The Little Hero

Come Out! Come Out!

In the Fatgum agency, Y/N was a new intern from UA's business course. Despite having only been interning for a few months, they were already a perfect piece to the Fatgum agency puzzle. They mostly did paperwork and sat at the front desk, but would occasionally bring everyone drinks or snacks. Y/N wasn't very energetic, but they were kind and had a good work ethic, so Taishiro liked them straight away.

On this particular day, Taishiro needed some help with a mountain of paperwork, but when he went to the front desk, Y/N wasn't there. His brow furrowed, confused at his missing intern, and he started wandering around the agency to try to find them. Taishiro looked in every logical spot first, beginning with the kitchen. No Y/N. So he checked the break room. Again, no Y/N. Taishiro frowned in concern when he checked the bathroom and came up empty for the third time.

He was returning to the front desk just in case Y/N had returned when he heard the soft sounds of crying coming from a nearby closet where the agency kept extra cleaning supplies. Taishiro walked over to the source of the sound and opened the closet door only to see Y/N curled up on the ground crying with their face hidden in their knees. When the 16-year-old looked up at the sound of the opening door, Taishiro was instantly worried, the furrow in his brow deepening.

Y/N's eyes were red and puffy from crying, and their cheeks were stained with tears. It looked like they had been sobbing for a while. They frowned at the sight of Taishiro and reburied their face in their knees while speaking in a slightly higher pitch than usual, their voice filled with desperation and defeat. "Please go away."

Taishiro's eyes widened as he stared at Y/N for a moment. He considered listening to the teen and just walking away like they asked, but that just wasn't the type of man he was. Taishiro stepped closer, closing the closet door behind him, and kneeled in front of his sobbing intern. He spoke softly, but there was a bit of sternness in his tone that came from his concern for Y/N. "No. I'm not just gonna leave you to cry on the floor in a closet alone. Tell me what happened, kiddo. Let me help."

Y/N didn't respond momentarily before shaking their head, whining like a child. They kept their face hidden and wrapped their arms around their knees. Y/N's voice had a twinge of frustration and defiance as they spoke. "Nu-uh. No. I'm fine."

Taishiro's eyes narrowed, confused at the childish response. He tilted his head to the side and reached out to put a hand on Y/N's shoulder, but Y/N pushed him away, causing his frown to deepen. "Are you? Cause it doesn't look like you're fine to me. I just want to help, kid. Even if there ain't nothing we can do to fix it, I still want to be there for you, ok? So please, what is wrong?"

Y/N whined again and moved back into the wall, away from Taishiro. They choked back a sob and started grabbing at their hair anxiously. Y/N spoke with less frustration and more panic this time, concerning Taishiro more and more. "No, you're gonna be mad, and you'll fire me, and you're gonna hate me!"

Taishiro paused for a moment. Then he reached out and grabbed Y/N's face gently, making them look at him. The kid immediately looked panicked as they looked at their mentor, who was staring back at them sternly. Taishiro studied his intern's tear-ridden face briefly before speaking in a stern but deeply caring voice. "Look at me and listen right now. There is absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, that would make me hate you, let alone fire you. I might get upset, but you're just a kid; you can make mistakes. You just gotta be honest with me, and I will always help you. Understood?"

Y/N was at a loss for words. Their eyes widened in surprise at how much their boss cared for them, and after a moment of stunned silence, they nodded and sobbed. When Taishiro let go of their face, Y/N didn't hide; they just stared at Taishiro and tilted their head in confusion, tears streaming down their face as Taishiro continued. "Now, why don't you tell me what's going on, hm? And don't you dare lie to me and say you're 'fine' or 'nothin''s wrong' 'cause we both know that's bull." Taishiro sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before adding. "I'm just worried about you, kid. So please, let me help you."

Y/N started to tremble, letting out small sobs as he got closer. They hesitated and stayed silent for a few tense moments before mumbling quietly, to the point Taishiro could barely hear them. What Taishiro did hear shocked him and filled him with anger. "I...I got a call from my dad, and we had a stupid fight. One minute, we're having a normal conversation, and the next minute, he's screaming, and I'm crying, and everything is bad. Now I, n-no, never mind."

Taishiro's eyes widened in shock at the brief look into Y/N's home life. If this happened while the teen was at work, Taishiro could only imagine what was happening behind closed doors. The blond let out a sharp exhale of frustration, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he shut his eyes, contemplating his response. His voice was softer this time now that he understood the situation better, but Y/N could hear the frustration underneath it all. "No, no, tell me Y/N. What is it kiddo? What's going on? I don't care how mad you think I'll be. I can't help you if you don't talk to me, and I'm not leaving you to cry alone in a supply closet. So spill."

The kid whined but otherwise stayed silent for a moment. When they spoke again, their trembling had stopped, and they had wiped their tears, not that it helped much. Their voice was still slightly high-pitched, which worried Taishiro, but the man chalked it up to Y/N, feeling a lot of emotion. "Do...Do you know what 'age regression' is?"

To say Taishiro was surprised by the question was an understatement, his eyebrows having raised slightly. He'd heard of age regression a few months ago, but he never thought he'd meet someone who age regressed. His face softened, and he nodded, the stern tone leaving his voice. "Yeah, I've heard of it. Are you an age regressor, Y/N?"

Y/N nodded as they buried their face in their knees again. They continued crying as they started ranting quietly. "Yeah, and after my dad hung up, I started regressing and hid in here. I just wanna be little, and I'm sorry. This won't happen again."

The bigger man sighed and stayed silent momentarily to absorb the information. When he spoke again, his voice was soft and kind, like how you'd talk to a scared child. "It's ok, no worries, thank you for telling me. Although I'd rather you not regress at work, I'll let it happen this time, considering the situation."

He paused and smiled at Y/N as they looked up at Taishiro with relief. "I have an idea. You clock out early today and hang around the office for a few hours. I'll talk to your dad so you can spend the night at my place to relax and not worry about your dad as much. We can make this a regular thing, too. A few times a month, you spend the night at my place and recharge, then go back to your dad better than ever. No worries if you're not up for that. I just want you to know it's an option."