Jongin and Kyungsoo became really close and inseparable during their vacation at a beach house. It was Kris’—he bought it for Zitao who really, really loves the ocean air and morning walks—and he and Chanyeol finally had some time off work to relax with their families.

 

Jongin was four and Kyungsoo was five, so there wasn’t much of an age difference. They got along almost immediately when Baekhyun turned the TV on to find out that ‘Pororo The Little Penguin’ was showing. The two, alongside Jongdae, sat nicely while watching, their tiny orbs glued to the screen in front of them.

 

Their first introduction to each other was a little awkward, mainly because Kyungsoo is really shy around new strangers, even kids his age. He had met the twins before, but they never talked. He was there when Baekhyun gave birth to them (but couldn’t really remember anything because he was still one). Jongdae and Jongin were the first ones to initiate the want to become friends.

 

“Kyungsoo, honey, you remember Jongin and Jongdae, right? They’re auntie Baekkie’s children.” Zitao voiced out, holding his second son’s hand. Kyungsoo immediately ran behind him and hid, his doe eyes peaking at the other two kids.

 

“Hi! I’m Jongin!”

 

“I’m Jongdae!”

 

“It’s nice to see you again, hyung!” The twins chorused together, earning a laugh from Zitao,

 

“Baek, did you train them beforehand?”

 

Baekhyun threw his arms in the air. “Nope, not me. Chanyeol did.”

 

“Aww~” The younger of the two mothers scooted over to pat Jongin and Jongdae’s heads. “You’re so cute. Kyungsoo, come over here and say hi!”

 

Kyungsoo slowly stepped outside his mother’s frame and fidgeted his small hands. “H –Hi I’m K—Ky—Kyung—hic!—Soo…”

 

It was now Baekhyun’s turn to laugh. He then carried Kyungsoo in his embrace. “You always get hiccups when you’re nervous, huh?”

 

Kris came almost immediately, handing his son his Monsters Inc. water bottle—turns out he’s been watching his wife and kids converse with Baekhyun the whole time. Kyungsoo drunk almost too quickly and the hiccups got worse.

 

Smiling, the father took his son from Baekhyun’s embrace and patted his back. “Breathe, Kyungie~”

 

Kyungsoo did as he was told and the hiccupping stopped. He asked his father to put him down and stood next to Zitao once again, still shy.

 

“Why don’t you introduce yourself again, hm?”

 

Small eyes twinkled at Zitao’s direction before turning to Jongin and Jongdae. “H –Hi, my name is K –Kyungsoo.”

 

Less stuttering, that’s a progress, the mother of two kids thought.

 

“Let’s build sandcastles together, Kyungsoo hyungie!”

 

“Swim swim swim!”

 

Jongin and Jongdae fought for Kyungsoo, who immediately panicked and searched for help from his mother, but Zitao only giggled.

 

***

At the beach, Kyungsoo watched quietly as his brother; Luhan, the twins and their brother Joonmyun build sandcastles and splash each other in the water—with the supervision of Kris and Chanyeol of course. Unlike Luhan, Kyungsoo doesn’t like staying under the hot sun. He snuggled to the half-asleep Zitao and sighed.

 

“I want someone to play with me too…” The innocent five-year-old muttered to himself, tears about to fall.

 

“Then why don’t you join them?”

 

Kyungsoo almost burst in tears due to shock when Baekhyun suddenly appeared, two cups of ice cream in his hands.

 

“Omo! I’m sorry. Did I scare you, sweetie?” He asked. “Here, have an ice cream. You like vanilla, right?”

 

Kyungsoo nodded and ate nicely. He savored the sweet vanilla beans in his mouth and smiled.

 

“Kyungsoo?”

 

“Yes, auntie?”

 

Baekhyun pointed at the kids and fathers who were swimming in the ocean. “Why don’t you play with them?”

 

“I –I don’t like it… Too hot…”

 

“Umma!”

 

Just as the mother was about to comment on Kyungsoo’s statement, a loud scream distracted him.

 

It was Jongin.

 

“Yes, baby?”

 

“So hot! I want ice cream~!”

 

Baekhyun motioned his son to sit with him and Kyungsoo under the shade and fed him some ice cream. Jongin grinned, feeling the taste slide down his throat. He then saw that Kyungsoo was also eating ice cream and his smile grew bigger.

 

“Kyungie hyung! It’s yummy, right?”

 

“Y –Yes, yummy…”

 

“Do you want to play with me and Jongdae and Joonmyunnie hyung and Luhannie hyung in the water? It’s fun! Daddy found little fishies!”

 

“T—Too hot…” Kyungsoo repeated his statement he said to Baekhyun earlier and looked down, watching his vanilla ice cream melt because of the external temperature.

 

“Aww! Okay! See you later, hyungie!”

 

Jongin ran back into the ocean and Kyungsoo saw him fall on top of Jongdae, who avenges him by splashing the salty water to his face. The five-year-old sighed again and napped beside his mother, not wanting to remember the loneliness anymore.

 

***

After all the beach fun, everyone headed back to the house. Zitao offered to bathe the kids while Baekhyun cooked dinner. Kris and Chanyeol helped by setting the table after their own showers. The night’s menu was Bacon-wrapped filets with mashed potatoes alongside mini hot dogs and French fries for the kids (and Chanyeol too.)

 

Kyungsoo was the first to finish bathing (since he wasn’t that dirty to begin with) and the little boy decided to help Baekhyun in the kitchen.

 

“A—Auntie, do you n—need help?” He asked in his tiny voice. Baekhyun turned around and smiled at the little boy.

 

“Sure, Kyungie. Can you hand me that spoon?”

 

Kyungsoo helped until the meals were done and he even helped Baekhyun decorate the filets with garnishes like tomatoes and parsley stems. The food came out perfect and Baekhyun placed them nicely on top of all the vintage-patterned placemats Kris and Chanyeol had prepared. Kyungsoo carefully carried all the sauces that were already placed inside squeezable plastic containers and lined them up on the side of the table.

 

People started showing up one by one and before they knew it everyone were there with their hungry stomachs.

 

“Smells good!” Chanyeol commented once they were all sitting, ready for dinner. Kris led the pre-meal prayer and they started digging in afterwards.

 

“You’re getting better and better at cooking, Baekkie.” Zitao commented, taking a spoonful of his mashed potatoes and shoving it in his mouth. “I’m jealous.”

 

“Oh, nonsense. You’re the expert in Chinese food!”

 

“I have to be, or else it would be embarrassing because I’m Chinese.”

 

The parents laughed it off and continued their small talks over dinner. Jongin and Jongdae squeezed all the sauces they could lay their eyes on on their hot dogs and ate messily. Luhan and Joonmyun were eating nicely (unless you consider Luhan stabbing on his sausage every once in a while as scary). Kyungsoo ate silently while eyeing everyone. He saw the sauces all over Jongin and Jongdae’s faces and grabbed a tissue and—he didn’t know why he did it—wiped their dirty faces. All the parents and kids were caught by surprise.

 

“Dirty mouth… Sauce-y mouth…” He said before returning his attention to his hot dog.

 

Zitao and Kris eyed each other and smiled knowingly.

 

***

After dinner was when Jongin and Kyungsoo finally clicked. They watched ‘Pororo The Little Penguin’ together alongside Jongdae with a plate of mini strawberry custard tarts—the dessert of the night.

 

“Who do you like the most, hyungie?” Jongin asked Kyungsoo who was watching the show with full concentration.

 

“I—I like Petty~” Kyungsoo replied, shyly. “W –What ab—out you?”

 

“I like Pororo hyung!” Jongin’s voice was happy and cheerful, completely different from Kyungsoo’s earlier. He then turned to the older and grinned. “You look like Pororo hyung! You both have big eyes~~”

 

Kyungsoo, being a child, didn’t know whether that was a compliment or an insult. He quietly muttered, “I –is that good?”

 

“Yes! It means you’re as cute as Pororo hyung!”

 

And that was how they started talking non-stop.

 

Baekhyun came in to check on them and saw that Jongdae was already sleepy. He carried the older of the twins and tucked him in bed (the twins share a room with Joonmyun) while his oldest son watched over him. Luhan was getting ready to fly to dreamland in his room next door.

 

“All right, little penguins, it’s now time for bed.” He announced after making sure Jongdae’s sound asleep. Jongin and Kyungsoo turned their heads.

 

“Five more minutes, mommy!”

 

“No, honey. It’s late. You and Kyungie hyung can watch Pororo again tomorrow, okay?”

 

Jongin eyed Kyungsoo, eyeing for approval. Kyungsoo yawned and nodded.

 

Kris walked in with Chanyeol and they carried their sons to their rooms (which were next to each other, but still, separations are sad.)

 

“Say good night to hyung, Jonginnie.” Chanyeol instructed sweetly.

 

Jongin waved and smiled. His eyes were also getting sleepy. “Good night, Pororo hyung~ I’ll see you tomorrow!”

 

Kris nudged Kyungsoo who was slightly asleep. “G—Goodnight, Jonginnie… See you later…”

 

They were placed in their respective beds in their respective rooms. Jongin immediately snuggled to Jongdae after Chanyeol made him brush his teeth and fell asleep. Joonmyun smiled and slept on the other bed—the room was equipped with twin mattresses, which was nice. Chanyeol wished his children a good night before turning the lights off.

 

Meanwhile, next door, Kyungsoo washed his hands and brushed his teeth before climbing on the soft mattress next to his brother. Luhan was half asleep as he hugged his little dongsaeng.

 

“Did you have fun today?”

 

“U-huh… I made a f—fri—friend.” Kyungsoo struggled at the last word because he was trying to remember what it was in English.

 

Luhan smiled and covered his face with the blanket. “Good night, Kyungie.”

 

“Good night, gege~”

 

From the doorframe, Kris smiled and turned the lights off.

 

***

The next day, Jongin and Kyungsoo couldn’t take their attentions off of each other. They watched Pororo all morning while eating breakfast—eggs and ham sandwiches made by Zitao this morning alongside a glass of milk. Jongdae had gone out to spend some time with Baekhyun, Joonmyun, Zitao and Luhan. They took a nice walk at the beach (following Zitao’s routine) while enjoying the fresh air. Luhan was particularly enjoying it as much as his mother.

 

Chanyeol was in charge, mainly because Kris had to go grocery shopping at a nearby market for their lunches and dinners in the next couple of days. The father was still sleepy because he slept a bit late last night. He told the kids to behave and fell asleep on the sofa trying to keep an eye on them.

 

While talking, Kyungsoo noticed that Jongin eats really messily. He took a tissue and wiped his mouth.

 

“Jonginnie, you need to be careful with how you eat! You eat like a puppy!”

 

“Puppies are cute, hyungie!” Jongin rebutted, drinking his milk.

 

“But when they eat it’s so messy!”

 

“It’s okay, hyungie, I’m cute~ bbuing bbuing!” Jongin sang and took the last bite on his sandwich. “But you’re cuter! Like Pororo hyung!”

 

Kyungsoo and Jongin argued for a couple more minutes and woke Chanyeol up. The man rubbed his eyes.

 

“What’s going on, boys?”

 

“Appa! Jongin eats like a puppy!”

 

“But I’m cute!”

 

Sighing, Chanyeol stood up. He stretched and snapped his knuckles. “Okay, okay. Why don’t we play in the water instead, hm? The beach is not that far.”

 

Jongin immediately nodded and ran out of the house. Chanyeol had to chase him and made sure he waited while Kyungsoo gets ready. When he saw that his friend’s son wasn’t making a move, he tilted his head.

 

“Something wrong, kiddo?”

 

“I—Don’t like… Too hot outside…”

 

“Aw, Kyungsoo~ It’s not that hot, so don’t worry! It’s still quite early in the morning so the sun is still hiding, okay?”

 

Kyungsoo hesitated. He really didn’t like the heat. But Jongin seems to like to very much and Chanyeol too. And his hyung and father too.  I can give it a try…

 

“O—okay…”

 

“Great! Come on!”

 

***

Kyungsoo cringed when the water touched the bottom surface of his feet. It was warm, but it wasn’t all that bad, he had to admit. The wind was blowing softly and the sun was, as Chanyeol had said, still hiding behind the clouds. He took a few steps further into the ocean and smiled. Next to him, Jongin was holding his hand.

 

“Do you like it, hyungie?”

 

“U-huh…”

 

“Don’t wander off too far, okay?” Chanyeol said from a near distance. “Let’s make a sandcastle in a minute.”

 

After splashing in the water for a bit and helping Kyungsoo get used to the warmth, Jongin brought him back to the sandy area. Chanyeol was already there, complete with buckets and shovels.

 

“Hyungie, do you know how to make a sandcastle?”

 

“N—No…” Kyungsoo felt embarrassed because he was unfamiliar with these things. What am I supposed to do with that weird thing with the long handle?

 

“It’s okay! I will teach you!”

 

Jongin filled in the bucket with sand and turned it around, creating a small mound on the surface of the ground. Kyungsoo did as what he saw and before he knew it, they were building a sandcastle. Chanyeol found a few shells and used them to decorate their new ‘kingdom.’

 

After the castle itself was done, Jongin digged a hole that encircles it. Chanyeol then filled the bucket with water and filled the hole and their sandcastle looked like the lost city of Atlantis.

 

“Okay! Let’s take a picture!”

 

Jongin pulled Kyungsoo to seat next to him and smiled towards the camera (phone, his camera in his phone) his father was holding. He saw that Kyungsoo was looking down on his lap and nudged him.

 

“Hyung, look at the camera! Daddy is taking a picture of us!”

 

“Okay~”

 

Snap!

 

***

Zitao’s mouth hung open as Kris patted his back (he had his mouth open earlier but didn’t want to keep it like that for so long) while staring at the screen of Chanyeol’s phone.

 

“That’s Kyungsoo, right?”

 

“Yup! We had fun at the beach this morning.”

 

“B –But he hates the beach! He hates the heat!”

 

“Jongin got him out of his shell, I guess.” Chanyeol answered, scratching his head. He pocketed his phone again and headed to the dining room where Baekhyun was preparing lunch. They were having pan-seared salmon with plum-cucumber salad.

 

After he had left, Zitao faced his husband, as if demanding an explanation.

 

“Our Kyungie finally broke out of his shell…” Kris said after a moment of silence. Zitao giggled.

 

“Yeah… I guess so. That’s nice, huh? He finally talks more.”

 

“Definitely. Now he won’t be so lonely.”

 

The parents turned to see Kyungsoo and Jongin, with Jongdae this time, watching yet another episode of Pororo while laughing at a couple of scenes.

 

“Yeah… It’s definitely nice…”

 

***

A/N: here you go! le petit kyungsoo :3 and uh, shameless advertising, but if you like, check out my crack!exo chat!au fic :3 i marked it complete but it will still be edited~ and if you're into horror and mystery like me, check out Top Student too ^___^ now, uh... comment on what you want to see next because idk what to write to continue this anymore, haha~ and subscribe! do both and that'll make my day <3