Little's Academy

Who says?

The next day, Alex was dressed and brought to class like normal. He was not happy. He wanted to sleep the day away. Or perhaps watch cartoons. He was growing quite fond of those.
"You have to get to class, buddy." Samuel said, suddenly breaking the boy out of his thoughts.
"Mmmm no." Alex decided, shoving his head into the caregiver's chest.
"No?" Samuel asked with a chuckle.
"Mhmm!" Alex hummed.
"You have to get to class. I have an evaluation today, so you can't come with me."
"I dont careeee" Alex mumbled, not moving.
"You have to go to class, hun. You'll get to do some real fun things, I bet." Samuel said, checking his phone for the time. He really needed to get going.
"No." Alex said, deciding that he would cling to the caregiver for as long as possible. Samuel sighed, but got an idea. He wasn't supposed to embarrass the boy, but that was the only sure way he could think of to get the boy to relent.
"Are you just feeling so ittt bitty that you don't want to leave?" Samuel cooed, holding the boy tightly.
"Wha!" The boy exclaimed with offensive, looking up.
"No no, I get it! Just so teeny tiny that you want to stay by my side" Samuel said, tickling the boy as he let go.
Alex huffed, cheeks puffing out.
"Oh don't get all huffy with me. You know you have class."
"Fine." Alex groaned, trudging into the classroom. He planned on sitting in the back and not paying attention. He didn't want to be here anyway.
He wasn't sure what he wanted to do after high school, but littles were discouraged from getting jobs. It was typically suggested that littles were supported financially by their caregiver(s). It was hard enough to get a job before classification, but after getting officially labeled as a little, it was hard to land a job, let alone survive. There were constant stories of littles being mistreated in the workplace. Littles who were taken advantage of and talked down to. Alex was at Academy because his brother thought it would be a good idea. He said that it would be good for Alex to know how to be comfortable with his own regression, as well as having other people be a part of it. Alex personally wanted to get a job to help provide, but his brother was insistent that he help apply Alex for the school. Alex had let him, not believing that he'd get into such a prestigious school. Prestigious in the way that littles were paired with a caregiver, and those pairs typically stayed together past their time there. When the acceptance letter came, Alex almost peed himself. Almost. His brother had assured him that he'd be okay, but Alex was worried about how letting himself be a child was a good idea. His brother was a neutral and had no idea how to care for a little, so Alex had assumed that little detail was partially to blame for his insistence.
"Hey, little guy. Everything okay?" The teacher asked, bending down slightly. This was called "leveling". A technique used to enforce the idea that caregivers held more power than regressors.
"Mhm." Alex grumbled, looking down.
"Oh? Doesn't sound too okay." The teacher said in a high pitched voice.
"I just-"
"Why don't you go sit in the back and get ready for a special guest?" She asked, tapping him on the nose.
"You can put your paci in and get all comfy, okay?" She said, smiling gently before standing up and giving the same announcement to the other littles.
Alex felt weird today. Weirdly compliant. Weirdly small. And it didn't feel like something to be ashamed about.
Alex stood up, going to follow the class to the rug in the back, when he noticed a familiar face.
"Alright, well thank you. I appreciate you always giving me the opportunity to-"
"LUCA!" Alex shouted, running over and ramming himself into the man.
"Hey, kiddo." Lucas said after catching his breath for a second.
"You two know each other, I assume." The teacher said, smiling at the interaction.
"You could say that." Lucas said, chuckling lightly.
"Well, make your way over to the reading area when you're ready." The teacher said, walking to the back to go over rules with the class.
"It's storytime, buddy. Let's go get you all situated, hm?" Lucas said gently, trying to ease the boy's grip with no luck.
With some whines, Alex was led by hand to the reading area.
He sat directly in front of Lucas and the story book, eyes big and adoring.
Eventually, Alex grew restless. He didn't know why, but he felt so clingy.
Against his better judgment, he stood up. And before the teacher could stop him, he climbed into Lucas' lap. Lucas was quick to reassure the teacher that it was okay, though it confused them all.
The older students in the room looked to each other. They knew this wasn't his assigned caregiver. This was no one's assigned caregiver.
And yet Alex was cuddled up to him like it was any other day.
Lucas continued the story about some bug who was eating a lot, and all Alex could comprehend was the thought of food. He pushed his pacifier into his mouth and tuned out the world. He only tuned back in when students were standing up and Lucas was playing with the boy's hair.
"Come on, I'll walk you to your next class." Lucas sighed fondly, tapping Alex on his pacifier. He stood up, beginning to move, but stopping.
Alex hesitated, something deep down telling him to grow up and quit the baby act.
Lucas seemed to know that.
"Lucas says jump!" Lucas said suddenly.
Alex furrowed his brow but instinctively did a little hop.
"Lucas says spin in a circle!" Lucas said now, smiling as Alex complied through giggles.
"Okay, come on. Let's get going." Lucas whispered, tickling Alex quickly before walking him to his class.
Somehow, Lucas managed to ward away the pesky bad thoughts yet again. Alex felt good. His brain was calm.
He sighed, squeezing Lucas' hand.
Part of him hoped that his brain would feel this calm forever.

A/N: haha. Hahahah. Oops. I thought this chapter would go out sooner, but, well, I can explain!

Surprise Surprise, Author is a ✨little✨. Who could've guessed?
I am sorta rewriting the chapters I have in development, so that's why these are taking a bit longer. I'm scraping some things and adding in others, so please be patient <3
Sorry for the shorter chapter as well :(