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It had been another tough day for Keith. Piles and piles and piles of paperwork he didn’t want to deal with were still stacked high on his desk, despite the fact he had spent the entire day reading and signing and reading and signing and reading some more. His mind felt like mush and aches plagued his body from sitting in the same position for so long. By the time he got home, he could barely remain standing long enough to walk in the door.
Three little doggies greeted him as he sluggishly made his way into the apartment he shared with his boyfriend. He leaned down, giving each of the dogs a few pets on the head. After each of the pups were appeased, he stood up straight again, finding it hard to do with his stiff back.
Throwing caution to the wind, he chucked his bag onto the floor and threw himself onto the couch, his lanky limbs strewn across the plush brown sofa. Quite an ugly couch it was, but it was what came with the apartment and what they could afford. Taking care of three dogs and a currently unemployed but aspiring fashion model put quite a strain on Keith's humble salary. Being the assistant to the owner of a tea company didn't garner as much as one would think.
That wasn't to say Keith didn't like his job–in fact, nothing couldn't be farther from the truth–but days like this made it hard, working so much for so little. He would never quit, he could never do that to Zach, his boss and good friend, but sometimes he felt like maybe he should.
His chest puffed up and he let out a long, drawn out sigh, his glasses sliding down his nose to add to his exhausted appearance. He could feel himself slipping, his stress truly catching up with him, and he wondered when Eugene would be home. They had agreed a long time ago that it was unsafe for Keith to regress without Eugene around, even at home, because of the dangers that came with Keith's rambunctious nature, especially when left unsupervised. But in times like these it was hard to help it, and he could only hope that his carer would return from his day out soon.
Typically Eugene would spend his days seeking out gigs, lunches with managers, or conversations with just about anyone who would talk with him. Once upon a time, Eugene could get a modeling gig easily, but he had taken a few years off to focus on some personal projects of his, and getting back into the game proved harder than he had anticipated. Keith had no doubt that Eugene would eventually find work–after all, just look at him–but it was taking longer than expected and if Keith was to be honest, their financial situation was on the decline.
Thinking about it began to stress out Keith even more, and he could feel himself getting smaller and smaller. There was no stopping it now, the train had already left the station. Too sore and tired to leave his spot, the regressing Keith pulled his knees to his chest, curling up into a little ball and nestling into the corner the arm and cushion of the sofa beneath him provided. His canine companions took the opportunity to join him, laying down on and around him, until he and the three puppies formed what must have been an adorable little pile on the side of the couch. Keith started absently at the wall for a little while, finding comfort in the diminishing complexity of his thoughts.
Eugene stepped in, feeling fairly exhausted himself. He huffed, kicking the door closed with his shoe, as Pesto, Emma, and Kimbop came to welcome him home.
"Another day, another load of bullshit. I cannot understand how these people can sit down and have a two hour long lunch with you just to say 'not interested.' Like, what the fuck? See if I ever give you and your stupid little company my time again, asshole."
He scooped Pesto up into his arms, giving the pup a long series of pets and rubs, before putting him back down and doing the same to his other two prized companions.
"Dada said a bad word," a distinctly Keith-like mumble came from the couch, drawing Eugene's curiosity. Dogs trailing close behind, he went to investigate, finding the lump of long limbs and Hawaiian patterns curled up in a tight little ball and looking at nothing in particular, his glasses having fallen off his face and landed on the floor, and his hair messy and frazzled from being against the soft, brown polyester. It was adorable , to say the least, and one of the few visuals that could melt Eugene's cold heart instantly.
"Sorry about that, big guy," he apologised, picking Keith's glasses up off the floor and setting them on the coffee table so they wouldn't accidentally get lost or crushed. He took a seat next to his little one, letting his hand rest on Keith's back. "Tough day?"
"Mhm," Keith nodded, hugging his knees closer to himself just a little.
Eugene hummed, rubbing gentle circles into Keith's back. Under his hand, he could feel the way Keith's body leaned into his touch, subconsciously. He really must have had a tough day.
"Do you want your paci?"
Keith nodded again. Eugene stood, and went to grab the light blue pacifier from their bedroom drawer.
Typically, Eugene hated kids and all the tasks that came with caring for them. They were gross and sticky and loud and annoying. And while Keith was no exception to most of those things, it was different. For starters, it was never all the time, and he and adult Keith had set plenty of ground rules. And it was no small factor that Keith of all forms was just so much cuter than any actual child ever could be. About the only real hiccup was Keith’s strongly physically affectionate nature, and Eugene’s dislike of exactly that, but when Keith was regressed, Eugene found it easy to make an exception.
After Eugene had grabbed the pacifier and made sure it was safely cleaned, he returned to the living room, where Keith had rolled onto his back, petting Kimbop who was seated on his stomach.
Eugene stopped for a moment just to take in the sight. After he cherished it long enough, he brought the pacifier to Keith. The little opened his mouth and Eugene placed the paci inside. With a thank you that was muffled from behind the paci, Keith gently began to suckle on it.
Eugene then sat back down on the couch, gesturing with open arms for Keith to come closer to him, and he did, Kimbop moving out of the way so that Keith could lay on Eugene, his head on his lap. Eugene gently ran his hands through Keith's hair, until the soft sound of steady breathing told him that he was asleep.