SFW Age Regression One Shots

request: the three stooges

Remus and Sirius being caregivers for little James. Also sapphic Lily because she and Marlene are cute together. *girl in red intensifies*

James POV

In the winter of 1978, my parents get terribly ill. I do my best to stay afloat, caring for them and managing my relationship with Lily. The urge to hide and run away gets stronger every day, until one day, Lily is breaking up with me. 

That is the day Mum and Dad end up on life support, and I am called to make decisions for them. When I leave, it's midnight. I stay longer than I need to, just staring at the two of them. Lily is there, holding my hand. I try to leave alone, but she insists I go to Sirius and Remus. It almost ends in an argument, only the millionth and the reason for our breakup. 

The only reason it doesn't escalate further is because I'm too sad and tired to give any more. Truthfully I have no idea how I feel. Where even am I? 

"James. Go to them. Don't...don't go home yourself, I don't think you should be alone after all that." Lily almost begs me. 

I feel tears in my eyes. "How do I get there?"

She pats my arm. "I'll take you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sirius opens the door, looking suspicious and a little irritated until he sees my teary face, and Lily's worried one. "Wha's goin' on?"

Remus appears, and I want to cry with relief. "Lily doesn't want me by myself."

She explains, "His parents just passed."

They beckon me in, closing the door right on Lily's face after I hurriedly thank her. 

I opt for sleeping on the sofa, two blankets piled on me. Sirius sheds some tears, and Remus and I hug him. Afterwards, I collapse into the blankets, having changed into my pajamas and gotten out my secret pacifier. I've been hiding it, even from Lily. Never have I needed it more. 

Hours later, I'm woken up by a nightmare. I curl in a ball, sobbing into my knees. Remus runs into the room, and I feel awful. What is it, four in the morning?

He sits next to me, hand on my back. For some reason I feel strange, like my body is too big and I'm much smaller than I am supposed to be. "Wemus, I no feel good! No, no, no...they're really dead!"

He holds me as I cry harder than I have before. I have no idea how long I cry, I don't even remember stopping. All I know is everything goes fuzzy, and I can't let go of Remus. I think I'm laid down somewhere, I think a blanket is pulled over me, but I'm not sure. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At eight am, I'm woken up by the kettle. I sit up from where I'm laying in Remus and Sirius's bed, pacifier in my mouth. My stuffed dinosaur is in my arms, and I'm wearing my footie pajamas.

"Wake up, sunshine." Sirius comes in, smiling at me.

I sit up and reach for him, and he embraces me with a big squeeze. I let myself be comforted and then my stomach growls.

Remus is making an omelet for breakfast, the only thing I like eating these days. I watch cartoons while the two of them make breakfast.

"Breakfast is ready, Jamesy."

I join them at the table, bringing my dinosaur with me. "Tank 'oo."

Remus ruffles my hair. "Do you feel better after having a rough night last night?"

I think about it, and shrug. "I feel weird...an off..."

Sirius smiles sadly. "There was a lot going on."

Remus pats my shoulder. "There really was."

After breakfast, I go back to watching cartoons. I begin to feel overwhelmed and climb under my blankets. Sirius finds me and changes the cartoons to classical music, and I'm instantly calmer. "Tank 'oo."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lily visits one afternoon, bringing omelets. I thank her and we share a hug. She asks if I'm alright, and I nervously laugh. "Not really."

She doesn't comment on me still in my pajamas, thankfully. "I don't blame you, having just lost your parents. I'm still here, as much as I can be."

I nod. "I know I'm too much, Lily. But I think we can agree to be friends now."

She gives me a stern look. "You're not too much. James, it wasn't you. It..it was me. The truth is...I was too scared to tell you. But I should have known better."

I frown. "What was going on?"

Lily looks nervous. "I don't like men. I like...I like women. And I really like Marlene. I liked you too, James, I really did. But it doesn't feel the same...I love you as a friend."

I smile at her. "Marlene is a good woman. I can't think of anyone better. I'm glad you can finally tell me, Lily. I won't tell anyone else, either."

She smiles gratefully. "I'm going to come out to Sirius and Remus, eventually. But for now, I would like keeping it secret."

I think about how I clung onto Sirius and Remus and begin to wonder if the warm fuzzies I get around them are beginning to feel like the ones Lily used to give me. "For the record...I still think you're gorgeous."

With that, I bid her goodbye and close the door. Sirius protectively crosses his arms. "What did she want?"

I reassure him, "We're on good terms now. She wanted to know if I'm alright."

Remus comes in, frowning. "She sure broke it off randomly."

I look away. "She had her reasons, lads. She doesn't want to share yet, but she does plan to tell you. She just isn't comfortable."

Sirius gasps, and his eyes sparkle. "She's gay!"

I shush him. "You didn't hear it from me! How did you even figure that out?!"

Remus chuckles. "Took him years to figure it out himself."

Sirius sticks his tongue out at Remus, making me giggle. He comments, "Lily and Marlene would be the perfect couple, I've seen how they look at each other. I kept thinking maybe it was just how girls look at each other, you know how close all of Lily's friends are."

I think over it, wondering how I missed that one. "It was rather obvious, now I think about it. I think Marlene will make her happy."

Remus nods. "That's all that really matters."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~