Chapter Text
The elevator dinged softly as Yelena stepped out, carrying several bags. It looked like she got a little over zealous with the gifts, which John should have expected. Now that she had the money and freedom to indulge, Yelena’s impulse control in a store was pretty minimal. John didn’t blame her, especially with the childhood she’d had (or lack thereof). They should spend as much of Val’s money as possible, as far as he’s concerned.
John looked down and smiled softly at where Bob was cradled against his chest, still suckling on his pacifier. He hoped whatever Yelena picked out wasn’t too overwhelming for the little guy. If what Yelena said was true, and he really came from a universe without regressors, getting him to accept something too little might be difficult. Though, he seemed to be doing pretty well with it right now.
John checked his watch and sighed. Just over an hour before Bob’s appointment. He should be getting up, eating, and transitioning out of his headspace. Shame. Bob’s so cute and relaxed when he’s little.
Yelena came back into the living room, ruffling Ava’s hair softly as she passed. “Things go well?” she asked.
John nodded. “Mostly.”
“Mostly?”
He glanced over at Ava, playing quietly with her dolls on the floor. Alexei had said she’d been pretty upset after John took Bob into the kitchen. She’d thought it was her fault for making Alexei tickle Bob. Which was absolutely ridiculous, but she was an empathetic kid.
Yelena sat down, grabbing Bob’s legs and draping them across her lap. “What happened?”
John sighed, and made sure to keep his voice down. “We watched tv, then Alexei came in to say hello. He started a tickle fight, and the kids were having a great time. I picked both of them up and we ran around for a bit while Alexei chased us. Everything was great, until Alexei jumped out and scared Bob. Bob socked him in the nose for it then burst into tears.”
“Oh, buddy…”
“I calmed him down, we shared a cookie, and we watched a movie. Apparently Ava thought it was her fault Bob got upset. But Alexei helped, and she’s been fine ever since. Bob fell asleep just before the credits.”
Yelena smiled, examining Bob’s sleeping form. “You gave him a pacifier. He seems to be taking it well.”
“Yeah, took it immediately.”
She reached over to brush a thumb against Bob’s cheek. He sighed, nuzzling softly into John’s chest. “Oh my god, he’s so precious.”
John clucked his tongue. “Yeah, well, he needs to be big for the doctors.”
“Unfortunately.”
John started by taking out Bob’s pacifier, setting it to the side. He stirred slightly, and John scratched a few fingers against Bob’s scalp. “Hey man, time to wake up,”
Bob’s eyes squinted open, and John nearly laughed at how grumpy and adorable he looked. Beside him, Yelena giggled softly. “Good morning, solnyshko,” she cooed.
He smiled, cheeks going slightly pink. “Hi.”
John hauled Bob up from where he was laying, helping him sit up straight on his lap and slinging an arm around his waist. John bounced Bob on his knee slightly, but quickly stopped, chiding himself. They were supposed to be drawing Bob out of his headspace, not further into it.
“Have a good nap?” asked Yelena.
Bob nodded, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and glancing around the room. John noticed Bob’s eyes catch the pacifier Yelena had set on the coffee table, but he quickly ducked his head. “Yeah, yeah. It was good.” he nodded.
“We’re gonna have to get ready for the doctor’s soon, are you hungry?”
Bob nodded again, scooching off of John’s lap. “I could eat”
John got off the couch. “I’ll make sandwiches. Come on, guys.”
All four of them headed into the kitchen, Ava bringing one of her Barbies along. As he prepped the food, John found himself watching Bob on the barstool out of the corner of his eye. It was weird. Normally drawing a sleepy little out of their headspace was more difficult, but Bob seemed to be doing just fine.
“Yelena, you want a coke? Ava, chocolate milk?” Both girls nodded, and John got out the respective drinks. “What do you want, Bob?” he asked.
Bob froze, twiddling slightly with his sweatshirt sleeves. Did his eyes look glassy? He cleared his throat. “Uh, just water please.”
John nodded, pouring Bob a glass and handing it over. Maybe not completely out of headspace, but trying. John quickly finished up the sandwiches, cutting his own, Bob, and Yelena’s in half diagonal, but Ava’s into fourths. He also gave Ava the only plastic plate (her favorite, a plain purple.)
They ate quietly. Yelena and Ava chatted about their day so far, but John spent most of his time staring at Bob. He wasn’t trying to be creepy or anything, but the dude worried him. Right now he seemed less like an adult and more like a kid pretending to be an adult. That wasn’t a great place to be, but John wasn’t sure how to help.
“Are you ready to be big for the doctor’s, Bob?” asked Yelena. And she teased John about his lack of subtlety.
Bob jumped, apparently zoned out. “Yeah, yeah. Totally.”
Yelena hummed. “Will you help me with the dishes?”
John started to object, he could do the dishes himself, there weren’t even that many, but Yelena shot him a look.
Bob nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.” he stood, and started to collect their plates. “Did you like your sandwich?”
“John’s cooking is always good”
John tried not to smirk, but it was hard as Bob and Yelena turned their backs to him and started the dishes. Guess all Bob needed was a little push. He jostled Ava next to him slightly with his shoulder. “Do you agree, Ava, is my cooking always good?”
Ava smirked. “Sometimes...”
“Sometimes? When is my cooking not good?”
“You made sad enchiladas.”
“Hey! That was my first time making them, and I had to deal with Alexei nearly burning down the kitchen at the same time, so speaking relatively, I did pretty good.”
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UNIVERSE #618-2B, Thunderbolts Classic Earth, The Watchtower, ~36 hours after the bank incident
Bob smiled, scrubbing a dirty frying pan with vigor. He was a lot happier than anyone else would be doing the dishes, but he had good reason to be.
He knew now, for sure, that the Bob from this universe wasn’t a regressor. It stung a bit, that his team was getting to experience Caregiver Bob, but he was trying to be optimistic about it. Maybe once he got home, they’d realize that Caregiver Bob and Little Bob weren’t all that different. Just because Bob was a little, it didn’t mean they had to walk on eggshells around him all the time. He could still be normal!
When he woke up from his impromptu nap yesterday, his day with the alternate universe thunderbolts was amazing. It’d all felt so ordinary . They’d played video games, ate dinner, shot the shit, and watched a cheesy horror movie. Not once did Bob feel like they were waiting for him to slip up, not once did he feel like one wrong move they’d start treating him like a little kid. Like they’d feel guilty for swearing, or think we wasn’t capable enough to cook fucking ramen.
Back home was different. Back home, the thunderbolts knew he was a little. And Bob knew they knew he was a little. It complicated things. Made it feel like he was living with a giant elephant that no one would acknowledge. He couldn’t relax, couldn’t live, without constantly posturing, trying to prove that they didn’t have to fuss, that they shouldn’t fuss. He didn’t need to burden them with all of his shit. At least the ‘bratty little kid’ facet of his shit. Littles were supposed to be sweet, obedient, mini-angels sent from heaven, who always knew how to be cute and make everyone smile. That definitely was not Bob. And even though they tried to leave his little side be, caregiver instincts were strong.
The Thunderbolts were endlessly kind and patient; even Walker was weirdly tolerant of all of Bob’s idiosyncrasies. But everyone had a breaking point. Eventually, they would get tired of him. His messy room, his stupid jokes, his useless presence. The stupidest thing he’d ever done was fall into little space around them, giving them yet another responsibility.
Bob’s grateful they took care of him. Hell, the snippets he remembers were probably the most relaxed he’s ever been. But he can’t ask them to do that again, even though it seems like all they’re doing is waiting around until he needs them again.
Here, he could just be. No one had any reason to suspect anything, so he didn’t have any reason to hide. It was nice.
“Don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so happy about dishes” said Yelena, drawing him out of his thoughts. She’d hauled herself up on the counter next to the sink, and was sipping a mug of coffee.
“Just nice to be able to help.”
She nodded, but looked at Bob for a little longer than necessary. “What’s the other me like?” she asked.
Huh. Not what he’d been expecting. Bob put down the sponge and toweled off his hands. “Uh, the same, pretty much. Pretty much all of you guys are the same, I haven’t noticed too much different. Besides–”
He stops. It probably wouldn’t be best to say that Ava was a regressor in his universe. Bob has never seen her regressed, he always tried to leave the room the few times she went down, but even if she was the perfect little, she probably wouldn’t appreciate that sort of thing being unexpectedly out in the open.
“Besides?”
“Uh, Ava. Back home she cut her hair short last week, it’s still long here.”
Yelena made a face, apparently considering what Ava would look like with short hair. “Copycat.” she smiled. “Think she’ll dye her hair like mine too?”
Bob laughed. “How do you know she wasn’t copying me?” he flipped a piece of his hair dramatically. “It takes a lot to look like this!”
They giggle together, and Yelena offers to dry the dishes he washes. The task takes twice as long because they keep flicking water and whipping towels at each other, but it’s worth it.
Once they’ve calmed down and trailed into the living room to watch TV, Yelena asks “Do you want me to go with you to see the physicists?”
Bob shakes his head. “I’ve got it.”
“I just–” Yelena hesitates. “I mean, I know you’ve got it, but…I wanted to make sure it wasn’t too triggering, y’know? Not too much like the medical trial.”
“Thanks, Yelena, but I can handle it.”
Yelena nods, but he knows she isn’t happy about it. He appreciates it, but this has to be something he does on his own.
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UNIVERSE #618-2C, Thunderbolts Littleverse Earth
After his appointment, Bob returns to the penthouse in high spirits. The doctors were optimistic they could help him get back home soon, especially with the new readings they took. The idea felt bittersweet. This team had been so nice, he was kind of having the time of his life here. But he missed home, too. He wondered what the others were doing right now. How was the other Bob faring?
John, having heard the elevator, came around the corner from the kitchen holding a gigantic knife. “Still feeling big?” he asked
Bob nodded.
“Will you keep an eye on Ava while I cook? She just needs some company.”
Bob gave John a thumbs up, and John went back to his cooking. He headed into the living room, looking for Ava. The idea of looking after someone else while they were in little space sent a little thrill up his spine. What would it be like? Would Ava like him? Would it be fulfilling, like John and Yelena talked about? Would he even be good at it?
He finds Ava playing some kind of princess video game. “Hi Bob!” she smiles. “Will you play?”
Before he can say anything, Ava scrambles forward and connects a new controller, shoving it in his hands. “You can be Flynn Rider. We’re looking for the Snuggly Duckling!”
Bob smiles. “What’s that?”
“It’s a tavern, there’s a secret passageway hidden there.”
“Ok.” He takes a second to figure out the controls, but it’s a simple game. Ava insists on exploring each and every part of the map, they spend most of their time opening treasure chests in caves and making flowers bloom with Ava’s character’s powers.
“Can I have a snack?” Ava asks after a while. Bob hums.
“Dinner’s gonna be soon, but maybe just a small one, ok? Don’t wanna ruin your appetite.” She nods, and Bob gets up to look for a snack. There’s food stashed all throughout the tower, a consequence of living with so many super-soldiers. He finds a mandarin, and starts to peel it while he sits cross-legged next to her on the floor. He holds one of the slices in his mouth, making her laugh.
“Can I sit with you? Please?”
Bob nods, handing her another slice. She pushes his arms back, turns, then plops herself directly into his lap. Huh. A bit strange, but Bob smiles. This is nice.
They continue playing like that, she fits in his lap surprisingly well. It’s a bit hard to see the TV over her hair, but he just hooks his chin over her shoulder, and wraps his arms around her waist to hold the controller. Every once in a while he hands her another orange slice.
Is this what being a big brother would have been like? This is almost as fun as actually being little had been.
Over the next while, the penthouse gets busier as everyone gathers for dinner. Bob can hear minor squabbling as the others set the table. He taps Ava’s knee.
“Next save point, why don’t we go wash our hands for dinner?”
Coincidentally, the next save point lies behind a long cut scene where Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder head into some tunnels, but Bob doesn’t mind. He and Ava close the game and go wash their hands together, before sitting down with the others.
“Big Bob is just as fun as Baby Bob!” declares Ava once they sat down. “He played Tangled with me, and we found all of the duckling statues!”
Bucky ruffles her hair before he takes his seat. “That sounds great, squirt. Where was the last one?”
“Underneath the piano player's bed. Once he gets back, I’m definitely making our Bob play Tangled too.”
The others chuckle and dig in. Alexei cuts up Ava’s pork, and Yelena tells them about what she bought at the mall, mostly clothes and a few decorations she’s already scattered around the penthouse. It’s interesting, watching them. Ava fits in so well with their dynamic. It’s not even that they’re naturally treating her like a kid, it’s more than that. They’re treating her like a friend, who happens to be acting like a kid. They’re considerate, and thoughtful, and don’t seem at all perturbed when Ava talks a mile a minute and repeats everything they did in the video game. They ask questions, cut in with their own stories, and offer seconds. When he thinks about it, that’s how they treated him, when he was regressed at the dinner table.
It was definitely something Bob wasn’t used to, but he liked the idea of it. The thunderbolts were already more of a family than he’d ever had before, in every universe.