“What do you mean, he’s sick look after him?” Mingyu’s eyes were darting everywhere, he was not the best when it came down to managing hygiene (yes, he’ll admit it).

“Exactly that,” Seungcheol says frowning, as he looks into the room.

It was already the second day, since Chan had become a baby, and the boys thought they did a pretty good job, looking after him… that is until Chan started to shiver at night and sneeze repeatedly. Maybe looking after a child wouldn’t be that easy.

“But hyung…”

“I thought you said, you liked Chan?”

“I do, I mean I still do of course, but is it really wise to leave him with us?” Mingyu counter argued.

Seungcheol bit the inside of his cheek, as he tilts his head to look at the boys once more. In the room besides Chan, were Mingyu, Wonwoo, Seokmin and Soonyoung.

Now, Mingyu had asked a valuable question was it really a smart idea to leave the maknae alone.. with the idiots? And the four idiots at that?

Yes, apparently it was.

“Yes, it is wise. I’m leaving Wonwoo in charge of you, because Soonyoung will… just be Soonyoung,”

“Hey!” The second eldest shouts, but he doesn’t protest, “Hyung, you know me… too well,” He smiles hi-fiving Seokmin, the latter having his trademark smile on.

Seungcheol sighs, “...And speaking of Soonyoung..” He shakes his head, “Wonwoo, please don’t let me down,”

“I won’t-” The door slams shut as Seungcheol leaves the dorm in suit following the other seven boys.

“So what shall we do?” Wonwoo asks, sly grin spreading across his face.

In the end, Wonwoo decided not to do anything mischievous as he had originally planned, instead he was left to look after Chan, as Mingyu was cooking away in the kitchen. Soonyoung and Seokmin were left to buy ingredients for dinner later that day and the other members had gone off to prepare for the party.

“Wonwoo hyung? Is Chan up yet?” Mingyu’s voice echoes through the halls and into the livingroom, where Chan was wrapped in layers of blankets. His head lay gently on Wonwoo’s lap. He slept as though there was nothing for him to worry about- ironically as a child all his responsibilities did shift over to his hyungs. Chan was quietly away his thumb, like a true toddler, as he wore a smile in his deep slumber.

Wonwoo bites his lip-conflicted, to shout back and risk waking Chan up or--

Mingyu pops his head into the living room, “Wonwoo hyung, didn’t you- oh,” he stops talking and smiles. Wonwoo grins back, and slowly nods, “I think he’s going to be a while,”

“It’s okay, would you like something to drink whilst we wait up?”

“Yes, anything will be fine,”

Mingyu nods, and hums, “I’ll be back soon, hyung,”

Wonwoo, settles down more comfortably in the sofa, as he awaits Mingyu’s return. His heartbeat was beating slightly more than usual, he could almost hear his heartbeat in his eyes. It warmed his heart, to see Mingyu working so diligently, as though he was a housewife, Wonwoo was the father and Chan was their so- no wait. What? Wonwoo shakes his head, as though that would help him get rid of the idea of being a family with Mingyu- sure it was all nice and all, but being realistic… does Mingyu even swing that way? And if he did, would he see him as something more than a hyung, a member of the same group?

“Hyung? Hyung?” A hand touches Wonwoo’s shoulders softly, and the latter feels a shiver goes down his spine.

“Mingyu?” He asks, eyes all wide in shock.

“Hey, you okay? I was calling you all this while,”

Wonwoo nods, “I’m fine, just thinking,”

“Must have been so important,” Mingyu jokes, “so important, hyung forgot all about Chan,” Mingyu laughs.

Wonwoo doesn’t even need to listen to what Mingyu has to say, instead he just stares dazed. “I love your laugh,” Wonwoo gasps, realising he had just said that all aloud, curse you brain.

Mingyu stares back, lips slightly apart, it showed that he wanted to say something, anything but it seemed his brain had wanted to leave him speechless, so he continues to gape.

If a pin was to drop all things, the atmosphere’s scary awkward silence would have been disturbed, but alas--

“Woo-Min-hyung!” The boys break their eye contact and look down.

Chan’s flu had gone down alot since drinking his medicines and he looks up smiling brightly at the two elder boys.

“Channie!” The two boys shout together, they glance at one another but again they look back the boy in front of them.

“How do you feel?”; “Would you like some food?”

Chan giggled, as he looks between Mingyu and Wonwoo, both who seemed to be equally startled, by Chan. “I am okay,” He replies, holding his small petite fingers up, to form on ‘okay’ hand gesture. “Chan is hungry,” he states immediately after, tapping and rubbing his stomach.

Mingyu gets up, “I’ll fix some food… Wonwoo hyung, I’ll get your drink as well,”

Wonwoo hums in response, not entirely trusting his brain to mouth filter to be working well. But before Mingyu can walk off, Chan speaks again, “Won-hyung likes Min-hyung,”

The silence in the room was deafening, both Wonwoo and Mingyu were frozen to their spots, to  their fortune, neither of the other was able to see how red both their faces got.

Mingyu lets out a dry laugh, “I think, Chan must be really hungry.. ha ha..” with that Mingyu dashes off in the direction of the kitchen, cheeks now fully red and hot.

Wonwoo, frowns and turns to look at Chan, who was playing with a small toy car. He let’s out a heavy sigh, does Mingyu really not like me?

~(*~*)~

“How much are you willing to pay, Seokmin?” Soonyoung raises his eyebrows, as he stands beside his lover a smirk on his lips, teasing the younger of the two.

Soonyoung and Seokmin were at 7eleven store, picking out the shopping ingredients, when they stumbled upon their latest debate. Meanie couple, simply known as Mingyu and Wonwoo. They were discussing whether the two would become a couple today or later. Both decided it would occur today, so there wasn't any need for it to escalate to a bet… only until Soonyoung strongly recommended his best friend would be the one to confess. Seokmin, offended at the thought his hyung would even suggest such a silly reason. What was it, you ask? Soonyoung stated the reason was because, Wonwoo was older, so he had more ‘experience’. But what that would entail, Seokmin would never know, as Wonwoo was as clueless as Mingyu, and they were as clueless as you could get them. Seokmin said, there was nothing wrong with Mingyu confessing first, and he strongly counter argued, that, yes Mingyu would confess and he would help him if needs be. But of course, that was cheating. So the two agreed to not help, stand by and see who confessed first.

“Anything you want,” Seokmin replies, playing sending a playful air kiss to his hyung.

“A whole day, with me?”

“Aren’t we practically glued together?”

“Ah, yes we are…” Soonyoung responds, “Of course we are, then you’ll be my personal butler for a whole day,”

“Hyung, I think you mean the loser will be a personal butler,”

“Nope, you will lose, so you will be my butler,”

Seokmin scoffs, and lands a soft playful punch on Soonyoung’s shoulder. “Sure hyung, sure,”

~(*~*)~

Mingyu returns to the room to see that, Wonwoo had moved so that he was now in the middle seat, Chan sitting comfortably beside him. They had the big blanket draped over them, they legs tucked in, so that it was on the sofa. A movie was on pause, Mingyu notices, and Chan had began to squirm.

“Hyung, movie!” He prods, eyes large, voice filled with aegyo.

“Okay, buddy, as Mingyu is here now we can play it, okay?” Wonwoo nods enthusiastically, smiling at the young child.

Wonwoo turns to face Mingyu, and taps the vacant seat on the sofa beside him, urging Mingyu to sit beside him. Mingyu softly places the popcorn on the table in front, and drinks too. He hands over Chan’s food to Wonwoo, who was now immersed into the film- a good dinosaur, the credits had said. Mingyu looks back from the movie to Wonwoo, not expecting him to reply any time soon, so he gets down on the floor and begins to crawl over to Chan’s side- apparently this was the only way he would not interrupt the other’s movie night.

A sudden movement puts on a speed breaker for Mingyu, because he is faced with Wonwoo, staring at him but his face is upside down?!

“What the hell, Wonwoo hyung-omg go-”

Wonwoo doesn’t respond instead he heaves the boy onto the sofa again, “What were you doing?” He whispers. Mingyu doesn’t respond because Wonwoo takes the porridge from Mingyu and begins to feed Chan, who had his eyes glued to the TV.

“Yah!”

Mingyu feels a pinch, and he shakes his head as he comes to the realisation that he had been staring for too long, and forgot that he had a question to answer.

“I was going to go the other side and feed, Chan…”

“I’m capable of feeding him, you know?”

“It’s not like that-”

“Then what was the reason?”

“Hyung-”

“Did you want to get away from me?”

“What- that’s absurd-” Mingyu’s eyebrows arch into a frown, as he listens to Wonwoo rambling nonsense.

“Do you not like me?”

“Hyung… I-”

Mingyu feels his cheeks all flushed red, now here’s a question he had no answer for.

~(*~*)~

Soonyoung and Seokmin had their heads down, although their laughter hadn’t completely died down. Whilst they were picking out the grocery shopping, after the debate, the chaos had started to ensue.

“Here hyung catch,” Seokmin had thrown all the ingredients to Soonyoung earlier, so there was no denying the confidence rise, one by one it was all thrown, until the last item.

Seokmin wanted to see if he could throw the packet of custard, and by far was it a stupid idea to go from one aisle to the other.

Why? Because not only does Soonyoung miscalculate his skills in catching, he also miscalculates his ability to dodge. He ends up getting custard all of his new clothing attire, and let’s just say it all spiraled down from there. A full blown food fight had escalated thanks to one spillage.

Now both boys, were standing there, drenched in food and smelling rather sweet, yes rather sweet. It just so happened that the boys had decided to use items from the baking section, so they had tossed a few flour packets, jelly, sweets, and even chocolate. The burning heat within the atmosphere had not helped do any justice to the boys but the chocolate ended up melting somewhat creating the sweeter scent to the two boys.

Seungcheol rushes onto the scene, and almost skids when he turns to the aisle where the two boys were standing. He was about to fall on the water that was used to mop up the floor, but Jihoon manages to yank the back of Seungcheol’s shirt on time.

“Thanks, Jihoonie,” Seungcheol’s utters as a small blush creeps up his face, and he coughs avoiding any further questions. Jihoon just nods.

“What did you guys do this time?” Seungcheol says turning to face Soonyoung and Seokmin, but his face falls and he let’s out an ‘oh’, before almost crushing to the floor.

~(*~*)~

“I-I didn’t want to disturb you,” Mingyu shyly responds, “You looked so into the movie, so I didn’t want to disturb you,”

“Silly,” Wonwoo laughs, pulling Mingyu by the hand he makes the younger sit beside him. “You don’t need to be extra careful, around me, I don’t bite… much. Okay okay- jokes aside I really don’t hate you or anything-”

Wonwoo stops talking, as Mingyu is now inches apart from his face, both of them can hear their breathes hitch, as they eyes dart looking at the other’s. Mingyu inches closer, almost closing the gap--

“Hyung! Food!” Chan starts again, the boys spring apart both equally flustered and Wonwoo continues to feed Chan. Mingyu settles in comfortably into the sofa and sets his head on Wonwoo’s shoulders, watching the film.

~(*~*)~

Seungcheol had almost collapsed, ‘you’re being too dramatic’ Jihoon had insisted, when he saw the state of Soonyoung and Seokmin. He was about to just scold them and leave but Jihoon- well the kid was known to be sly, but an Angel? Now, this was new. He had told Seungcheol to trust him, that they would be on their best behaviour from then onwards. Seungcheol after hearing Jihoon’s comforting words, agrees almost immediately to give them another chance, and tells them to get in the car, he’d take them home.

On the way back to the house, Jihoon had turned around and slipped a piece of paper, into Soonyoung’s hand.

Be on your best behaviour, from here onwards. I don’t like seeing Seungcheol upset. And if he becomes upset again… you’ll have me to answer to.

Soonyoung and Seokmin eyed each other slightly relentlessly. Now that was the hyung they both knew, and oddly loved.

~(*~*)~

“Okay, go in, and show me what you guys are really made off,” Seungcheol shouted from the rolled down window, seeing the two walk into the dorm.

“Roger!” The two chorus, as they turn back and open the door to the dorm.

“Hyung, what’s the bet, that Seungcheol hyung fainted like that to be caught by Jihoon hyung?”

“A billion kisses, he is so in love,”

The two giggle silently, as they enter the dark empty room, much to their surprise.

“Have they gone to sleep again- or?”

“Soonseok hyungs!” A voice chirps from behind the sofa.

Soonyoung quickly dashes to the sofa- “Seokmin-ah, come here, silently and quick!”

Seokmin also dashes silently through the dark and stands beside his lover.

“Awwh,”

For, Wonwoo and Mingyu had ended up asleep in each other’s arms, whilst Chan seemed to have just woken up and he was smiling proudly.

“Woo-min hyungs are in love,” He declares.

“Little, Chan you might just be right,” Soonyoung says triumphantly.

“I’m always right,” He giggles, and laughs when Seokmin lovingly picks him and soars him through the air.

“Come on, let’s leave the lovebirds for the night,” Soonyoung laughs as he gently guides Seokmin into their shared room.

~(*~*)~

The door sprang open, and everyone starts to rush into the room, one by one littering the room. Soonyoung runs out of his shared room, and puts his hand to his lip, and he gathers everyone in a circle.

“I think Wonwoo is going to confess-”

“Confess, I don’t th-”

“Shh, shh, it’s okay Seungcheol they’re growing kids, let them be,”

Whilst everyone was busy arguing, inside their room, Wonwoo was sleeping with Mingyu on the bed opposite. Well trying as much as he could to sleep.

This was proving to be a difficult task, as Mingyu had his back bared and Wonwoo wanted nothing more to mark him-

“Hyung, wants to mark me?” Mingyu asks turning around a little shocked, ample red on his cheeks, eyes glistening with shyness but was that also mischief?

Jeon Wonwoo, when are you going to keep your thoughts to say, perhaps yourself?

Wonwoo sighs, “Mingyu- I…”

“Hyung, about what Chan said-”

“No, listen I-”

“I know you, don’t like me but-”

“Oh my god, would you just shut up already and kiss me?”

“Hy-”

A kiss, that was all it took. For Mingyu to melt into Wonwoo’s embrace, Wonwoo tightly gripping the younger’s waists.

It was also all it took for the door to slam right open. Whoops filled the room, and the members all cheer, congratulations filled the room. Wonwoo hides behind Mingyu, as Mingyu laughs, scratching his nape shyly.

All the members pile into the room, and start to sing the congratulatory song. After all the members congratulate the new couple, Soonyoung breaks through- “Wait, wait so who confessed first?!”

A pillow. That’s the last thing he sees before Seokmin catches Soonyoung from losing his balance, and he plants a kiss.

“My eyes!” Chan squeaks, earning laughter all around.

Chan, being a kid did have its benefits for all of them.