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Ranboo was on day 2 of his 3-week trip to the UK, having spent the first day getting home and attempting to wear off some of the jetlag. His arrival to the UK had been announced by Phil, posting a photo of Ranboo slumped on the couch with Tubbo posing in front of him strangely.
When he had arrived, he had been so sure he wasn't going to slip. He had told himself he wouldn't at all this trip, unless he was alone and it was night time and no one could see. But, Tubbo kept coming over and offering to help him with such simple things it felt like be was being babied. He knew that Tubbo was just bursting with excitement now that he had finally found his way to the UK. Plus, he was an extreme busy body. He was expected to want to do a ton of different things at once and apparently one of those was helping Ranboo with things to the point it felt like he was being treated like a child.
Tommy also hadn't been helping the situation, speaking up for Ranboo everytime a conversation opportunity arrived throughout the day and calling him 'bud'.
To put it short, Ranboo was slowly losing his control. He was slowly beginning to process things slower, or get more excited when he saw something flashy. He had to resist the urge to stomp his foot numerous times the past hour.
It didn't seem like anyone had noticed, except for Wilbur, who asked him if he was okay in the big crowds or if his anxiety was getting to him. He replied that he was still probably thrown off from the time change, and that was that. No one knew yet, but when Tommy gasped and begged Phil and Wilbur to let them go to the arcade, he felt himself drop the second he stepped in.
All the flashy lights were so entertaining, and the cartoon games people were playing grabbed his attention left and right as Tommy dragged him through the building by his wrist. He was getting clumsier, he knew it, but Tommy didn't seem to notice or, if he did, he didn't care.
"Boo boy! Wanna play some games? I think we could get vlog gun the third," Tommy added as a form of bait to get the older to agree. Ranboo nodded excitedly, grinning and giggling to himself.
Tubbo was trailing behind them, focused on looking around at the different games while Wilbur stuck to Phil's side like he had been glued there.
"You okay, Wil?"
"Feelin' a bit small. Flashy lights."
"Do you wanna go home? The boys would be fine with it, and I know that Ranboo wouldn't care if we told him why. He'd support you, y'know."
"Don' want to go yet. Jus' close to slipping. Boo and Toms and Bo are havin' fun." Phil nodded, offering Wilbur a grin and a comforting back rub before they continued to walk after the over energised boys.
"Phil, can we have some coin for tokens?"
"How much are you asking for, exactly?" Tommy stopped for a second, seemingly thinking back to the menu of prices for tokens he had seen when he walked in. Ranboo stood behind him excitedly, watching him with a childish fascination. It went unnoticed by everyone by Wilbur, who giggled at it quietly, getting closer to slipping every time he saw Ranboo begin to as well.
"15 pounds?" Tommy offered. Phil pulled out his wallet and earned a fist pump from the blond, who excitedly thanked him and took off with Ranboo in tow.
"Wonder how much trouble they can get in while we're here?" Wilbur shrugged, eyes quickly latching onto a game with hopping frogs.
Twenty minutes later, the trio of teenagers is back, Ranboo holding onto a cat plush tightly in his hands and playing with it. Wilbur watches him, shifting on his feet and tugging on Phil's sleeve, dropping down into his littlespace faster than he could count to three.
"You guys good to go?"
"Yup!! Tubbo and I pooled our tickets to get Boob Boy a cat and I got a yo-yo." Ranboo nodded with a heavy exaggeration, grinning proudly and holding his plush out like a kid.
"Alright then, let's go. You boys hungry yet, or do you want to wait another hour and see?" The group started walking, and Ranboo slowly grew more hesitant as they grew closer to the doors.
"Don' wan' go," He insisted, stomping his foot down and grabbing the attention of Tommy and Philza, while Tubbo went on to the car with Wilbur.
"What?" Tommy asked, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.
"I don' wanna go!!!! 'M stay right here." Ranboo crossed his arms and stomped his foot again, glaring at Tommy from his position in front of the exit.
"Boo, we have to. Aren't you hungry? We're all out of tokens, there's nothing more to play."
"I said don' wanna go," He said again, voice slowly escalating.
"If we get you ice cream will you get in the car, at least? We can come back in a few days, if you still really want to. Your kitty looks tired, too. I think they want to go home, don't you?" Slowly, Ranboo started to relax and drop his defensive act. He glanced down at the tuxedo cat plush in his hands and held it closer to his body, then slowly took a few steps towards Tommy. Phil had already started for the car, going to turn it on and unlock it for Wilbur and Tubbo.
"Only 'cause ember-ches' wan's too," He reasoned, taking Tommy's offered hand and walking towards the car. Tubbo was in the passenger seat, Phil in the driver's and Wilbur in the back. Tommy made a mental note to flip Tubbo off later for stealing his seat, but decided that it likely wouldn't bring positive reactions from the two littles.
Tommy slid into the middle, Ranboo sitting on his right with Wil on his left.
"Toms?"
"Yeah, Wilby?"
"Cans we play cars p'ease?"
"Of course, Bur. Which one do you want?" Tommy asked as he buckled Ranboo in properly so they can start driving.
"B'ue!!!!" He cheers, giggling when he's handed the blue wooden car.
"Did you guys like the arcade? Hm?"
"Uh-huh!!! T'ank you," Wilbur replies. Ranboo pouts and kicks his foot into the seat in front of him, Tubbo turning from his seat to look over at the equivalent of a pouty toddler.
"Did you like the arcade, Boo?"
"No wan'a leave!!" He says again, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. He kicks his feet again, and Phil cuts in.
"Hey, Kiddo, I know you're upset but we don't need to be mean to the car, right?"
"Ang'y!!!!"
"At the car?"
"Nuh-uh, at you and bo!!"
"And that's okay, because your emotions are allowed to happen. But do you think we could be nicer to Mr car? He didn't do anything wrong to you, did he?" Ranboo stops kicking his feet out and shakes his head reluctantly.
"Sowwy, Mr. Car," He says quietly, voice whinier than before. He's begun to calm down, and Tommy runs his hand through his hair in an attempt to calm him down further. He fussed for a few seconds before going quiet and leaning against Tommy's shoulder.
"Looks like someone just needs a nap, huh?" Phil asked, looking through the rear view mirror to see Ranboo. The boy pouts immediately and opens his mouth to protest, but Tommy cuts him off.
"He's just joking, kiddo." Ranboo huffs, but quickly gives up to look out his window while Tommy and Wilbur played cars next to him quietly. The time passes faster without the embodiment of an angry toddler throwing a fit over leaving the arcade.
As they rolled up to the house, Ranboo was nodding off, and Wilbur was excited and jumping out of his seat to take off for the front door with Tubbo running after him. Philza and Tommy walked Ranboo to the door and Tommy guided him to the taller's bedroom slowly.
He was clumsier than normal, plus the exhaustion from exerting himself had taken its toll and was beginning to effect him.
"C'mon, boo boy. Nap time," Tommy said, helping the little take his layers off so that he could sleep more comfortably. Ranboo makes grabby hands for his friend as he lies down.
The blond caves, lying down next to Ranboo and waiting for him to fall asleep. The little is out like a light, asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.
Ranboo jumps to his feet when he's awake, looking around his room quickly to make sure he's alone. He falls back onto his bed, head dropping down into his hands with a loud groan. He didn't mean to slip at all this trip, and he didn't even make it through a whole 48 hours before he was little. Of course, he had basically been throwing a tantrum the entire time as well. A lovely impression to make on his friends regarding hid regression. He felt horrible for it, making them cater to him and focus their attention on him. He gets up slowly, deciding it's better to apologise now rather than later, when they're actually doing something. He creeps down the hallways as inconspicuously as possible, despite his height and how not-sneaky he was. "Boo? BOO!!" Wilbur cheers when he sees him, an embarrassed pink dotting his cheeks and nearly scaring him off immediately. "Hi," He offers weakly. "Did you sleep good, bud?" Tubbo asks, smiling up at him softly while Tommy continued to fidget with the red car in front of him. Wilbur crashed his car into his, and Ranboo deemed the small presentation of toy cars much more entertaining than the apology he was working on saying. "Yeah. I'm sorry, by the way, for throwing the whole tantrum and everything— Really, I didn't mean to go little at all and I know it can be annoying sometimes, and I don't know, I guess I was just stressed and slipped really little and I'm sorry you had to take care of me," He rushes out, dropping his gaze to the floor under his toes. "Boo, you don't need to apologise, everyone has bad times and you're just an itty bitty little boy, we don't expect you to be completely rational all the time," Tubbo reasons. He's using the voice he's using with Wilbur, the one that makes Ranboo struggle to hold onto thin threads of his adult mentality. "Plus, we sort of assumed. You don't need to hide your regression from us, kiddo." Ranboo nods slowly, the familiar fuzz creeping up from behind and attacking him when he least expects it. "Do you want to play cars with Wilbur and I? I'm sure the tiny little boy that you are likes toys, don't you?" Ranboo nods excitedly, grinning. "I like toys," He agrees. He sits down next to Tubbo, the brunet sitting with him and offering two cars to him– black and white, to match his minecraft character– and they begin to drive them on the floor quietly. Wilbur is the reasoning for multiple of the crashes between the wooden cars, but all it does is make the rest of them giggle. "Hey, you boys hungry? Dinnertime is soon and I want to know what you're all wanting," Philza calls from the kitchen, turning in the doorway to wave his hand at Ranboo, who grins and waves back at him. He likes the attention, being acknowledged as little and finally not alone anymore. "I wan' blueberry pancakes!!!!" Wilbur insists, eyes widening as he speaks. "I think I could do something involving pancakes, if a certain two little boys behave until it's ready," He offers playfully. Wilbur nods excitedly while humming, as if he's promising to be on his best behaviour. Ranboo simply leans against Tubbo, mumbling gibberish in a childish manner. "Is Boo Boy even smaller now? Little baby boo?" Ranboo shakes his head in effort of a lame protest, but he doesn't deny it further. "Do you want a pacifier, little boo?" Ranboo nods, letting out a squeal of excitement. Tommy stands, jumping to his feet. "Do you have a gear bag, Bud?" Ranboo nods again, babbling to himself and resisting the urge to use his thumb instead of the pacifier. Tommy leaves, and without his partner in crime, Wilbur soon gets bored with cars and turns his attention to the other two boys in the room, holding out one of his cars for Ranboo to take. The taller shakes his head, communicating a form of rejection and leaning further into Tubbo's side and whining. Tommy's back a few moments later, a black and white pacifier held in his hand and offering it to the still sleepy little sitting curled up on the floor. "Little sleepy baby boo," Tommy teases. Ranboo nods, eyelids fluttering and struggling to stay open as Tubbo continues to rub his back. He falls asleep with the last thing he hears being Wilbur falling into a fit of giggles when Tommy cracks a dad joke about race cars. With his regression being out in the open, he's so much more excited for the rest of the trip. He gets to be little with friends and his Internet family. It's a comforting realisation, and he'd value it even more when he wakes up again in time for dinner.