Nothing's Wrong With Daddy's Baby Boy

The surname Hyde seemed to have a curse to make it's owners odd at best and horrific at worst. Edward was, by now, long aware of the fact. His father had been on the latter end for sure. He had the reputation and apparent aurora of that as well, though if he asked his husband he was simply a teddy bear, to Edward's outer dismay (he couldn't deny the frightening reputation made it easier to keep his family safe which was easily his main priority).
Edward was relieved to find, however, the three boys and one girl baring his last name could confidently be found at the better end of the spectrum.
Odd suited Falcon just fine. The oldest Hyde son displayed an outward lack of maturity finding delight in fights and trouble and destruction and underneath was an eerie show of nothing less than cleverness. Dennis wasn't awfully far from the above mentioned, though the little boy was far more expressive in all of his emotions including a very caring heart. A very complex boy indeed. Blade was the only one that could be seen as decently normal until one caught whiff of her bold, distant personality and obvious disdain for other human beings.
Then there was the middle Hyde boy, Kaden. Kaden was his own brand of different, but odd nonetheless. His appearance was completely different from his siblings, Hyde or otherwise. He had a head full of blonde curls and a clear lack of freckles that ironically adorned the other three Hyde childrens cheeks. He was tall, easily the tallest of their sons, already reaching perfectly at Edward's neck. Then there was his personality. Kaden was nowhere near the destructive, noisy, bold, and troublemaking that his brothers and sister were, but he was still deemed odd. What with his stutter that he'd yet to outgrow (Edward was confident by now that the boy never would outgrow it) and very secluded and antisocial behaviors. Then his very sickly childhood. Four very odd kids. Edward would admit, though he thought this was as far as the interesting rabbit hole went, completely unaware of how this opinion would be altered. It was a rare quiet day in the Jekyll-Hyde home.
Ross was with Henry looking at a college. Falcon had gone on a hiking trip. Brian and Dennis were having a play date under Mr. Utterson's watchful eye with Jerrick Lanyon and Theodore Enfield. Drake was spending the night with a friend. Blade and Allison were invited on a shopping trip with the Frankenstein family. This left only Edward and Kaden in the house. Edward prided himself to the fact that, unlike his husband, he allowed his children privacy and freedoms. He didn't need to breathe down their necks to make sure they were safe (don't mistake him, however, he would do anything if it meant his family, especially his children, were safe). However, he couldn't ignore the fact that his 13-year-old did make him nervous at times. Was it normal and healthy for him to stay cooped in his room like that? Edward knew well what an empty house felt like and he wasn't content feeling it when he knew one of his children was home. What harm could a little check up do?
He made his way to the room carefully peeking in after a knock. His brows furrowed at soft lullaby music playing, only able to be heard with the door now cracked open. He carefully surveyed Kaden's room, with Ross starting to plan his moving out he was able to seperate Drake and Kaden allowing them their own rooms, something that he hadn't been sure the boys would take kindly to, but he'd yet to hear of any complaints. The bed was literally fit for a prince, or it looked like it, a canopy with see through white curtain hanging from its sides. The same decor he'd had since he was 3 only fitted for a size appropriate bed. Edward had tried to insist he try something else but the boy had pleaded to keep it. Edward had relented.
Further surveying, he heard other little noises through the childish sleep music playing, he had to lean a bit closer to hear but there was the unmistakable little tinkling noise of a rattle and what sounded like baby noises. Edward frowned further perplexed, using his sight to try and make sense of what he was hearing. There he saw it, his teenaged son in a lavender romper and fluffy white socks, sure enough a plush rattle in hand and what looked like a Winnie the Pooh adorned baby pacifier in his mouth. He could hardly make sense to what he was seeing. His teenage son dressed and acting like an infant. Before he could properly think of what he was doing to stop himself, he pushed the door fully open.
"Kaden?"
In surprising speed, the blonde headed boy popped up, eyes immediately widened once they landed on his father. They both were stunned, not expecting to see what they were. Neither daring to remove their gaze or utter a word. It seemed like a stalemate for the longest time, before a little noise finally broke the silence, a whimper. It was only then that Edward noticed that tears had pooled in the boy's green eyes.
Immediately he moved closer in gentle actions, "Hey, hey, what's the tears for? Its alright," he assured, instinctively speaking in the same ever gentle tone he had when Kaden was little. Kaden whimpered again, giving some sucks on the pacifier in poor attempt to ease his nerves. Edward looked the boy over trying to make sense of what exactly he was seeing. It didn't seem like he'd get answers out of Kaden, especially not if he broke into the crying fit that threatened to occur any moment now. It seemed it was up to himself, for now at least.
"Hey.... don't cry, come here baby boy," he hummed gently holding his arms out moving even closer. Kaden hiccupped into the infantile soother but once close enough to do so, took the offer, shyly burying away into Edward's chest. Edward immediately wrapped his arm around him, the other hand moving up to pet the blonde curls, slowly, he started to hum along to the lullaby music still playing in the background, Hush Little Baby, he recognized after a moment. Kaden eased at that, peeking up with the same adoring look he had as a baby. Even on the face of a teenager, it was heartwarming.
Slowly, the tears disappeared, Edward rubbing his back soothingly, "Yeah, there you go..." a small noise left the boy making the father continue the gentle action. With another small noise, Kaden allowed the pacifier to slip from between his mouth. In instinctive movement, Edward was quick to catch the item before it hit the floor or bed.
"Daddy?" Kaden shyly mumbled, Edward looked up to see the boy's usually pale cheeks flushed a bright red, immediately hitting him with further memories of when Kaden was small and feeble and so terribly sick (and whiny as a result of said illnesses).
"Hey buddy, Daddy's right here," he promised gently. Kaden's face burned brighter, a fresh wave of tears swelling up.
"Hey, hey, no need to cry. We just got rid of those," he cooed lightly. Kaden whimpered softly, lip trembling regardless, letting go of Edward to instead wipe at his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Y-yo-you weren't supposed t-to see-" he hiccupped quietly, a little cry leaving the boy, weakly managing out once more, "I-I-I'm sorry!" Edward furrowed his brows once more.
"What are you apologizing for?" he hummed. Kaden hiccupped pathetically motioning blindly to the direction of the pacifier and his clothing. Edward seemed further unimpressed.
"What about it?"
Kaden whimpered finally lowering his other hand as well showing the attempts to rid himself of tears proved unsuccessful. Through everlasting anxiety in his gaze, Edward could easily spot fear and confusion as well. Kaden fumbled over words, trying to explain, "Y-you.... you saw... you... I'm... I look..." he whimpered softly again, trying to speak a full thought at the very least, "Y-you came in to see me dressed a-and acting like a b-ba-baby... you.. y-you aren't mad? W-weirded out?"
"I don't fully understand it yet," Edward admitted with a shrug, "but I'm definitely not mad... or think it's necessarily weird. I didn't expect this but.... still, you're my kid. I'm going to support you no matter what..." those words seemed to release a whole burden off of Kaden, he loosened in ease, looking up with utter gratefulness, "do you think you can explain it to me?" the father gently hummed. Kaden fidgeted with the soft rattle that had fallen next to his leg.
"Its... uh... it's called a-age regression," he mumbled, "it's where people a-act um.. younger than they are... m-mentally.... it's usually a-a coping thing.." Edward slowly nodded, he'd confess he didn't entirely understand still, but it was all becoming a little more clear, bit by bit.
"So then you regress.." he hummed Kaden meekly nodding in agreement, "I'm guessing that you regress pretty young, seeing the... items you have," he hummed, Kaden nodded again, "alright..... what do you do when your regressed?"
Kaden's cheeks blazed again, "Uh a-act the part, per say, I-I guess..." he explained quietly.
"Uh huh.... is there anything that triggers this? What makes people regress?"
"Lotta reasons," Kaden shrugged, "for some its pet names or situations where they feel little.... some have it i-involuntary, uh some a-are voluntary, for others stress t-triggers it, sometimes they j-just feel the need.." Edward nodded along.
"Ok then, what triggers you?"
Kaden's face managed to turn even redder, "U-usually just the need to... when 'm a-alone... j-just want to feel little a-and carefree a-and taken care of.."
Edward nodded before something hit him, making him arch a brow, "This is the first time I'm seeing this. I know Henry doesn't know about it... who takes care of you?"
"M-me.."
Edward frowned gently at this, nodding after a moment with a little hum, "I see..." he glanced to the pacifier caught in his hand, then to the rattle and Kaden's more juvenile pick in clothing and finally the boy's face. He was much taller than when he was a baby, but he was Edward's baby nonetheless, and the father intended to show it.
"Well, you know what I think?"
Kaden's face fell clearly expecting some negative reaction, anxiety clear in his expression, "Um.. wha-what?"
"I think a little baby needs his daddies to take care of him... if he's going to be a little boy again," Edward answered, "I think it's only fitting for such a role, right?" he arched a brow, holding the pacifier out.
Kaden's gaze fell on the babyish soother a moment before taking it with a shaky hand, gaze slowly rising back to his father's, "I-I.... I- y-you don't have to daddy! I-I've done it this long... I-I can stop i-if you want me to!"
"Kaden," the father stated firmly immediately making the boy close his mouth, gaze guiltily and nervously locked ok him, "I don't care what you say or do. I will always be here for you. To take care of you and help you. If you want to be a baby again, that's ok. I'm right here, to take care of you through it. No matter how big you get, you're always going to be my baby boy."
Kaden's lip trembled against his will in nothing short of appreciation. With a hiccup he immediately clung to Edward again, a little wail leaving him. Edward hummed, carefully lifting the boy up, guiding his head to his shoulder just like when he was a baby, tenderly cradling his head there, "I know... Daddy's got you baby boy," he murmured soothingly, further offering comfort and a sign of acceptance, he tapped the pacifier in the boy's hand, "Here we go, I think the little one needs his pacifier, yes?" he offered. Kaden hiccupped but nodded, slipping it into his mouth in obligation. Immediately, the boy seemed soothed at least some, Edward hummed softly, picking up the rattle next, shaking it for him.
"Here we go, paci and a toy," he cooed, "you use those and daddy will see if there's a special little boy's cups downstairs," he hummed. He knew due to a lack of spring cleaning and lids being extremely useful when the children were sick that there were cups at least somewhat resembling a sippy cup, that would do for now.
"Then we'll settle down and have some one-on-one time. Daddy and baby time," he hummed starting downstairs, seeing an anxious look, Edward soothed, "just before everyone gets home. I won't tell anyone, except maybe Daddy Henry, until you're ready," Kaden eased as they reached the kitchen. Kaden rested his head against Edward's shoulder as the father looked in the cupboards for a desired lidded cup, preferably one with a more childish design on it, the boy grntly shaking the soft rattle and cooing to it as he did.
Edward could get used to this, he thought with a smile, adding almost as an afterthought, "There's nothing for Daddy's baby boy to worry about. I've gotten it all taken care of for you, baby boy."