nurture
verb
care for and encourage the growth or development of.

{Taemin and Minho watch over their angel.} | 516w

“You remember those nights when we’d barely get any sleep?”

Taemin looked up at Minho with a crooked grin and slid his fingers up his bare side. “I do.”

A huff escaped through the elder’s nose and he caught Taemin’s hand, interlacing his own fingers with the smaller ones. “Not those.”

“Well I liked those the best,” he whispered shamelessly, giggling against the elder’s shoulder.

“I know, but I mean the ones that came after.” He kissed Taemin’s temple, smelling the lingering scent of their shampoo on his messy blond hair. “When you thought you’d go crazy..” His lips brushed the tip of his ear. “Because he wouldn’t sleep through the night.”

Taemin groaned quietly and shut his eyes at the countless memories of Yoogeun waking up at 2 maybe 3 in the morning, crying for his bottle or a diaper change or just because he didn’t want to sleep. He'd roll out of bed, half asleep and completely exhausted, when it was his turn to get him back to sleep. When it wasn't his turn, he barely caught a break because Yoogeun had quite the pair of lungs. Many times he begged Minho to step in for him, almost crying himself, so he did. It was for the best anyway; Minho knew just how to soothe the baby boy: cradling him against his chest, head resting beside his heart, humming the vowels in his deep voice, and lightly rubbing his little back. Yoogeun would be snuggled up in his crib in no time and Minho would be in bed next to him, telling him that everything was fine and to get some rest.

As tiring as that time had been, Taemin missed it.

“But now he does,” he said in a small voice. “He doesn't even wake us if he needs to go to the bathroom.”

“Not intentionally anyway.” Minho wrapped his arm around him and gently traced the protruding bone of his shoulder with his thumb.

They watched Yoogeun's small chest rise and fall from where they stood at the foot of his 'big boy' bed and remembered how difficult it'd been for him to let go of his crib. To ease the transition, they let him fall asleep on their bed, then moved him so he'd wake up in his bed. Yoogeun would be confused at first, sometimes upset, but he soon got used to having his own space again.

“Do you think he misses sleeping with us?”

“I think so,” Minho said, cracking a smile. “Why?”

“He's growing up too fast.”

Minho squeezed his hand. “That's what kids do. And he's like you, you know? A cute, independent rebel.”

Taemin laughed silently as he lifted his hand to brush away Minho's dark hair from his forehead. “We're in trouble then. We'll have to raise him to be more like you.”

Minho beamed under his gaze. “We'll keep doing our best. Now come on.” He nuzzled his nose against the apple of Taemin's cheek before planting a kiss right below it. “Let's go to bed.”