Work Text:
All is well in the house of Stray Kids.
Given a day off to recharge, the members scatter throughout the dorm to unwind from the chaos of their daily lives.
Perched on the sofa, Jisung waits for Minho to return from the kitchen with snacks, his finger poised over the play button on the remote in anticipation of resuming their K-drama marathon.
The relentless pattering of keys resounds in Felix’s room, where he and Seungmin are battling it out in an intense gaming session. His lent laptop balanced on the latter’s knees teeters from his efforts. They both erupt in yells and equally aggressive giggles as their game progresses.
In another bedroom sit Jeongin and Chan, discussing which clothes and toys to take out, all the while a small, snuggly Changbin writhes sandwiched between them. Once they decide on an outfit, Chan goes to pinch Changbin’s cheek as Jeongin gathers the clothes. They dote on him like parents to an infant because that’s exactly what they are, soft da-da-das and gurgles leaving Changbin’s lips as he lies pliant for them to dress him up like a doll.
Words elude him in this headspace, too far gone to do more than shriek and smile when Chan pushes his stuffed Dwaekki into the crook of his arm and Jeongin makes a silly face.
Although unsure of the specific ages of their respective headspaces, the regressors in the group know that the members can be counted on to take the utmost care of them.
Hyunjin is small, and Binnie is baby.
That’s all they need to know.
Two pairs of headphones are slid off as Seungmin and Felix take a screen time break. Chan helps Changbin sit up while Jeongin pets his head, and Minho exchanges the bowl of snacks for a lapful of Jisung when he makes his way back to the living room.
All is well, except for the one plodding into the living room.
“I’m bored.”
Leaning backwards, Hyunjin drapes himself over the sofa armrest.
Minho reaches out to ruffle his hair. The momentary affection causes the little to smile, although it quickly vanishes when he gets no further reaction, the others’ eyes still glued to the screen.
Frowning, he pushes off with his feet and he oozes onto the occupied seats.
“Hey!”
Jisung laughs at the ticklish sensation of Hyunjin’s squirms. Minho finally looks down at him, amused.
“I’m booooored-uh! ”
He drops to the floor with all the grace of a newborn fawn.
“I hear you baby.” Jisung’s words deepen his pout.
“Jinnie, what are you doing?”
Hearing a snicker, he rolls over and lifts his head to see Felix leaving his bedroom, followed by Seungmin.
“Being bored, duh.”
“Well, you didn’t want to play games with us,” Felix reminds him. Seungmin’s expression beside him seems more triumphant, the bounce in his step giving Hyunjin a good indication of who won.
“Trust me Hyunnie, you would have been just as bored battling a bronze. ” Seungmin teases, cackling as Felix pretends to tackle him.
Hyunjin huffs.
“I asked if there’s anything you want to do and you said no.” Minho nudges the taller dancer with his foot. “You can lie on the floor until you figure it out.”
“Hyung’s kicking me!” Hyunjin yells, a satisfied grin playing on his lips when it gets Minho to roll his eyes. “You’re being mean and boring when you should be playing with me.”
“And why would I entertain a dramatic little floor goblin like you?” Minho raises an eyebrow, wiggling his foot near Hyunjin’s side.
“Because I’m a bundle of joy!” He chirps, adding a wide, toothy smile and batting his eyelashes.
Minho’s attention returns to the episode on-screen, leaving Hyunjin to flop back and mope.
“Alright, that’s enough of that.” Felix moves to sit beside him. “Let’s figure something out for our bored baby.”
“You could colour?” Seungmin suggests, joining them.
Hyunjin shakes his head. “I already did that.”
“What about all the books you have? You could read one of those.” Felix chuckles as Hyunjin sticks out his tongue.
“Don’t wanna.”
Truth be told, Hyunjin would rather be read to instead of poring over page after page by himself. Still, the idea of it seems dull. He craves something more exciting, more engaging.
“Don’t you like watching anime when you’re tiny?” Jisung asks.
“I’m saving that for later.”
His routine consists of ending the day, snuggled in bed, playing a few anime episodes until he falls asleep. He has no plans to alleviate his boredom by switching it up at the last minute.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, he sits up and finds Chan and Jeongin wheeling Changbin in on a swivel chair, akin to porters carrying a royal palanquin.
Changbin even looks the part of royalty, his puffy pink dress billowing out around him. One of the thin strips of cloth meant for tying bows at his shoulders winds up in his mouth, and two Dwaekki clips adorn his twin pigtails.
“Baby bunny Binnie!”
Hyunjin bounds over in an instant, his sulking forgotten. He cups his baby brother’s face in his palms and grins.
“You are so cute! So soft and squishy, like mochi.”
Changbin giggles as he leans in close enough for his nose to poke the older’s cheek.
“What, no greeting for your hyung? Where are your manners?” Chan chides, though his voice is fond and gentle.
Hyunjin ignores him, too busy blowing a raspberry into Changbin’s neck. He then pulls away and adjusts the ruffles of Changbin’s skirt, making sure they settle in a visually pleasing manner.
“Are you Binnie’s personal stylist today?” Chan coos, knowing how much he enjoys indulging the baby. “Everything has to be perfect for our princess.”
As he continues his touch-ups, Hyunjin bends over.
Jeongin barely suppresses a snort at the view he gets—of the pull-up peeking out from his waistband, a precaution to make him feel safe, prominently displayed below his exposed skin for all to see.
“Aigo Jinnie, you should cover yourself better.”
The maknae yanks down the edge of his shirt to conceal the protective padding.
With a yelp, Hyunjin straightens, his hands flying to clamp his shirt to the small of his back.
“Pa! You’re embarrassing me!”
So today is an Appa/Papa day.
For as long as he’s been Hyunjin’s primary caregiver, Jeongin remembers being called a plethora of names. Hyunjin loves to cycle through them, never settling on one single title to call him by.
Last time, he had been a hushed ‘hyung’ murmured into a tear-stained blanket, slender fingers wrapped so small around his index, his free hand partly buried in the hair atop his little one’s head.
A while has passed since then.
Although Jeongin responds to all of them with equal enthusiasm, he does have one nickname he cherishes above the rest. His absolute favourite is Dada—reminiscent of baby babble in a way that swells his heart with affection.
Not that he'd admit it out loud when he likes being Hyunjin’s everything so much more.
“Sorry bug, but you don’t want everyone seeing your butt, do you?” He squishes Hyunjin’s scandalized scowl away.
“No,” Hyunjin agrees, pouty in his grip.
Their attention is brought back to Changbin when said regressor mumbles a string of sounds and nudges Hyunjin with his plush toy.
“What is it, princess?” The maknae melts as Changbin pulls Hyunjin closer to lean his head against him.
“Hiya bunny.” Hyunjin gives him a hug. “I love your dress. It’s pink like Dwaekki.”
“Smart boy,” Jeongin praises. The shy smile it brings him in return is enough to turn him into a puddle.
At the slightest hint of a cough, Chan whisks Changbin to the kitchen to presumably find and fill a sippy cup, calling for Jeongin shortly thereafter. Finding nothing else to do, Hyunjin sighs, bored out of his mind yet again.
Before he can complain about it, Felix slings an arm around his shoulders. He has a glint in his eye and a smirk playing across his lips.
“I know something you’re always down for,” he sing-songs.
The others in the room groan.
“Oh no, I know that look,” Jisung mutters.
“What is it?” Hyunjin wonders, anticipation building up the more the others oppose the notion.
“How about-?”
“Don’t you dare.” Seungmin’s hand clapping onto Felix’s mouth cuts him short.
Hyunjin whines, prying him off. “Minnie! Go away!”
Felix rolls his eyes.
“I was going to suggest a stuffie tea party.”
Hyunjin's eyes grow wide.
How could he have forgotten? He adores hosting tea parties! Placing a mountain of stuffies in a neat circle surrounding his play table, setting up his toy tea set and creating pretend snacks using coloured paper and plastic food, hours could pass by in the blink of an eye.
It’s the one thing he never tires of.
“Tea party!” He squeals.
Jisung shakes his head. “You had to remind him.”
“Oh, let the kid live,” Felix shushes him.
He doesn’t blame them for their reactions, knowing the reasoning behind their reluctance to remind him. Hyunjin tends to get too immersed in the game, especially if he manages to rope the members into it. Both the setup and its deconstruction are time-consuming, not to mention the mess of misplaced belongings borrowed for story purposes.
Unlike Hyunjin, who would willingly drop everything for a tea party, the others would rather not spend a good chunk of their downtime sitting around playing pretend if they already had other plans.
Four-hour-long-cuddle-session-Felix, however, doesn't mind one bit.
“Will you come? Please please please?”
Hyunjin’s pleading puppy eyes gleam as he hops excitedly.
Felix is quick to accept, not wanting him to be disheartened by any resigned responses.
“Of course! I expect a formal invitation card.”
He winks.
“It’s your funeral,” Seungmin jokes. He can’t help but smile at Hyunjin’s gleeful squeals and claps in spite of his own indifference, the regressor’s happiness is too contagious.
“I’m gonna invite everystuffie! ”
Thus, Hyunjin sets off to host the best tea party of the season.
He spends the better half of an hour merely preparing the party, using a blanket as a makeshift tablecloth and arranging the teaware just so. Assorted stuffies encircle the display, save for two empty cushions on either side of Hyunjin’s seat. One for Felix, whose invite he’ll draw up later, and the other reserved for a very special some-plushie.
“This is going to be so much fun!”
Hyunjin rises and admires his handiwork.
“Now for the guest of honour!”
He giggles, walking away to retrieve his most prized possession.
“My friend who’s a snack, just like me, let’s get my Cinna Taiyaki!”
He improvises the song all the way to his bed, and pulls back the covers to reveal…
A distinct lack of his stuffed Taiyaki Cinnamoroll.
“Everyone!”
The living room has no door, yet Hyunjin bustles in with all the force of slamming one open.
It startles the rest of the ‘00 liners from their multiplayer mobile game and they perk up from their slumped states on the sofa. All heads turn to him, except for Changbin’s, whose focus is anywhere but the picture book Chan is trying to interest him in.
“A most heinous crime has been committed!”
"What on earth? Why is he talking like that?" Chan asks.
"Oh, Jisung hooked Jinnie onto those old-timey mystery movies while tiny and now he's obsessed with them.” Seungmin replies.
"Ah."
“And what, pray tell, has happened?” Jisung adds to the bit, motioning for Hyunjin to come closer.
“My Taiyaki Cinna’s missing!”
They watch as Hyunjin marches all the way to where Chan has Changbin situated in his lap and plops down next to them.
“His what-now?” Felix wonders.
“His favourite stuffie. The one he carries everywhere?” Seungmin clarifies.
“Oh, you mean the white bunny with a fish-shaped bun on its head?”
Seungmin gasps at Jisung, one hand clutching at his chest. “Cinnamoroll is a puppy, get your Sanrio facts straight.”
Jisung raises his hands in surrender.
While they bicker, Hyunjin sighs, prompting Changbin to pat a hand on his cheek in an attempt to brighten his mood.
“Oh baby bunny Binnie, it’s the most dreadful news.” He sticks a finger out for Changbin to grab at. “I fear I’ve lost Cinna forever, he’s not in my room.”
Changbin babbles unintelligibly in response, bouncing and wiggling in Chan’s lap. Hyunjin’s presence never fails to excite him, if his strong grip on the other’s hand is anything to go by.
“Oh my, you think he's been kidnapped?”
“Jinnie, please.” Chan struggles to suppress his laughter at Hyunjin’s dramatic interpretation of the baby’s gibberish. Now he knows why the maknae’s smile seems permanently etched in place whenever his little critter is nearby.
"Goodness me, what heathen would commit such a foul act?" Says Felix. “Certainly no one in this household.”
The others give him a funny look.
"What? I like those shows too."
Jisung locks him in a sudden embrace. “I’m stealing you for my next mystery marathon.”
“Cinna’s been kidnapped and you’re worried about movies,” Hyunjin huffs.
“Jinnie, he hasn’t been kidnapped. I’m sure you misplaced him somewhere.” Chan pats his shoulder. “You had him this morning, why not retrace your steps and figure out where you put him?”
“I always put him on my bed after I’m done playing.” Hyunjin crosses his arms.
“Just check, okay? Maybe he got mixed up in your other stuffed animals. No one would steal your toys, especially one that means so much to you.”
“Fine, but if he’s nowhere I’m going to investigate.” Hyunjin stands.
“You do that.”
Changbin, still loosely holding his finger, blinks up at him. He lets out a little shout before giving Hyunjin a gummy smile.
“You want to go with him, princess?” Chan chuckles as he lifts his arms. “Jinnie, why don’t you take him with you? He seems bored.”
Eager nods jerk Hyunjin’s head faster than he can verbalize his acceptance. Determined to be the best big brother to his baby brother, he refuses to let his Mochi be bored like he had been.
“He can be my partner in crime-fighting!”
Together, they help Changbin get back into his chair because the regressor can’t so much as crawl. It works out better this way anyways—wheeling him around the dorm gives Hyunjin something to do.
“C’mon Mochi, let’s go find Cinna.”
His first stop is the dining table. He recalls having brought the toy to his last meal and subsequent bout of colouring.
Changbin bangs a stray spoon on the table as Hyunjin searches atop and under it, inspecting the surface of every seat to no avail. He only emerges with a few crayons he had dropped during cleanup.
“He’s not here, bunny. I’m gonna put these away.”
He pulls Changbin along to his own room to replace the crayons in their box.
“I would invite you to my tea party,” he mentions, tucking the colours away in order. From the corner of his eye, he watches Changbin lower his plush Dwaekki to let it meet an ensemble of stuffed animals near the doorway. “But you’d put everything in your mouth.”
His point is proven true when Changbin resituates himself upright, makes a small happy noise, and begins to gnaw on Dwaekki’s ear.
“You are such a baby.”
Shaking his head, he weaves his way through his meticulous party setup on his tiptoes (mentally noting that no, Cinna is most definitely not mixed up in them like Channie hyung claimed) until he reaches the swivel chair. He gives it a spin, and he and Changbin break into simultaneous giggles.
They head towards the last place he had been in, prior to getting bored and venturing out to complain about it.
“You don’t have Cinna, do you?” He questions offhandedly, pushing open the door to the ‘baby bedroom’, as he dubs it.
Changbin hums in denial.
In this room are his regression items, clothes and toys and soothers that ease the slip into his younger headspace. It was here that the eldest and youngest members tended to him, and earlier still when Hyunjin had come in to assist them in talking him down.
His Cinnamoroll had been keeping Dwaekki company in the sea of blankets and covers while Hyunjin had cuddled him, so sweet as he had cradled Changbin’s head and softly gushed about how much he adores his more delicate side.
But now the bed is neatly made and Cinna is nowhere in sight.
The rest of the room is too organized to overlook any additional stuffed toys. If Cinna isn’t here, Hyunjin doesn’t know where he could possibly be. There are no other spaces left for him to check; he had taken a nap in his room for roughly an hour between helping baby Binnie and succumbing to his boredom.
After making quick work of scanning the room, he faces Changbin and grins.
Forget the tea party, he has a new game to play.
They are going to investigate.
“Mochi, it looks like we have a case.”
Suspect number one.
Seungmin.
“I’d like to ask you a few things.”
Spinning in the swivel chair is Hyunjin, having safely deposited Changbin on the bed so he could have a go. He drags his foot to slow to a stop and faces Seungmin, a crayon and notepad in either hand.
“Ask away.”
He snaps his journal shut, his daily entry complete, and sets it aside before crossing his legs and giving Hyunjin his full attention.
“Okay! Where were you on the day of…today?” Hyunjin squints during his pause, figuring that the line was better meant for a date in the past than the current date.
“Home.”
“Well I knew that,” he sighs. “I mean, what have you been doing since you woke up? What rooms did you go in? I want details.”
“What are you, a cop?” Seungmin questions, narrowing his eyes in playful suspicion.
“Oh! Right. Allow me to introduce myself.” Hyunjin clears his throat and hands him a doodled ‘business card’ on paper cut to size, so serious it takes Seungmin everything in him to not crack a smile at his antics. “I’m Detective Hyunjin.”
Introductions usually precede the inquiries, not the other way around, but Seungmin chooses to humor him.
“It’s nice to meet you.” He takes the card and Hyunjin’s hand for a handshake. “So, how can I help you?”
“I’m looking into why my Cinna is missing.” Hyunjin slouches, swinging his feet as he surveys the room for anything amiss. “I think you have information I need.”
“Why is he here?”
Seungmin gestures to Changbin, who is too preoccupied initiating a meeting between Dwaekki and Daengmo to conduct any investigative work.
“Mochi’s my associate. He accompanies me wherever I go.”
Even though Changbin is unable to contribute much, so far gone he can only provide moral support, Hyunjin wants him present.
“Alright then, Detective Mandu-”
“Mandu?!” Hyunjin shrieks. “Why mandu?”
“Because you’re our squishy dumpling. Mandu and mochi. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” Seungmin grins.
“I guess.” Hyunjin shrugs.
He really likes being called their dumpling.
Ignoring Hyunjin's pink ears, Seungmin continues. “I’ll tell you whatever you need to know. Everything I did today, was it?”
Hyunjin nods.
“Let's see. I ate, watched some videos, practiced playing my guitar and tried writing a few song lyrics. I was gaming with Felix earlier, then I came here to journal and lounged around for a bit. That’s when you came in.”
“Oh.” Holding his notepad in front of his face, he jots down a crayon doodle. “You didn’t go to my room at all.”
Seungmin sees past the strategic positioning of the paper obscuring his frown.
“Are you disappointed?”
Hyunjin pauses.
“No.”
A lilt in his tone says otherwise.
Seungmin glances at Changbin waving their stuffed animals in midair.
“It’s okay if you are, Jinnie.”
Hyunjin’s gaze follows.
“Maybe,” he relents. “I thought you’d taken him.”
“Why would I do that?” Curiosity, rather than offense, drives Seungmin to ask. “What motive would I have?”
Hyunjin turns to him.
“You didn’t want me to have a tea party.”
The image of him cupping Felix’s mouth is burned into his mind.
“Ah. You thought I stole Cinna to keep you from throwing a party?”
He shuffles back and pats his knee. “Come, sit.”
Hyunjin obliges. He rests his head against Seungmin’s chest and folds his hands in his lap, his eyes downcast.
“That would be a very mean thing to do, hm?” Seungmin combs his fingers through his hair.
He nods.
“Do you believe any of us could be that mean?”
He shakes his head.
“So you understand how that doesn’t make sense?”
Hyunjin nods again, this time squirming slightly in Seungmin’s arms. Taking a sharp breath, he tenses.
“Why do you hate my tea parties?”
He utters, barely above a whisper.
Somehow, Seungmin manages to catch his words despite their low volume and Changbin choosing that exact moment to crawl onto his back and gnaw on his shoulder.
His hand stills. “Aigo Jinnie, I don’t hate them at all.”
Hyunjin twists the front of his shirt. “No?”
“No. I’m sorry you thought that.” Instead of resuming his motions, he clasps his hands around Hyunjin's waist. “The truth is, I think they go on for too long. That’s all.”
A beat of silence passes.
“I work really hard on them.”
His watery voice has Seungmin's heart aching.
“I know.”
A small cry from Changbin interrupts their conversation.
“What is it Binnie? Does our princess need some attention?” Seungmin caresses him, pulling him closer to press their cheeks together.
Changbin’s whining persists, for which Hyunjin is grateful, able to disguise his sniffle amidst the cries and swipe at his eyes while the attention is off him. In doing so, he notices the older’s sippy on the ground.
“You dropped your sippy Binnie. Lemme get that for you.”
His outstretched arm picks it up.
Changbin wriggles out of Seungmin’s hold and collapses in an upset heap beside him.
“You can’t drink lying down. Up-ups, baby.” Hyunjin hoists him upright and pokes the spout into his mouth.
His cries immediately subside. He puts a hand over Hyunjin’s, relaxing further when it is gently tugged away, allowing him to simply rest and quench his thirst.
“You’re too small to feed yourself. Don’t worry, I’ll do it for you.”
His insides grow warmer and fuzzier at Hyunjin’s treatment, half-lidded eyes peering at him.
“He doesn’t have to lift a finger,” Seungmin remarks, grinning at the fond display of affection.
“He’s our princess!” Hyunjin chirps, his grin much cheerier than the caregiver’s as Changbin releases the sippy cup and lets out a relieved sigh. “Was it delicious?”
Changbin gurgles. He sticks two fingers in his mouth and waves Dwaekki around as he sucks, pounding the toy on the bed in a rhythm that makes him wiggle with joy.
Glancing at the pink Skzoo character, Hyunjin thinks it would complement Changbin much better in a dress that matched his.
“Hey Minnie?”
“Yes?”
“If I have a short tea party, will you come?”
Seungmin finds Hyunjin picking at his shirt hem.
“You don’t have to. I promise it won’t be long and you don’t have to stay but-”
He takes Hyunjin’s hands in his and gives them a squeeze.
“I’d love to.”
Soon, Hyunjin proceeds to the next room of interest, one he hasn’t been in the entire day.
The room of the youngest.
He hesitates to knock, pacing back and forth for a few minutes. Having Changbin there would have made things easier, but Hyunjin had left him behind after he had expressed his want to remain in Seungmin’s room and play with their plush friends some more.
Which meant Hyunjin had to venture out alone to solve his mystery.
Finally, he musters up the courage to rap his knuckles on the door.
Met with a muffled “Come in!”, he twists the knob and enters.
Jeongin glances away from his tablet and brightens upon seeing him.
“Oh? Now who could that be?”
Hyunjin hears his enthused grin before he sees it.
“I’m Detective Hyunjin,” he beams, climbing onto the maknae’s bed. His notebook gets a bit crinkled in the process but he doesn’t mind. His hunt for clues has been pretty fruitless so far.
Jeongin automatically makes room for him.
“A detective? Gosh, has there been a crime?”
“My Taiyaki Cinna’s missing,” Hyunjin informs him.
Jeongin gasps. “Cinna's gone missing? Well I guess we have to find him then!”
He yanks Hyunjin into a side hug and jostles him.
“Puh,” Hyunjin puffs, about to admonish him for being silly in the middle of an important investigation, when Jeongin starts to tickle him all over.
“Pa!” He shrieks. “Nooo, stop!”
Gleeful cackles escape him as he squirms, followed by a huff. "This is serious!"
He succeeds in batting Jeongin away and scowls (cutely).
"Okay, okay!" Jeongin chuckles, ceasing his attack. “Want me to help you search the room?”
It reminds him why Hyunjin is his curious little critter, his itty bitty baby bug, prowling through the dorm exploring every last inch of the place for things to do. Always curled up in a corner sporting a devious smirk.
“No, I’m not here to do that. I didn’t come in here today anyways.” Frowning, Hyunjin picks up his dropped crayon.
“Ah, right. You couldn’t have left it here. Then…why are you here?”
He grips it tighter.
“Um…maybe you took him?”
Jeongin blinks.
“I took him?”
Hyunjin responds with a short, stiff nod.
“How could I do that to my little bug?”
Jeongin looks as distraught as he sounds—his lips press into a thin line, the corners downturned, and his eyes dart between the patterns on his sheets. He brings his knees to his chest.
“He’s your favourite plushie, Jinnie. I know how much you love it.”
Confronted with divulging his reasoning, his theorized motive rendering his caregiver a suspect in this case, Hyunjin’s breath catches in his throat.
He’s upset his Papa for accusing him of such a horrendous act.
“Maybe…you took Cinna, ‘cause then I’d have an excuse to come to your room.”
He picks at his nails to fill the ensuing silence. Realizing Jeongin has nothing else to say, he ends up gnawing on a loose edge.
“I know you wouldn’t. But I, uh, I haven’t been good to you, have I. I’ve been pretty bad. At this. You could take him. I’d deserve it.”
Jeongin’s gaze shifts to his sullen expression.
“I haven’t been spending much time with you. I’m still new to having a Papa. Sometimes I forget I’m not all by myself anymore.” Hugging his knees, he curls up small. “I only go to you when I need something more, or when I’m sad. That’s so horrible of me. I’m despicable.”
He buries his face in his hands.
“Hey, don’t be so unkind.” Jeongin embraces him in a proper hug. “That’s my baby you’re talking about.”
“Still?” Hyunjin sniffs.
Is he worth having Jeongin as his caregiver anymore?
“I wouldn’t give you up for the world.”
The top of his head is kissed, something Jeongin solely does behind closed doors.
“My sweet independent boy. You’re not bad, you never were. I knew what I was going into, being your caregiver. I don’t expect you to come to me every time you’re tiny. I’m not one to hover or coddle you. You know I’m here for you whenever you need me.”
“Don't wanna neglect you,” Hyunjin tearfully admits.
“You won't. You just have to trust me, okay? I don't have to stoop to stealing your stuffies to get your attention. We can talk like we are right now.”
Nodding, Hyunjin throws his arms around Jeongin. “I'm sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me, buggy, you did nothing wrong. Can you apologize to yourself though? For calling yourself mean names? I don’t appreciate you using that language on my little lovebug.”
Hyunjin moves back and takes a deep breath, his hands limp by his sides.
“I’m sorry Hyunjin.”
“Good boy.” Jeongin squeezes his shoulder, laughing when he burrows his face in the crook of the maknae’s neck to hide his shy smile.
“I just remembered something,” he mumbles.
“Oh?”
“I coloured a puppy earlier. For you.”
“You did?”
“Mhm! I was gonna show you tonight. I’ll bring it right now!”
Hyunjin gathers his detective materials and runs out of the room, eager to prove that he does think of his caregiver.
“Slow down!” Jeongin calls out. The pitter-patter of his footsteps fades.
“Cutie.”
Not even a minute goes by before he hears bawling. His heart sinks. It’s unmistakably Hyunjin.
He bolts out of his room.
Heading towards the source, his feet bring him to Hyunjin’s room. The sight of said member on the ground and Jisung crouched next to him comes into view. He rushes in and kneels to get on their level, finding fresh tears streaming down Hyunjin’s cheeks.
“Did he trip? Is he hurt?”
Hyunjin’s notepad is in one hand and his colouring book in the other, both of which he drops with an anguished cry.
“No, he’s upset. He looked so happy, I asked if he found his toy. I guess not,” Jisung explains, rubbing the sobbing boy’s back.
“Oh, Jinnie, I’m sure we’ll find Cinna.” Jeongin thumbs away the tears.
Hyunjin lurches forward and clings to him, his cries drawing the attention of the other members. A small crowd begins to form.
“I lost him and now he’s gone forever!” His words are muffled in Jeongin’s chest.
“He’s not,” the maknae says firmly, guiding him to at least get off the hard floor and sit on his bed as the others enter.
“We can always get you another one.” Felix tries to pet his head, frowning when the little withdraws.
“I don’t want another one! I want my Cinna!” He wails, frustrated whines and grunts leaving his lips as he rubs his head into Jeongin’s body and squirms. “Papa, I want him!”
All the maknae can do is hold him tight, shushing and rocking him. His fussy little bug, full of big emotions and big motions to express them.
“Lemme go Appa,” he protests, although he wants nothing more than to be engulfed in the younger’s embrace. He’s feeling much too sad to sit still, he wants to flail his limbs and smack the mattress and scream into a pillow.
“We talked about this, Jinnie.” Jeongin smoothes his hair, the motion slow and soothing in order to placate him. “You bruised your ankle last time because you banged it on the wooden edge, remember?”
Hyunjin whimpers. Endless tears cascade off his face, which Jeongin wipes away.
“Hey, darling. I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “I’m so sorry you’re hurting so much.”
Hyunjin goes slack in his caregiver’s arms, petulantly snivelling into the crook of his neck.
At a loss for what more he could do to reassure him, Jeongin turns to the others with a pleading stare, mouthing ‘help’.
Seungmin, who joins Jisung and Felix in the middle of the tea party setup (it being the only available space left), lifts a teacup.
“Hyunjinnie, would you like some tea?” He asks.
A distraction may be what Hyunjin needs to take his mind off things.
“No,” the little grumbles.
“That’s okay. We’ll be here if you change your mind.”
Seungmin extends his teacup towards Jisung since he’s closest to the teapot.
Catching onto his plan, the sunshine twins engage, pouring fake tea and stirring up small talk in an attempt to interest Hyunjin in their own tea party.
A few minutes later, Chan comes in, holding Changbin in a princess carry.
“We heard crying,” the leader tells them, giving Changbin a boost, “and had a bit of a cry ourselves.”
He frowns as Hyunjin continues to stay pressed to the maknae, sobbing weakly.
“Did you hear that? Binnie’s sad that you’re sad.” Jeongin rubs his back. “Goodness, you’re going to run out of tears.”
“Should I get him some water?”
Chan moves to set Changbin down in the laps of the partygoers, cooing when he makes grabby hands for Jisung.
“I have been chosen.” Jisung wipes away a fake tear.
His hands are protective as he’s trusted with the baby, one hand on the small of his back and the other cradling his head. He runs a finger along the underside of his swollen, red eyes, and presses delicate kisses to the peaks of his cheekbones.
“What does his royal highness want, hm? You want to play with us? Ah, but you won’t understand pretend food.” Jisung bounces him on his knee. “Since we don’t have real food here, I’ll eat Binnie instead!”
Laughter bubbles out from Changbin as Jisung pretends to eat him, opening his mouth wide and making the silliest chomping noises.
“I’ll get him a pack of cookies.” Shaking his head, Chan gazes at them, then leaves for the kitchen.
Hyunjin peeks out to see all the commotion, sniffling hard.
“Do you want to join them?”
He shakes his head, burying himself back into the comfort of his caregiver.
It takes time for his emotions to pass while regressed, and more often than not Jeongin finds himself consoling him. He never minds it, though. Hyunjin hurts easily but also loves easily; Jeongin wants nothing more than for him to be his authentic self.
Sighing, Jeongin cards a hand through his hair. “Why do we always end up here?”
After distributing the regressors’ respective necessities, Chan stays by the door so he can have a clear view of everyone else. The September trio take turns feeding Changbin his cookies, gushing over his every action, and Jeongin coaxes Hyunjin to drink a cup of water.
“Good job,” he praises.
Hyunjin settles in his lap, idly watching the members pick up his tea set and host his tea party for him. He has half a mind to state that Seungmin is in his spot and Jisung is in Cinna’s but is there any point?
“Pa,” he pouts.
“Are they messing everything up?” Jeongin asks, raising a closed fist and shaking it. “Want me to scold all the hyungs for you?”
All the hyungs minus one, that is.
Hyunjin giggles, the first positive noise he has made in a while. He loves how Jeongin gives him room to be sensitive about his careful plans without shaming him for it. He loves how he isn’t rushed through his emotions. He loves how patient the maknae is, how physical affection comes to him naturally when his Jinnie needs reassurance.
He loves Jeongin caring for him.
Maybe his favourite stuffie is missing. But he has his favourite caregiver, and that’s all he really needs.
“Are you in a better mood?”
He nods, about to respond to the youngest when the only hyung missing from the room walks in.
Minho has a basket full of folded laundry perched on his hip, and balanced at the very top is—
“Guess who I found in the laundry?”
Hyunjin gasps, pointing at him, for his beloved Taiyaki Cinnamoroll sits on the pile like an offering showered in celestial light.
“It was you!”
He snatches the toy and nestles it in his arms. After kissing its head, he faces Minho and again raises an accusatory finger at him.
"How could you betray me like this? Stabbed in the back by my dearest brother-"
For dramatic effect, he pretends to faint, throwing his arm above his forehead and falling backwards onto the bed.
Minho takes a few steps inside and leans over him.
“You're still playing, right?” He confirms. “You aren't actually mad?”
“Yep, I'm still playing.” Hyunjin gives him a thumbs-up. He knows Minho didn’t purposefully take his toy.
Jeongin takes advantage of Hyunjin’s diverted focus to ruffle his hair. “What happened, hyung?”
“Baby spilled juice all over the bed earlier.” Minho puts the basket on the ground, glancing at Changbin for a moment. “I offered to do the laundry and grabbed the corners of the sheets to gather everything in one big bundle. That little friend must have been on the bed and got thrown in the wash with the rest of the bedding.”
Sitting up, Hyunjin pushes his cheek to Cinna’s warm, plush fur. “You’ve survived endless hours of battle in the washer and dryer. At long last, you have returned to me.”
Chan, in regards to his antics, shakes his head with a fond chuckle. “You're such a drama queen.”
“Well then maybe you should call me Your Highness,” Hyunjin retorts.
“OHHHHH!” Seungmin and Jisung belt out in unison. Felix pretends to spit out pretend tea and Changbin laughs at how funny his face is.
“Yah, you cheeky little boy.” Chan sighs.
Hyunjin stretches, grabbing the corner of his pillow as Minho sits beside him.
“Minho hyung,” he starts off so sweetly that Jeongin has to bite his own hand to gag his laughter, knowing exactly where this is going. “Since you’re the culprit, I’ve gotta punish you. It’s the law. Can I hit you?”
Minho narrows his eyes.
“Do you have a death wish?” He deadpans.
Hyunjin raises his pillow, mischief seeping into his wide grin.
“Don’t you dare, mister.”
He swings.
“Bonk!”
Hyunjin lands a perfect blow to Minho’s side using his pillow.
“Yah!” Glaring at him (playfully, of course), Minho lunges forward. He captures Hyunjin and tosses him over his shoulder, his hold firm so as not to let the taller slip. “I’m going to stick you in the oven!”
Folded in half and hanging upside down as Minho carries him away, Hyunjin shrieks. “He’s gonna turn me into dumplings!”
“You should never mess with the devil bunny,” Chan advises him.
Jeongin rolls his eyes. “ Now you tell him?”
Dropping his stuffie on the bed, Hyunjin turns to Changbin. “Mochi, I hafta defeat the evil wizard! Keep Cinna safe for me!”
Changbin crawls towards the bed. With Jeongin’s help, he manages to climb up just as Minho steps out of the room.
Hyunjin feigns desperation, his arm outstretched as he’s separated from Cinna for a second time in the same day.
“I'll come back for youuuuu!”
He goes out of view as Minho turns the corner, presumably to dump him somewhere and magically turn him into a pillow sandwich or some other food-related ‘curse’.
“Drama llama,” Jeongin jokingly scoffs. “He’ll live.”
“Sure, he’ll live, but what about the terrible triplets?”
Chan jabs a finger at the mess of chocolatey cookie crumbs scattered over Hyunjin’s play table and tea set.
“Ooh.” Jeongin winces. “They’re dead. Hyunjin’s going to kill them if his teacups are stained.”
“Not if Minho murders them for ants first,” Chan states, heading to the others to assign them clean-up duty before they fall victim to another crime worth investigating. The maknae follows to ensure Hyunjin’s belongings remain intact.
Entrusted with his best big brother’s dearest Cinna, Changbin wraps his fingers around the tail of its fish hat. He’s in charge of keeping it safe. No harm can befall it in his possession.
All is well in the house of Stray Kids in the end.