartbeat pick up upon seeing him.

"Mr. Mikaelson, we've been expecting you."

"I should hope so. My boys…"

"Tyler is finishing up with the principal. From what I understand, he's chosen to not punish him for this."

"Punish him? For what exactly?"

The door opens and the principal walks out, a hand on Tyler's back. Klaus instantly grabs his middle son and pulls him into a tight embrace. Tyler squirms a little, heat rising to his cheeks.

"Dad," he whines a little. "I'm fine."

"I certainly hope so," Klaus says, keeping a tight arm around him. He looks at the principal. "Why on Earth do you have my boys down here?"

Weber remains composed. He's dealt with the Mikaelsons enough to not be fazed. "Mr. Mikaelson, I'd like to start off with Jeremy is just fine."

"I should hope so, or we'd have a problem," Klaus growls.

"It seems that someone was knocking him around." Klaus' muscles tighten. "As I said, he's fine now. His knees were pretty busted but the nurse patched him up."

"Who is this bully? Where are they?!"

"Anticipating your arrival, we dealt with them first," Weber says. "They've been suspended."

"That doesn't answer the question of who!"

"You know I cannot give that information." Weber glances at Tyler. "Though I'm sure your son will let you in on all the details."

Klaus pulls Tyler closer to him. His son is still squirming, clearly embarrassed, but he doesn't care. "What does Tyler have to do with anything?"

"Tyler admitted to attacking the individual. They were a hybrid themselves so no real damage was done, but you are aware our school has a zero tolerance policy."

"Yeah," Tyler mumbles. "My baby brother gets his ass kicked but I can't teach them a lesson."

Weber cast him a look. Klaus feels a surge of pride raise up inside him. He shouldn't promote violence…but in this moment, he can't much care. Klaus kisses the top of Tyler's head. Weber sighs, shaking his head. Klaus ignores him.

"I want to see my other son."

"He's with the nurse," Weber says. "Just through that door."

Keeping a tight hold on Tyler, Klaus follows his directions. Jeremy sits on a cot, sucking his thumb. Klaus' eyes widen at the sight of his son's legs. The jeans are completely destroyed, ripped apart at the knees. Beneath the shreds on each knee is a large ace bandage wrapped around some cloth. Klaus can smell the blood coming from beneath them as well as on the rags stuffed in the trashcan.

Tyler manages to pull away from his dad. Klaus vamps over to Jeremy and kneels in front of him. His youngest looks down at him with wide eyes. Klaus tenderly touches the bandaged area, frowning at the slight whine. The nurse walks over.

"They won't require stitches," she says. "I cleaned them out very well, but you'll probably have to replace the bandages tonight. It should stay covered up for a while."

Klaus nods and stands up, lifting Jeremy into his arms. His son automatically wraps his arms around his neck and rests his head on his shoulder. "Did you give him any medication?"

"No, per the form you filled out, I know he's not allowed any."

"Good, I'll give him some at home. Thank you for everything." He kisses Jeremy's forehead and grabs his backpack. "I'm keeping both boys home tomorrow."

"Of course, Mr. Mikaelson. I'll make sure to tell the front." She squeezes Jeremy's hand. "He was a very good patient. Very brave."

He gives his son a small smile. Jeremy continues to suck his thumb. "Thank you," Klaus tells the nurse. He looks over at Tyler. "Got all your things, Ty?"

Tyler nods. "Yeah."

Klaus keeps a tight grip on Jeremy as he carries him out the back door of the office, wanting to spare his son's dignity as much as possible. He uses another hand to hold Tyler's, wanting to keep him close. Once they get to the car, he slides Jeremy into his 5-point-harness car seat, making sure to do it up nice and tight. He isn't sure if his son's dropped or not, but he doesn't care. He won't risk him getting hurt further. Klaus is quick to put Tyler in his own booster seat. The teen squirms, but doesn't argue. Instead, he holds Jeremy's hand after Klaus replaces the thumb with a pacifier.

The ride home is quiet. Klaus drums his fingers on the steering wheel, looking back at his boys. Tyler doesn't let go of Jeremy. The youngest looks embarrassed, but doesn't let go of his big brother. Klaus tries to use the time to calm down. His boys are fine. They're right there. No one's in trouble.

And yet, he can see the bandaged knees and that brings him back to that terrifying place.

When they get back to the mansion, Klaus picks Jeremy up and holds Tyler's hand as he leads both of them inside. They go into the living room and settle onto the couch, Jeremy in between the two. The teen takes out his pacifier, but stays quiet. Tyler is the first speak up.

"I know I shouldn't have fought the guy, but he was pushing Jeremy around!" Tyler frowns. "He wasn't going to stop."

"I'm not upset with you, Tyler," Klaus says, reaching over Jeremy and squeezing his arm. "You did what you needed to, to get your brother away. However, you need to be careful. If you had phased, it could've been worse."

Tyler bites his lip. "I know, Daddy."

"Next time, you get Jeremy away and then find an adult, alright?" Tyler nods. "Excuse me?"

The young hybrid sighs. "Yes, Daddy."

"Thank you." Klaus kisses the top of his head. "You're not in trouble, I know you were just looking out for your baby brother. That's what a good big brother does."

Jeremy nods. "Thanks Ty," he whispers.

Tyler smiles a little. "You're welcome, buddy." He wraps an arm around him.

Klaus runs his fingers through Jeremy's hair. "Is this why you've been acting so weird?"

Jeremy snuggles into his big brother's side. Tyler shakes his head, pushing him towards their dad. Jeremy sighs.

"He kept calling me Little Gilbert. Saying there must be something wrong with me because I drop too Little."

"You know that's not true," Klaus says. "There is nothing wrong with any space. Some of you are going to be younger than others."

"You should've told us," Tyler adds. "We could've helped you sooner."

"You always have to help me," Jeremy complains. "It's proving his point. I'm always the baby."

"You are, and there's nothing wrong with that." Jeremy shakes his head. Tyler sighs. "I had a hard time with my classification too."

Jeremy tilts his head. "But you can still do lots of stuff."

"Even if I can work out and play football, I can't when I'm dropping. It can be embarrassing to tell Coach that I don't feel big enough to play. Plus, even with all that, there's still some things I can't do. You saw how Dad made me go in my booster seat. I have a bedtime…"

"Later than mine," Jeremy points out.

Tyler rolls his eyes and Klaus holds back a smile. "Still, I have one. Dad won't let me drink out of a glass unless he's really sure I won't drop. Sometimes I have to wear a bib too."

Jeremy chews on his lip, thinking about it. "But you're still bigger than me."

"Someone has to be the big brother," Tyler pokes his ribs. A crack of a smile goes across Jeremy's face. "It's okay to be little, Jer. Don't let some jack…jerk," he corrects himself. "Don't let some jerk make you think differently."

Jeremy's eyes still look conflicted. Klaus knows it'll take more than a night to undo this bully's words. Still, his son rests his head on his big brother's shoulder. Tyler wraps an arm around him. Klaus smiles at the two.

"I love you, TyTy," Jeremy whispers.

"I love you too, JerBear," Tyler says. "Am I allowed to call you that again?"

"I guess," Jeremy says with an exaggerated sigh.

Tyler chuckles, kissing the top of his head. "Good."

Klaus moves closer, pulling both boys into his embrace. He maneuvers them so Tyler is on one knee, Jeremy the other. His boys both cuddle up with him. Klaus wraps his arms around them. He lives for any excuse to snuggle with his babies.

"We need to talk about these things," Klaus says. "No secrets. What do I always say?"

Tyler and Jeremy respond in near unison, "Honesty above all."

Klaus nods. "Exactly. So long as you tell the truth, I can always help you." He kisses Jeremy's head. "We shall fix this bullying problem, Angel."

"How?" Jeremy asks. "And killing Andy isn't the answer."

Klaus pretends to be offended, even though that's still a very real solution in his mind. "Have you no faith in your daddy?" Jeremy pokes out his tongue. "I will come up with something." He looks at Tyler. "And you will let the grownups handle it."

"I technically am one," Tyler argues.

"With me, no, you're a little boy." Tyler sighs. "I meant what I said, both of you are staying home tomorrow. I need to keep you close."

"So, we're staying like this for 24 hours?" Tyler quips.

Klaus tickles his side, grinning over the small laugh. "We'll find something fun to do."

"Marcel too?" Jeremy asks.

"Yes, I need all my little boys."

Jeremy pauses. "Sleepover in Daddy's bed?"

Klaus grins. "It's been a while since we did that. I'm sure Marcel will agree." He glances at Tyler. "What about you, my little pup?"

Tyler forces an eye roll. "I suppose, if it'll make Jeremy feel better."

Klaus chuckles, shaking his head. "Thank you for your sacrifice."

That night after a dinner of popsicles (Jeremy's choice) and fries (Tyler's), the older boys headed off to get ready for bed. Klaus gathered everything for his youngest and brought him into his bathroom. He sets the toilet lid down and sets Jeremy on top. Yanking the jeans down, he takes care of the bandages next. Klaus frowns upon seeing the healing gashes. He runs his fingers over them. Jeremy winces.

"How bad does it hurt, Angel?"

"About an 8."

"Here, take a drink."

Klaus bites his wrist and holds it up to Jeremy's mouth. The little one takes a few, quick sips. There's a look of disgust in his eyes. Klaus often uses his blood as a last resort, knowing Jeremy still isn't accustomed to it the same way Marcel and Tyler are. He refuses to turn Jeremy until he's 18, at the youngest. Still, if God forbid anything happened, at least he's protected.

Eventually, he pulls away and inspects the knees. They're still pretty beat up. Klaus goes about cleaning them out. Jeremy whines and tries to pull away, but Klaus redirects him by handing him Ottie. The little one holds him close as his dad patches up his knees. Klaus makes sure the bandages are on nice and tight before pulling off the jeans all together.

"You want to try to go potty before jammies?" Klaus asks. Jeremy nods and hands him Ottie. "Okay, you do that while I clean up."

Klaus tosses the dirty bandages out along with Jeremy's jeans and pull-up once he takes them off. He pretends to busy himself while his son uses the toilet. Eventually, there's a flush.

"Good job," Klaus praises him. Jeremy slightly blushes, taking his dad's hand. "Let's get you ready for bed."

Back in the master, diaper change is fairly quick. Marcel had picked out pajamas for all three that night. Klaus smiles upon seeing the gray sleeper with white stripes that reads "Baby Brother" in cursive right in the middle of the chest. Even though he's fairly certain none of them have dropped, Klaus still dresses Jeremy in it, clipping his pacifier to it. He gets in bed, Jeremy climbing onto his chest and cuddling Ottie. The door opens a moment later, with his older sons walking in. They're wearing sleepers that match Jeremey's. Marcel's are green with dark blue stripes that say "Big Brother" while Tyler's light blue with white stripes with "Little Brother", a pacifier clipped to his own.

Tyler grumbles off his father's wide grin. "I only did this for Jeremy," he mumbles.

"Sure," Marcel says, playfully shoving him. Tyler flicks his ear.

"Boys," Klaus only half-warns. "Come on, get in bed."

Marcel climbs in on the right, Tyler on the left. Klaus cuddles them both close, pulling the quilt over the four of them. He slips Jeremy's pacifier in, watching as Tyler does his own.

"Movie?" Marcel asks, his own eyes already growing heavy.

"You all are about to fall asleep," Klaus says.

There's arguments from the three that no, they won't, they can make it. Klaus shakes his head, but puts on the first thing he can find on Disney Plus.

Sure enough, all three are out before the opening credits of "Finding Nemo".

This one was a little longer, but I wanted to include that bit of family fluff at the end.

As always, let me know what you think and feel free to leave prompts!