“Hyung?” Sehun groaned.

“Sehun hyung?” Sehun rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow.

“Sehunnie hyung!” Sehun groaned again. This time into his pillow, which he wasn’t ready to leave.

“I’m hungry, Sehunnie!” Sehun felt small fists starting to pound lightly on his back. Another groan left the young adult as he lifted his head.

“I’m up! I’m up.” He pushed himself up into a sitting position and turned to the offended-looking kid in his bed.

“I’m hungry, hyung.” Minseok repeated, pouting for emphasis. Sehun sighed, but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

“Okay, I got it.” Sehun got out of the bed. “You’ll let me use the bathroom first, yeah? I’ll make breakfast afterwards.”

As Minseok watched Sehun leave the room, a satisfied smile made it’s way onto his face. A growl from his tummy made it disappear again, though.

Sehun and Minseok was sitting on the couch in the living room after eating Sehun’s attempt at waffles. Minseok was still in his baby-blue pajamas with ducks on and Sehun, who was watching a news broadcast, was wearing sweatpants and a black t-shirt.

And that’s how the first three days went by. They’d get up and get through the day lazily, using most of it in front of the TV. Kiwoon had called the second day, just to make sure everything was all right. Sehun had explained that it was going fine, Minseok was doing good, he had a few quiet moments where he barely spoke up, but other than that, nothing weird was going on.

On the fourth day, however, Minseok had called Sehun’s name in a small voice. Sehun looked at the boy, noticing the serious tone he had used.

“Am I in danger, hyung?” Various emotions passed over Sehun’s face in a very short amount of time, surprise being the most obvious one.

“Why do you ask?”

“My mommy told me I’d be safer here than at home. Is it because of the man with the rose? Is he going hurt me? Is he going to hurt my mommy?” Sehun was sure his heart had just dropped. He knew that Minseok was young and unexperienced with the world and it’s horrors, so the fact that Minseok might realize something was very wrong hadn’t even crossed his mind. But Minseok was looking up at him, big eyes full of worry and Sehun felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

“No. No, you’ll be fine.” Sehun ruffled the boy’s hair and faked a smile to hide his uncertainty. “And so will your mom.”

Minseok nodded, looking relieved, but not completely convinced. A silence settled between the two, not awkward nor nice, just silence. Once again they spent most of their day on the couch, watching mostly children’s series, which got all of Minseok’s attention. Occasionally he would answer the people in the TV and Sehun would smile, because that meant that Minseok’s mind wouldn’t be on the possible danger he was in. The danger Sehun had to protect him from.

“Sehun hyung!” Sehun’s eyes snapped open and he sat up straight in a flash. He looked at Minseok, who had been trying to shake him awake seconds ago. Minseok didn’t even get to open his mouth before Sehun knew why he had tried to wake him up. Somebody was knocking at his door in an obnoxious manner. He got up and while walking to his door, he noticed the sky outside had turned an orange-red color. Behind the city’s buildings, he could still see a glimpse of the setting sun.

The knocking got more obnoxious as rhythms was formed. An annoyed growl left Sehun. He swore whoever was on the other side of his door was not going to live to see sunrise.

“What?!” He sneered as he pulled the door open.

“Well, someone’s in a particularly great mood today!” Came the sarcastic response. Sehun frowned. When he, on the first day, had told Minseok that he might meet his friends, it had been because Minseok had seemed interested. He hadn’t actually expected them to show up by his front door. It wasn’t exactly what he needed right now.

“How did you even get inside the building?”

“Hello to you, too!” Baekhyun shot back. “And the door was open.”

“What do you even want?” Sehun asked as he leaned on the doorframe.

“We happened to be in town, so we thought we could crash here?” Jongin smiled.

“Uh, hotels? Have you heard of them?”

“Uh, money? Have you heard of them?” Baekhyun mimicked Sehun.

“Motels are cheap.”

“Yeah, right! I’d rather sleep on your floor than one of those -juice covered rat homes they call beds!” Baekhyun spat. Sehun rolled his eyes.

“Come on, Sehunnie! Just one night. Or two, maybe three-“

“One night.” Sehun interrupted the giant known as Park Chanyeol. “And nothing more. I really don’t need more people living here.”

“More people?” Tao raised a brow and smirked. “Did you get a girlfriend, Sehunnie?”

“No.” Sehun said frowning again. “And wipe that stupid smirk of your stupid face, you stupid er.”

A loud gasp sounded from the hallway. Sehun squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced.

“Minseok-” Sehun started as he turned around.

“You promised!” Minseok said, sounding almost as insulted as Baekhyun did, when people made fun of his eyeliner usage.

Sehun was about to respond when another gasp was heard. This time from Tao, who pushed his way past Sehun and walked over to Minseok and squatted down in front of him.

“You are just the cutest little thing ever!” Tao squealed and cupped Minseok’s cheeks. Minseok blushed.

“Jesus Christ…” Sehun mumbled and watched as the rest of his friends trotted in without his permission. ers.

After closing the door a little harder than intended, Sehun turned around just in time to see Baekhyun scoop up Minseok and start to coo at him. As expected Chanyeol and Tao was quick to join in. Both Jongin and Kris just silently watched the boy, eyes filled with fascination. It was almost as if they had never seen a kid before.

“Seriously, guys. He’s nine! Please stop talking to him like he’s two, okay?” Sehun complained.

“But, Sehun, look at him. He’s just too cute!” Baekhyun answered excitedly and gave Minseok an eskimo kiss. The small boy let out a giggle, a faint blush still visible on his cheeks.

“What’s your name?” Chanyeol asked curiously.

“Minseok.” Came the answer. The small boy looked curiously at Chanyeol, surprised by the deep voice he had.

“Minseok? So we can call you Minnie as a nickname!” Baekhyun said getting, if possible, even more excited about the little boy.

“Baekhyun, please, calm the fu- calm down.” Sehun said. Baekhyun stuck out his tongue at the younger.

“So, why is he living with you?” Kris asked.

“I can’t exactly tell you.” Sehun said, not missing how Minseok’s eyes had widened when Kris spoke. It was obviously not that sound he had expected to come from the tall blond. Chanyeol had a deep voice, too, but unlike Kris, his face didn’t seem to scare the ever living out of Minseok.

“Is it secret detective stuff? Confidential?” Jongin asked, smiling teasingly.

“I guess, yeah.” Sehun said, letting out a small laugh. A simple conversation started up between the two youngest of the friend group. They went into the living room, the rest following behind. Sehun, Jongin and Kris took their seats on the couch. Baekhyun sat in the single armchair with Minseok on his lap, while Chanyeol and Tao sat on the armrests.

“Where does he sleep?” Kris asked trying to ignore the cooing and compliments Minseok was being showered with.

“My bed.” Sehun said, giving his three friends a judging look.

“Where do you sleep then?” Jongin questioned nudging Sehun’s side.

“My bed.” Jongin raised an eyebrow.

“Isn’t that a little weird?”

“He suggested it himself.” Sehun said. “And why is it weird? He’s nine!”

Sehun punched Jongin shoulder. Jongin laughed and Sehun smiled. The two of them had always been close. Since they were the youngest, they had gone through the same teenage problems around the same time. It had given them a strong friendship, even if it was sometimes hard to see. Where Jongin was shy, yet open and warm, Sehun was awkward, distant and hard to figure out. They were almost opposites, but somehow they were perfectly fitted pieces in friendship’s puzzle.

“Hey, Sehunnie?” Sehun looked over at Tao, humming to make the other go on. “Where can we sleep tonight?”

Sehun looked around the living room briefly.

“Here.”

“You want us to sleep on your couch and floor?”

“Well, it’s better than the beds at motels.” Sehun smiled mischievously before continuing. “Right, Baekhyun?”

Looking offended, Baekhyun just stared at Sehun in disbelief. The two of them might have been friends, but that didn’t stop them from throwing sassy and offending comments at each other.

“Now listen here-”