Chapter Text
Jeff had known as soon as they met.
It didn’t matter how well he tried to hide it, to Jeff it was plainly obvious.
Norman Reedus was a Little.
Sometimes, Jeff would watch him from a distance when they were between scenes. He was in awe at how much this little kept it together, how well he had everyone convinced that he was a Neutral. Jeff knew that if he wasn’t as tuned in with his natural Caregiver instincts, he too would be easily convinced that Norman was just an everyday Joe-Blog. After all, the man hid it well… just maybe not as well as he thought.
It was easy to spot the signs of a Little. The constant sniffing and runny nose, the way he wiped the snot away with the back of his sleeve. The way he pulled at the bottom of his shirt when he was seeking comfort or nibbled his fingernails when he was stressed or rubbed his ear against his shoulder when he was nervous. The way he always looked for reassurance and guidance throughout everything, not just during a scene. The way he yawned and pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes whenever he was tired at the end of a long day, sometimes barely stopping himself from rubbing them with a clenched fist. The way he more often than not spilt food down his top, or liquids dribbled down his chin when he drank. And the way his eyes would try and fight the sting of rising tears whenever he was given criticism or became overwhelmed.
Jeff was also pretty certain that Norman didn’t embrace his Little side at home either, when he was far away from the set and his character. Jeff could see how desperately Norman needed to slip into his Little Headspace and would watch as he’d go bid everyone good night before making his way home. But he’d come back into work the next morning, looking even worse than he had the previous night, having obviously not let himself give in.
It constantly worried Jeff terribly.
It was so dangerous for a Little to keep their Little side hidden away and locked up. It was a part of their body-code, just like the way Jeff’s Caregiver side was a part of his. Ignoring it and choosing not to embrace it could cause devastating effects on the body, both physically and mentally.
During the filming of The Walking Dead, Season Seven, Jeff watched Norman like a hawk. It helped that they had a number of scenes together, especially at the beginning of the season. Jeff found some of the scenes harder to film, as he couldn’t help but imagine Little Norman in Norman’s place and the thought scared him. But he was professional, and he regularly got to watch as Norman slipped Daryl Dixon on as easily as if he was putting on a jacket. It made him yearn for Norman to do the same with his Little side.
Jeff managed to strike up quite a friendship with Norman over the first few months of filming. He didn’t do it because he was a caregiver who could sense Norman’s Little side; in fact, he had been too nervous to try and build a friendship with Norman because of that reason. So, he’d been pleasantly surprised when Norman had approached him and engaged him in a small chat – it had originally been about the upcoming scene they had to film together, but soon Jeff had Norman smiling and giggling a little. It had truly warmed Jeff’s heart.
Jeff was often praised about how he got Norman to relax. If the stories were to be believed, before Jeff came onto the scene Norman pretty much kept himself to himself and just worked and worked until he had everything completed. The person he was closest to was Andrew and even then, that relationship was strained.
Jeff had never hidden the fact that he was a caregiver and was constantly asked whether he had found his very own Little yet, but he always had to deny it. He always had people begging to be his Little, parents offering their recently-come-of-age Little’s to him for a small price. While he was honoured that so many people thought he was worthy, he did not want to find the love of his life that way, and politely denied every request.
But with Norman, Jeff felt a pull. He just wanted to wrap Norman up and take him home. Make sure that he was clean, warm, fed happy and well looked after. He wanted to be Norman’s caregiver… Norman’s Daddy. More than anything though, he wanted Norman to want it. He could never force him.
As the show went into its eight season, his friendship with Norman grew to new heights and the two were often seen together. Jeff would have to fight his Caregiver instincts so hard. He attempted to keep them in check by throwing his arm around Norman’s shoulder’s as any good friend would do and checked in with him at least once a day to make sure that he was okay. It wasn’t much, but over a few weeks, Jeff noticed how Norman leant into the touch and would smile warmly up at him and eventually sought Jeff out for comfort.
Still though, even after nearly two years, Norman had not actively told Jeff about his real Status. Jeff never spoke about his either, not with Norman. He knew that Norman knew what he was, but he didn’t want him to feel like he was rubbing it in his face. So, he too kept quiet about his own Status around his friend.
But then one day, after a long day of filming, he was taking a moment for himself in his trailer before he headed off to his hotel for the night, when there was a loud, desperate knocking on his door. It startled Jeff, and he got up quickly to answer the door; a million thoughts rushing through his mind as to who was on the other side and what was wrong.
His heart broke. On his doorstep was a man with dishevelled hair, red teary eyes and on the verge of dropping into his Little Headspace.
“Oh, Norm,” Jeff hushed, quickly reaching out to herd the man into his trailer where no eyes would be able to see them.
As soon as they were inside with the door shut and locked, Norman threw himself into Jeff’s chest and began sobbing loudly, letting himself finally slip.
Jeff acted on impulse, wrapping his arms securely around the Little, shushing and whispering words of praise in a warm ear. He kept quietly promising Norman that he was a good boy while the Little cried and cried, soaking Jeff’s top in tears and snot. Jeff didn’t mind and instead fell to the floor with Norman when the Little’s legs gave out underneath him.
On the floor it was easier to gather Norman into his lap and he rocked him slowly, muttering sweet nothings to the baby he currently held in his arms. He smoothed sticky-with-sweat hair from his face and pressed chaste kisses to the baby’s temple wishing that there was something more that he could do. Jeff knew though that the best thing was to let Norman cry it out, while offering him warmth and comfort throughout.
Norman had left it so long that his body had all-but forced him into a drop, and suffering it alone could be devastating and have an even longer, negative affect on his health. So, the fact the He'd sought Jeff out before he'd dropped made Jeff so god damned proud of him. And the fact that he'd come to him over anyone else really spoke volumes of trust to Jeff and he vowed to honour that trust and take care of this little guy as if his life depended on it.
Jeff felt the moment that the baby in his arms lost control of his bladder, the pee seeping through to his own trousers. The babe’s crying picked up tenfold and Jeff hurried to try and calm him again. He knew he needed to get Norman cleaned up and into a diaper before he wet himself again or something worse. There was just one problem… he didn’t have any diapers and knew that he couldn’t leave Norman to get any either.
“Okay, okay,” Jeff shushed, tone calm and reassuring. “Let’s get you all cleaned up a minute, hmm?”
Jeff knew his voice were falling on deaf ears and he was surprised that no one had come and investigate the crying coming from his trailer.
Jeff moved Norman off his lap a moment and stood up. He had to let go of the baby and felt instantly bad when the crying picked up in full force again.
“Hey. I’m here, Bubba,” Jeff promised as he hurried to pluck Norman off the floor and settled him on his hip. He swayed for a moment, as Norman’s tears calmed slightly again, guiding the baby’s head into the crook of his neck where he knew he would feel safest.
“There. There we go. Good boy. Good boy,” Jeff kept muttering a sting of praises as he walked over to his coffee table and picked up his cell phone. If he wanted the necessities, he was going to have to get someone to deliver them to him.
He pulled up the number of a person he knew he could trust, pressed it to his ear with his shoulder and focused on trying to calm the baby in his arms while the number rang.
“Come on Bubba. There we go; come on. You’re okay, you’re alright.”
“Jeff?” Steven’s voice was loud and confused in his ear as the phone call connected.
“Steven, thank god!”
“Jeff mate, you okay?” Steven asked, voice now concerned, able to hear the crying through the phone. “You got a kid or something now?”
"Or something..." Jeff huffed and hoisted the babe in his arms higher shushing slightly when he slipped slightly in his arms. “C’mon Bubba."
“Now Jeff, I know you love me but no need to call me Bubba mate,” Steven joked, before he turned serious again. “Dude, why didn’t you tell me you had a Little? Are you alright? You need a hand with anything.”
“No,” Jeff denied with a loud voice, trying to be heard over the screaming still. “Well, you couldn't grab me some diapers and some bottles from the store and pop them to my trailer ASAP please?”
“Dude – how do you have any of that stuff?”
“Steven… my Little just appeared on my door and dropped as soon as he saw me. Everything I have is at my hotel and I don’t want to leave the trailer, or the baby, to get it all. The baby is inconsolable, and I can barely move him across the room without it upsetting him even more. I have nothing here. Please. Can you help?”
“I’m on it Jeff. Give me 20 minutes.”
The line went dead, and Jeff threw the phone on the couch behind him before focusing completely on the baby again.
Jeff knew that he shouldn't have called Norman 'his' little, but it had just slipped out. He also knew that he was never going to hear the end of it again, at least from Steven, and he was going to have to request Steven keep it quiet otherwise the news that he had a Little now would have done the rounds by morning. But calling Norman his little felt so right that Jeff couldn't even begin to feel guilty about having to use that lie to get him what he needed.
“C’mon Bubba,” Jeff shushed, pleased when Norman’s loud crying started to die down to loud, heart-breaking sobs. “Let’s get you cleaned up, eh?"
He didn't know how Norman was going to deal with this when he came out the other side, but he wondered whether it would be worth stocking up on diapers and the works anyway.