Word count: 978w

Prompt: their children are slightly bigger now and kyungsoo still grabs hold of their hands when they cross the roads together much to the embarrassment of the girls bc "dad!!! i can cross the road by myself thanks!" :3

Jinri is nine years old, not eight anymore, thank you very much. She is (technically) the same age as her big sister, Sunyoung and has left her younger sister, Soojung, to stay eight for the next few months. She is a big girl now, and she doesn't hesitate to remind her fathers (especially Kyungsoo) of this every chance she gets.

Opportunity knocks in the form of a zebra crossing and a green man, on a day where traffic is minimal. Jinri pointedly looks left, right, and left again before moving to step onto the tarmac, only to be pulled back by frantic hands and a Kyungsoo who very nearly wails. 'Jinri! What do you think you're doing?' Kyungsoo practically shrieks, voice climbing several octaves.

'I was crossing the road, Papa!' Jinri says. A 'duh,' hangs off the tip of her tongue, but she supposes she shouldn't use it. All her friends at school say it to their parents, but Jinri has a feeling hers won't stand for it. That, and she's never heard Sunyoung use it on them. 'I'll be perfectly fine, Papa!'

'No! No no no no no, absolutely not,' Kyungsoo says, voice stabilising and becoming stern. 'You're much too young, Jinri. You know the rules - you have to hold Papa's hand if you want to cross the road.' Kyungsoo grabs his daughter by the wrist, securing Soojung's (who is happily on a lollipop he doesn't even want to know the origins of) in his other hand and stares resolutely at the other side of the road. This is code for end of discussion.

Jinri is too young to understand his codes. (Also, Kyungsoo doesn't look nearly as threatening as Jongin, and Jinri knows she could bend her Papa's will if she wants to. Really, really wants to.)

'But Papa,' Jinri whines. Her lower lip begins to jut out ever so slightly and she can see how the creases between Kyungsoo's eyebrows soften - half the battle is won already. All she has to do is keep going, just a little more. 'I'll be really, really careful and I won't run and I'll check both sides before I cross! I promise!'

Kyungsoo looks hard at her for a long moment, as if he were inspecting her. Jinri just continues pouting, looking up at her father through her eyelashes the way she knows he can't resist. Minutes pass (and Soojung finishes her lollipop and starts people-watching instead) just like this, until Kyungsoo, not wanting to relent so easily, decides that 'We'll give Daddy a call and see what he says, alright?'

A smile appears on Jinri's lips and Kyungsoo almost wants to laugh - their daughters may be Jongin's only weak spot (besides him), but he is nothing if not rigid when it comes to the girls' safety and discipline.

Jongin picks up after the first couple of rings. 'Hello?' comes his voice, and even after all these years (and, Kyungsoo thinks, as he looks at his unironed shirt and the remnants of a stain on his pants - all these children), Kyungsoo feels his guard drop at the sound of his husband's voice.

'Jongin? Jinri wants to know if she can cross the road by herself. I already told her she's too young, and there's no way y-'
'Let her do it.'

Kyungsoo splutters. The evil smile that grows on his middle daughter's face tells him she knows he's hearing exactly what she wants him to, and he wonders how she'd managed to pull that on him. On Jongin. 'Ex - excuse me? You want me to let our nine year old daughtercross the road by herself?' Kyungsoo puts emphasis on almost every word, and it shouldn't be so amusing, but he almost chokes on his words as a result and both Soojung and Jinri have to fight back a laugh.

'Yeah. Let her do it alone, just, y'know - watch out for her,' Jongin says, with all the nonchalance in the world. Kyungsoo's never heard him speak like this. He can't believe it.

'Are you - you're sure? Because she's tall for her age, Jongin, yeah, but she's still, y'know,small, and oh my god have you seen how big they make trucks nowadays? Never mind trucks why did I jump to trucks even - even cars are huge now, Jongin, I don't think -'

'Kyungsoo,' Jongin sighs, and Kyungsoo can just see his husband putting his phone on speaker just so he can massage his temples, 'I know she can do it. I know this for a fact, because I let her do it last week.'

'YOU WHAT?' Kyungsoo screeches, startling his children. 'You put - you - you let my baby - you exposed her to harm! To danger! Kim - Kim Jongin, how could you?'

'Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo you are making a scene, I'm not even there and I can tell. Stop.'
'BUT MY BAB-'
'Kyungsoo! Okay - okay look. How many girls do you have with you?'
'Two?'
'And how many are you supposed to have with you?'
'Two, Sunyoung's at Minji's house,'
'Is Jinri there? All in one piece and not with tyre tracks up her face?'
'Yes.'
'Exactly. You see my point. I am glad I got to have this slightly maniacal conversation with you in the middle of a very busy workday, Kyungsoo. Please allow our daughter an extra inch out of the cotton wool you have her so wrapped up in. Thank you. I love you. Goodbye. Don't freak them out. I love you again. Goodbye. Again.'

Kyungsoo mumbles out an 'I love you too,' just before he hangs up. He stares dumbfounded at his phone before he slips it back into his pocket.

'So? What did Daddy say?' Jinri asks, dragging out her syllables and adding sugar to each and every one of them. Kyungsoo can't speak.

The green man lights up again.

He lets Jinri cross alone.

(She's still safe.)