very self-indulgent engie finding out that reader regresses bc i love love love this scenario so bad. this is gonna be a bit personalized toward me so reader is still gender neutral but a regressed age is mentioned. engie is already so dad coded so i think he just accepts it without a second thought
warnings: use of "papa", crying, talk about the battlefield/fighting/killing, mentions of yelling, stress, use of pacifiers and sippy cup
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Being Medic's assistant is no joke. You had been on your feet for the past 20 hours (having been awoken at 4 am by a yelling Soldier, who insists it's good to be an early riser), following the best you could behind your teammates on the battlefield with your mini-medigun. It didn't help that Scout had been shouting at you to heal him faster, or that you were being targeted by the enemy team's snipers, who found you an easy kill.
By the time you found your way back to the base, Medic wanted your help with some.. experiments. You obliged, as you always do, and didn't finish till midnight. The team had eaten dinner without you, and it was your turn to do the dishes, stacked high in the sink. Nevertheless, you finished your chore.
Now, it was 1 am. You tried sleeping, tossing and turning, unsuccessful. Defeated, you decided to go explore the base to see if anyone else was awake. Unsurprisingly, you found the Engineer in his workshop, tinkering away on one of his many machines.
"Well, hey there, Y/N. 'S not often I get some company this late." he beams a smile at you, turning his head to talk when he notices your presence in the doorway. "Can't sleep?"
"No.." you admit, voice weary from the long day. "But I'm tired."
Engie nods in understanding. "I know what ya mean. My ol' sleep schedule is a bit messed up, myself," he pauses for a second, staring at the dispenser he's working on before speaking again. "Hey, could ya pass me that wrench there?" he asks, pointing to a tool that's nearby.
Great. Another thing asked of you. You take a deep breath, and all of a sudden, everything comes pouring out. You can't stop yourself as tears start to roll down your cheeks, face heating up in embarrassment as you begin to sniffle.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong, kiddo?" he asks, and that's all it takes before you're sobbing, hiding your face in your hands as you feel yourself regressing. Vision blinded, you don't notice that he's come to you until his arms are wrapping around you in a hug.
You gratefully accept the contact, instantly shoving your face into his chest. Surprised, he freezes for a moment before bringing his hands up to the back of your head to stroke your hair. "C'mon, talk to me. Whatsa matter?"
"I tried so hard today and everyone is always askin' me for something and Medic made me stay late and I feel little an'.. an' I don't know!" you babble out, the sound muffled by his shirt as you cry.
"You feelin' little, sugar?"
You halt, tears instantly stopping as you lift your head up, trying to squirm out of his grasp as you blush, embarrassed. "No, I didn't mean- I don't-" you stutter as fresh tears spring out of your eyes, unsure what to say.
"Well, that's quite alright. Can ya sit down for me?" he gestures toward a nearby workbench, and you comply, taking a seat. He kneels in front of where you sit, smiling softly. "Can ya tell me how old you are, sweetheart?"
Awkwardly, you hold up two fingers, and he nods. "Do you have any special things you want me to go get for ya?"
"How 'bout you come with me and you can show me where ya keep your special things, alright baby?" Engie takes your hand gently, and the two of you walk to your living quarters together. He watches intently as you pull a box from underneath your bed, lifting the lid to reveal your gear.
Engie gently strokes your hair before taking your pacifier out of the box, presenting it to you. Hesitantly, you take it into your mouth, looking down to avoid looking at him. He digs through the box for a second before pulling out a sippy cup as well
"You want juice?" he asks, and when you nod, he tells you to stay put and disappears into the hallway. A few minutes later, he returns with a full sippy. "I know ya must be tired, honey. Let's put you to bed, yeah?" He gently pats your bed, signaling for you to hop up.
As the two of you sit on the edge of the bed, he places a hand on your shoulder. "Come sit on my lap, doll." You've fully regressed by now, wasting no time as you clamber into place, feeling the warmth of his body radiate, already beginning to lull you to sleep.
Tiredly, you rub your eyes as Engie takes the pacifier out of your mouth, quickly replacing it with your sippy. You happily suck, juice filling your tummy as he holds the cup for you, smiling.
As he begins to hum a tune, you find yourself drifting off faster than you thought. He gently starts to rock you back and forth, placing your sippy cup on the nightstand and going to give you your pacifier back. Before he can, you start mumbling. "Papa..." you babble out, and he feels his heart swell.
"I know, little one, I know." he coos down at you, sticking the paci in your mouth. "'S time to go to bed."
Before long, you've dozed off, and he can't help but continue to rock you, the urge to protect you strong.
"Sweet dreams, babydoll."
