this chapter is reaaaally long and really far fetched lol. i watch way too much toddlers and tiaras oop

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Hojoon hummed to himself as he brushed through Jiho's hair. Out of all of his kids, Jiho was the one that took longest getting ready, even for school where he had to wear the same things as his brothers, he insisted on his hair being perfect. 

Hojoon had never met Byungjoo and Jiho's biological parents, but he figured they must have been gorgeous to have created such beautiful children. Byungjoo had the longest eyelashes he had ever seen, while Jiho had the most perfect bone structure, even under his chubby puppy fat cheeks, Hojoon could tell his cheekbones and jawline were going to be amazing as he grew. They both had huge eyes; Byungjoo's were round and wide, whereas Jiho's were catlike, but his irises were so big and black they made his hooded eyes look massive. They both had the poutiest little lips he had ever seen and ridiculously thick, shiny black hair. 

Ridiculously thick, shiny black hair that Jiho refused to let anyone cut. It had gotten to the point where the ends were resting on his shoulders, where Hojoon had to pin the slightly shorter bits at the front which were once upon a time the four-year-olds fringe behind his ear so they wouldn't get in his eyes as he played with his brothers. It was a hassle washing, drying and brushing Jiho's hair to perfection, especially considering how bratty the boy would get if it wasn't done to his standard, but Hojoon had to admit he looked adorable with longer hair. It framed his face perfectly. 

"Okay, sweetie, you're ready."

Jiho jumped up from where he was sitting cross legged in Hojoon’s lap to run to the mirror and look at himself. 

"Thank you, Daddy! I look cute!"

Hojoon smiled to himself. Everyone always assumed Jiho was Hojoon’s biological son due to how similar they were, or at least thought Jiho had been with them since he was a baby and had picked up on a lot of his father's interests. 

He scooped Jiho up from where he was preening himself in front of the mirror to take him downstairs to join his brothers who were zipping their coats up, ready for dance class. 

Dance had always been something Hojoon loved, and it was something he insisted his kids do. It was a great way for them to release any excess energy on a Saturday morning, so he could get some work done later on once they were all down for a nap, and he felt like every kid should have some kind of hobby, preferably one that kept them healthy. 

"I hope my girlfriend thinks I look cute today."

Hojoon nearly dropped Jiho as he carried him down the stairs. 

"Girlfriend?" 

Jiho nodded, a wide grin on his face. "She's a princess. She has lots of crowns, she brought them into school for show and tell."

Hojoon quirked an eyebrow. Princess? 

"She wears pretty dresses and wins them every week at pa- pag- panjets." Jiho's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember the word. He was pretty sure it was something like that. 

"Pageants?" Hojoon offered, trying to help his son out.

"Yeah them! She's gonna be at class today!"

Hojoon hummed, not really sure how to respond to his four-year-old son having a girlfriend. 

"You ready?" Sangdo smiled at him from the bottom of the stairs, Sangwon in his arms as he began to open the front door. 

Piling the kids into the cars was always...fun. First would be the argument of who was going with which parent, then came the struggle of strapping eleven squirming boys into their car seats. It always added at least an extra fifteen minutes onto their travelling time. 

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, sweetie?" He glanced up at his mirror to check who it was that was actually talking to him as he followed Sangdo's car up ahead. 

"Do you think Miss Shin will let us play games today?" Hansol asked, kicking his feet in time to the music that played on the radio. 

"She's on holiday, remember? I'm gonna be teaching you today."

Hojoon honestly had no idea how he had been roped into it, but he had agreed to take the Saturday morning dance class while the boys' normal teacher was out of the country, as if he didn't have enough to do already. He had done it in the past, having eleven children of his own gave him plenty of practice when it came to controlling a group of hyperactive kids in a dance studio. 

"Oh." Hansol's face fell a little. He wanted to show off the dance he and Byungjoo had made up to their teacher. "Well, will you let us play games?"

Hojoon rolled his eyes. Sometimes he didn't know why he bothered paying for dance classes when they seemed to enjoy playing games more. 

"Maybe, if you're good and pay attention."

The boys bounded into the studio to go see their friends as Hojoon began to set up the things he needed for the lesson. 

"So, Jiho has a girlfriend." Hojoon elbowed Sangdo in the ribs to get his attention as he fiddled with the speakers. 

The brunette almost choked on his coffee. "A girlfriend? He's four." 

Hojoon shrugged. "She comes to this class apparently. I think it's that blonde girl that always wears purple. Jiho said she does pageants."

"Pageants?" Sangdo quirked an eyebrow. "Isn't that where they put a load of makeup on kids and judge them on how cute they are?"

Hojoon shrugged again. "I think there's a bit more to it than that. They have like a talent section and little themed costumes and-" He paused as he realised the quizzical look his husband was shooting him. "What? I watch a lot of reality TV." Working from home meant Hojoon spent most of his time watching either cartoons or shows about rich housewives or pageant kids, he couldn't concentrate without some kind of background noise anymore. 

Sangdo stifled a laugh. "I still think it's kinda wrong. Parading kids around like that."

"Daddyyyyyyy!" Hojoon didn't have time to respond as someone wrapped around his leg, he looked down to see Byungjoo pouting up at him. "When are we starting?"

Sangdo carded his fingers through Byungjoo's dark hair as he stood, pecking his husband on the cheek. "I guess I'll leave you to it then." Dancing wasn't really Sangdo's thing, and if he was being perfectly honest, he was more than happy to leave the blonde with a room of screaming kids while he went home and relaxed. 

He waved bye to the kids, reminding them to listen to their father as he made his way to leave the studio. 

"Go pick up some stuff for dinner!" Hojoon shouted just before he got the chance to shut the door. So much for relaxing. 

"Okay, everyone! Time to warm up!"

Hojoon was thankful that the class didn't go too badly and his boys actually decided to listen to him for an entire hour without acting up. He absolutely loved watching them dance. They were only young but they were talented. Some more than others. Taeyang wasn't really that into it, Hojoon was pretty sure his eldest would rather be curled up somewhere with a book than prancing around, but for now, until he showed an interest in any other type of physical activity, Hojoon insisted he kept going. He couldn't deal with Taeyang being more hyperactive than his brothers at the weekend because he wasn't tired from dance class. 

But then there was Hansol, he absolutely adored dancing, so much so that Hojoon had enrolled him in extra dance classes after school so he could get a taste for which style he liked best. Sangdo was pretty sure it was because he was Hojoon’s biological son and that he was going to grow up to be very similar to his father. Hojoon beamed at that, he had absolutely no problem with Hansol being a mini version of himself. 

The twins were beginning to catch up to Hansol’s level, despite only being four, they actually seemed to be really talented dancers. It was the only time the two of them focused, instead of getting distracted by something menial and running off to explore it. 

Byungjoo, however, was starting to lose interest, which Hojoon thought was a shame. He had begun to get fixated on what were classed as 'girly things' and not wanting anything to do with them. Hojoon wondered if it was to do with his height, he still wasn't catching up to Jiho, and despite him insisting on keeping his hair short, unlike his brother, because of his pretty features people would often mistake him for a girl. He really hated it. 

Hojoon and Sangdo had tried to raise their kids with the values that nothing is gendered. That boys can wear pink and play with dolls and girls can have short hair and like football. But it didn't seem to be getting through to Byungjoo and it worried Hojoon, especially considering some of his brothers had more of an interest in stereotypically feminine things. The idea of any of his kids being on bad terms with one another as they grew up devastated him. 

He wrapped up the class, praising all of the kids for doing such a good job as their parents came to pick them up. Sangdo hadn't got back yet, so he allowed the boys to play between themselves in the studio as he tidied up. 

"Daddy, did you see my girlfriend?" Jiho settled himself down next to Hojoon as he observed the kids playing stuck in the mud, making sure it didn't end in tears. 

"I did, baby, she's very pretty." Hojoon had noticed the way Jiho seemed to stick to the blonde girl’s side all through the dance class. It was sweet, really. "Don't you think you're a little young for a girlfriend, though?"

Jiho shook his head, strands of black falling over his face. "I'm very grown up for my age, Daddy."

Hojoon laughed to himself as he ran his fingers through Jiho's locks, adjusting the pinned back bits that had fallen out while he was dancing. Maybe he should have tied them back in a little ponytail instead. That would look adorable. 

"That's why I wanna do panjets too."

"Pageants." Hojoon corrected, not fully taking in what Jiho said as he fashioned a tiny ponytail on the top of his son's head with what used to be his fringe. He was right. It did look adorable. 

"Yeah, those. Kaija says they're fun and I can dance as my talent!"

Kaija? Who the is Kaija? Oh, right, his girlfriend. 

Wait. Hojoon finally twigged onto what Jiho was talking about. 

"You want to do a beauty pageant?" Hojoon's eyebrows shot up under his blonde hair. That wasn't something he had ever expected to have to deal with, having eleven sons. 

"Yeah, I wanna win pretty crowns!"

Hojoon blinked. He didn't really know how to process that. All he knew about child beauty pageants was from what he had seen on tv, and he wasn't sure that was the right environment for his kid. 

But Jiho was gorgeous. There was no doubt in his mind that if he did enter one of these things he'd come out on top. He was a talented dancer too, there was no way anyone would be able to beat him. 

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Hojoon was ridiculously competitive, especially when it came to his kids, he wanted them to excel in everything they were passionate about.

He guessed it could be fun, and it would be something to keep Jiho focused, the four-year-old always needed to be entertained in one way or another or he'd just whine and complain about being bored. Just dancing didn't seem to be enough for him anymore. 

"I'll think about it, honey."

♔♕♔

Hojoon did think about it, and he decided that maybe natural pageants were the way to go. They seemed a lot less expensive and he wasn't willing to spend a load of money on something that Jiho may decide he doesn't even like that much. Plus, his son was naturally beautiful, he didn't need makeup and ridiculous costumes to win. 

And Hojoon really wanted to win. But, he remembered to tell Jiho that it was the taking part, not the winning that counted, he didn't want the four-year-old to get upset and think his father wasn't proud of him if he messed up or didn't come in first place. 

Not that it mattered. Because he did win. Hojoon ignored the fact there were only four other boys competing in the whole thing, because his son won and that was all that mattered. 

"This is dumb."

Hojoon sighed for what felt like the fiftieth time as the small boy in his arms spoke up. Taking Jiho anywhere of course meant Byungjoo had to tag along, despite having absolutely no interest in pageants. 

Jiho was on track to win his sixth pageant, and Hojoon couldn't be prouder. Byungjoo, however, wasn't so impressed. 

"Daddy, I'm bored! They do the same boring stuff every week I'm bored!" The four-year-old whined, wriggling on his father's lap. 

"Well, you could have just stayed at home and played with your brothers, Joo."

Byungjoo huffed. "But Jiji's here."

Honestly, he found it adorable how close his twins were, they were practically inseparable, completely unable to do anything without the other. 

"Daddy! Daddy! There's a lady that wants to speak to you!" Jiho came bounding over to them, Byungjoo instantly trying to squirm out of Hojoon’s grasp to get to his brother. 

A lady? That was awfully vague, it could be anyone, there were- Oh. Some woman was heading over to them from across the room. 

"Hi! You must be Jiho's father!"

Hojoon blinked "Yeah, he's mine." 

"Well, we think he's absolutely gorgeous." Hojoon beamed proudly, scooping the tall four-year-old up in his arms and cuddling him into his chest, earning him a whine from Byungjoo. "Have you ever thought about entering him in glitz pageants?"

Glitz pageants? Like the ones he had seen on TV? With all the crazy bejewelled outfits and fake hair and teeth and makeup? Hojoon would be lying if he said he hadn't been drawn to them. He loved anything like that. Anything over the top. But he wasn't sure he wanted to subject his kid to that level if superficiality. Jiho was pretty enough to win already. 

"I dunno if that's really his scene."

"Just, he doesn't really have much competition here."

Hojoon hummed. That was true. Jiho did seem to win without even trying. He had even whined on the way over here that he was getting bored. Natural pageants didn't have a whole lot to them, he didn't really have to practice or anything. Just stand there and look pretty. 

"Glitz looks fun Daddy!"

It wasn't the first time Jiho had expressed an interest in that side of the pageant world, the four-year-old had sat through a number of episodes of Toddlers & Tiaras with his father, marvelling over the crystals and routines and giant crowns. 

"It's not gonna be like what we watch on TV for you baby. You'd have to wear a suit." The male side of pageantry wasn’t as exciting as what the girls got to do. They weren't too different to the natural pageants he was already doing which is why Hojoon didn't really see the point in entering. 

"Why do girls get to wear all the cute clothes it's not fair!" Jiho huffed, turning in his father's lap to look up at the blonde. 

Hojoon knew Jiho wasn't like most boys. He seemed to have more of an interest in fashion and makeup than sports. He hated playing outside with his brothers if it involved getting dirty and he much preferred Sleeping Beauty to Cars. He would have absolutely no problem with his son getting up on stage in a cupcake dress, full face of makeup and curled hair extensions to compete against the girls. But he knew that wasn't how these things worked. 

"Actually," the lady had taken a seat in the row behind them, "I was going to suggest he competed against the girls."

Hojoon quirked an eyebrow. What? Surely that wasn't allowed. 

"I'm one of the directors of a pageant in the next city over and we're trying to make things more progressive. We've had a lot of boys show interest in doing what the girls do."

Jiho let out a small squeak of excitement, jumping out of Hojoon's lap to stand on the chair next to him, facing the director. "So, I'd get to wear pretty dresses and dance?"

The lady nodded, smiling brightly. Jiho's eyes widened. That exactly what he had wanted when he asked his daddy if he could do pageants. Not this. It wasn't the same as on TV, as what his girlfriend did. That looked way more fun. 

"Can I Daddy? Please, I wanna do glitz! Please please please?" Jiho pleaded, eyes sparking as he turned back to the blonde. 

"Why would you wanna wear a dress?" Byungjoo sneered, climbing up on the chair next to his brother. "Are you trying to make my brother into a girl?" He narrowed his eyes at the woman behind them. 

"Byungjoo." Hojoon warned, knowing his son had a tendency to come off as rude. His gaze fell back on Jiho who was staring up at him with such wide, hopeful eyes. He had absolutely no problem with his son getting up on stage in a ridiculously poofy dress. But he wasn't so sure Sangdo would be on board. 

"Daddyyyy!" Jiho whined, desperate for an answer. 

Hojoon sighed. 

"We'll have to see what your Appa says first, baby."

♔♕♔

"No. absolutely not."

"What? Why?" Hojoon sat on the edge of their bed, the business card the director had given him between his fingers. 

"There are like a million reasons."

Hojoon huffed, he should have known Sangdo would say no, really. He wasn't really okay with Jiho going to beauty pageants full stop. His husband didn't like the idea of his son thinking that people should be judged off of how they look. 

"Like what? He wants this, Sangdo."

"He's just a kid!"

"Yeah, a ing gorgeous kid that absolutely loves doing this stuff. It's not that different to what he already does at the natural pageants." A little white lie. It was completely different.

"Well if it's not that different, why can't he just keep doing the natural ones?"

"Because he's getting bored. It's the same thing every weekend. He's capable of so much more, Sangdo." Hojoon knew Jiho could go further with this stuff. He was great at remembering routines and his personality shone on stage. Glitz pageants would allow him to compete at a higher level. "He really loves it, baby. You've never seen how happy he is when he's on stage."

Sangdo sighed. Hojoon was right, he had never even seen Jiho perform, opting to stay home with the rest of the kids instead. There was just something about beauty pageants that made him uneasy. He found it weird that people would parade their kids around in ridiculous clothes and tonnes of makeup for someone to judge them on how pretty they were. But he still felt terrible that he had never been there to support his son. 

"I just- I don't know if letting him dress up like that is such a great idea. You know I have no problem with any of our kids not liking conventionally boyish stuff, but I'm worried putting him in a dress is going to make him an easy target."

Hojoon smiled softly, he knew exactly where Sangdo was coming from, but he truly believed this would be good for Jiho. Having something to focus on had really calmed him down at school, they hadn't had as many complaints from his teachers about him distracting the other kids and not paying attention. It seemed to really help him come out of his shell too. Jiho had always been the shyer, more awkward of their twins. He didn't seem to fit in or make friends as easily as Byungjoo did. Hojoon had a feeling part of it stemmed from his height, he was the tallest in his class and it seemed to make him feel uneasy. 

But pageants had given him a lot of self-confidence. He had learnt that it was okay to look different and it had given him the courage to talk to other kids more. He had made friends through pageanting and Hojoon was sure that this new system would help improve his confidence and come out of his shell even more. 

"You should have seen how excited he was when that woman mentioned glitz pageants, baby. I know it's not a typical four-year-old boy’s hobby but I think he'll really enjoy it and it'll be good for his self-esteem. You know he struggles sometimes. And we have always told them to be themselves no matter what." 

Sangdo sighed again. Hojoon was right. That was one value they had always instilled in their children, that they shouldn't hide their true selves or interests just because other people found them weird. 

"Do you think he's transgender?" That was something else that worried Sangdo. Not the idea that Jiho may be transgender, but everything that came with it. The dysphoria, the bullies, the self-loathing. He didn't want any of his kids to have to go through with that. 

Hojoon shrugged. "He's never mentioned anything about wanting to be a girl, I think he's just a bit effeminate. But he's only young so he could be. Would you care if he was?"

"Of course not." Sangdo replied almost instantly. It was the truth, nothing could make him love Jiho any less. 

"Don't you think we should at least let him explore his gender, Sangdo? He lives in a house with twelve other guys, what if he is trans and doesn't feel comfortable coming out when he's older because he's surrounded by all this masculinity?"

Sangdo stifled a laugh at the fact Hojoon was referring to himself as 'masculine'. Now wasn't the time for jokes. 

He would hate to think of Jiho, or any of them, not feeling comfortable in their own skin as they grew up. He hated thinking that they wouldn't feel comfortable telling Hojoon or himself how they felt even more. He really had no problem with any of his boys expressing themselves however they wanted, his main worry was how other people would react. But he knew it was selfish to stop them being how they really were just to benefit narrow minded people. 

"I guess he would look pretty cute in a dress."

Hojoon yelped with excitement, throwing his arms around Sangdo, making the younger fall back onto the bed with the blonde on top of him. 

"He's gonna look ing adorable! He's gonna be the prettiest kid up there!"

Hojoon peppered Sangdo's face with kisses. He hadn't expected the brunette to come around so quickly. But he was glad he did. He knew this was what Jiho wanted, and he knew he would be amazing at it. Most of all he knew how much it was benefit the four-year-old.

"Oh my god I can't wait to take him shopping!"

♔♕♔

Hojoon soon realised that there was a lot more to glitz pageants than natural pageants. It wasn't just the plethora of outfits, but the make up, hair, three separate routines and props. Maybe he had taken on more than he could handle. 

"Baby, stay still, I don't want to get mascara in your eye."

It had been a good few months since Jiho had started doing glitz pageants, and he absolutely loved them. The spotlight, the attention, the outfits, winning. Sure, he had a lot more competition here, and it resulted in tears on the way home when he didn't come out on top at first, but Hojoon had assured him that being number one wasn't everything. Fortunately, most pageants tried to make every child feel like a winner, meaning he came away with something sparkly to display on his shelf regardless of how well he placed. 

That didn't dim his competitiveness, however. Or Hojoon’s for that matter. 

Although he taught Jiho that winning wasn't everything, that didn't mean he wanted his son to come in last place. Jiho was incredibly talented, charismatic and ing gorgeous. Hojoon knew that and wanted to help him grow and thrive. 

When they had first stepped into the glitz world, Hojoon instantly knew how unprepared they were. All of the other kids were so polished and on point and he wanted Jiho to be on that level. He knew his son was more than capable, even when it came to competing against girls. He knew Jiho had it in him to win. 

He spent hours working with Jiho to perfect his routines. He was only young so he still had a little leeway to make mistakes, but Jiho seemed to have a knack for remembering moves and improvising if he did happen to forget anything. That paired with his blinding white smile and effortless aegyo made him a hit with the judges. It didn't take long until he was becoming one of the top contenders in their local glitz community. 

This weekend was particularly important. If Jiho placed highly in this pageant he would have the opportunity to compete at state level. Hojoon was pretty sure he was more nervous than his son. 

Jiho was far from nervous. He was just fussy. He really did love pageants, but he hated having to wake up so early to get ready. It was a long day, especially for someone so young. 

"Jiho, sweetie, try and stay awake for me while I finish your makeup, you can nap when I do your hair."

Jiho whined. Hojoon couldn't really blame him. It was 7am and they had been up for a good hour and a half. But this took time, and Hojoon wasn't exactly a professional makeup artist. Jiho had just recently moved up to the five to six age group, which gave them around an extra hour to get ready, but it still didn't seem like long enough. 

"Everyone else is sleeping though." He pouted, giving Hojoon the perfect opportunity to apply a pink-tinted gloss to his plush lips. 

This was new for them. Hojoon usually avoided bringing all of the kids along to Jiho's pageants, for obvious reasons. Looking after one in this environment was difficult enough, never mind eleven. But with this being such a big competition, and them having to head out of town and staying in a hotel over the weekend, he wanted Sangdo there. Which of course, meant everyone tagging along. 

"That's cause they aren't competing, Jiji. Which eyelashes do you want?" He offered up a couple of different pairs to the still pouting five-year-old, hoping he would pick the most dramatic ones. Which he did. Sometimes he couldn't get over how he and Jiho seemed to be on the same wavelength considering they had adopted the twins less than a year ago. He truly felt like he was meant to be Jiho's father. 

"Okay close your eyes and stay very still."

Jiho sat up straight, giving Hojoon better access to his eyelids as they fluttered shut. He had learnt from past experience that getting eyelash glue in his eye was far from fun. 

Hojoon smiled to himself, pressing the dark, fanned out lashes to Jiho's own. He had never imagined that this would be how he spent his weekends, having eleven sons and all. When he and Sangdo first started fostering, he always thought he'd end up with a couple of little girls. He was obsessed with the idea of buying cute little dresses and accessories and learning how to do all sorts of interesting looking braids. But it just so happened that he managed to fall in love with nine amazing little boys instead, and have two biologically. 

He wouldn't have it any other way, but he was honestly so glad Jiho had an interest in more feminine things. He loved doing the boys makeup and dressing him up and seeing his eyes light up every time he brought a sparkly new crown home. 

"Okay, you're done." 

Hojoon's heart swelled as Jiho opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times as he adjusted to the eyelash extensions. He could never get over how beautiful his son was. Sure, he was naturally beautiful, he didn't need all the makeup, but honestly, he looked absolutely adorable with it on. 

"Do I look cute?"

"You look gorgeous, baby."

Jiho beamed, jumping down from the chair he was sat in to go double check his makeup, bouncing excitedly as he saw himself in the mirrored wardrobe. He did look cute. 

"Hey, babe, I'm gonna order some breakfast what do you wa- Woah." Sangdo stopped in his tracks as his eyes fell on Jiho. He had still never actually been to one of Jiho's competitions, he still wasn't fully on board with the idea of beauty pageants. Or his son wearing so much makeup and looking fifteen years older than he was. 

"I look cute, right Appa?"

Jiho genuinely seemed happy in all that makeup as he went back to preening himself in the mirror. It made Sangdo's heart tighten. Who was he to stop his son from doing something he loved just because it was a little unconventional?

"You look very cute, Jiji."

Hojoon smiled softly at the scene in front of him. He was so glad Sangdo had agreed to come see Jiho perform, their son would always whine and ask why his Appa couldn't come. Hojoon never had the heart to tell him that Sangdo didn't really approve of his hobby. Now he never had to. 

"Just order whatever, we still have a lot to do. How are the rest of the kids?"

"Most of them are still asleep." Sangdo crossed the room, arms wrapping around Hojoon’s waist as he pulled the elder into a tender kiss. He looked tired, but Sangdo knew Hojoon would do just about anything for Jiho, even if it cost him valuable sleep. "You need any help?"

Hojoon quirked an eyebrow. Really? Sangdo thought he could handle the mammoth task of getting a kid ready for a full glitz pageant? He would actually love to see that. But not today. Today was too important. 

"He looks like you." Sangdo had went back to staring at his son, laughing softly as the boy made cute pouty faces at himself in the mirror.

Hojoon scoffed, knowing exactly what Sangdo was referring to. Really?

"Are you saying our son looks like a drag queen hooker?"

When they had first met Hojoon had been performing at one of their local gay clubs as a drag artist. He could still remember the first time he talked Sangdo into going to the club that night, not mentioning that he was going to be the one on stage. He was worried how the younger would react, that it might have come between them, that Sangdo might not have been supportive; but, actually, it resulted in some of the best they'd ever had.

"No, of course n- That's not what I meant. He reminds me of you. It's sweet how similar the two of you are."

Hojoon smiled, honestly sometimes he felt like Jiho was like a mini version of himself and he absolutely loved it. He loved having a son that liked going shopping and dressing up and wanted to watch all of his favourite movies.

"He's a lot cuter than I was."

Sangdo hummed. There's no way he could deny that, Hojoon's drag aesthetic wasn't exactly what anyone would describe as cute.  

"Can you just keep the kids occupied, I can't cope with them getting in my way." The blonde laughed softly, rising up slightly to press another kiss to his husband's lips. "I want the finished product to be a surprise, anyway."

Sangdo's eyebrows disappeared under unkempt dark hair. He almost dreaded to think what Hojoon had left up his sleeve for their son. Sangdo gave Hojoon one last fleeting kiss before going back to the adjoining room where the kids were, leaving the blonde with a dopey smile on his face. 

"Appa liked my makeup!" 

Hojoon grinned to himself as he scooped Jiho up in his arms, pressing a barely there kiss to the five-year-olds nose so he didn't ruin his makeup. Jiho seemed so happy that Sangdo was here and supportive of his hobby. It truly warmed his heart. 

"You ready for hair?" 

Hair always took the longest because Jiho was so damn pedantic. They would go through at least three hairpieces and styles before he settled on one he liked. It usually ended up being the first one. 

This weekend he was being extra picky, almost on the verge of tears as Hojoon attached the ringlet extensions to the bun he had made with Jiho's real hair. 

He was still pouting. 

"It's not right, Daddy!" His voice was tight, indicating tears or a full-blown tantrum were on the way, and that was the last thing Hojoon needed. He really couldn't be bothered to redo all of Jiho's makeup. 

"Well I don't know what you want, baby, I've tried all the styles you usually have."

"I want it long not..." he waved his arms around above his hair a little, "up."

Hojoon sighed. Deeply. Don't lose your temper, Hojoon. You can do this. 

"Okay. How about this." He took the ringlet hairpiece off his son's head, throwing it to one side before brushing Jiho's hair out. "We pin the front of your real hair up in, like, a quiff or whatever, because we can't have it completely flat, baby, and then we put your long extensions in and I'll curl your real hair so it blends."

Jiho twisted his nose. Jesus Christ what was so difficult about picking a hairstyle?

"I want it straight."

Straight? "Jii, you can't have straight hair for a pageant you'll lose points. It needs to be big."

The mention of losing points seemed to make him perk up, eyes widening. That was the last thing he wanted. 

"Then make it big and curly I don't wanna lose!"

Hojoon rolled his eyes. He should have just said that five hairstyles ago and saved on a whole load of agro. 

He had to admit that Jiho had good taste, even for a five-year-old. He suited the longer hairstyles as opposed to up-do's, they didn't distract from his pretty features as much. 

An entire can of hairspray later and Jiho's hair was finally set to perfection. However, messing around with so many different hairstyles meant they were way behind schedule. 

"Right, we need to get you ready right now, or we're going to be late." Hojoon told Jiho, indicating that he wanted his son to stop picking at the waffles Sangdo had ordered and get ready. Or he would have if he had actually picked which dress he wanted Jiho to wear. 

Hojoon was notoriously indecisive when it came to pageants, that was probably where Jiho got it from. He had brought the five-year-old's entire wardrobe, which was pretty big considering he had only been in the glitz world a few months. He kept the amount he had spent on pageants to himself. Sangdo didn't need to know. 

"Which dress do you want, baby?" Jiho looked great in all of them. The royal blue one worked perfectly with his colouring and dark hair, the white one really highlighted the slight tan of his skin and the baby pink one just made him look utterly adorable. He could never decide. 

"Black!"

Hojoon sighed. Not this again. "You don't have a black dress, Jiho."

He had no idea when Jiho got so fixated on the colour black, but it wasn't a pageant colour, especially not for a kid with jet black hair. He would get marked down instantly. 

"But I want one!" Jiho whined, squirming out of his pyjamas without trying to mess his hair up. "I would look so cute, daddy."

Hojoon rolled his eyes. He would. He would look cute in a bin bag with holes cut in it for his head and arms. But that didn't mean either were going to happen. 

"Well maybe, but you have the choice of blue, pink or white. And we need to choose now because we don't want to be late and be deducted points." 

"White!" Jiho answered as soon as he heard the mention of points being deducted. Hojoon wondered if he should use that as a threat more often. "I always win the biggest crowns in white."

Hojoon smiled at how perceptive Jiho was for his age, most five-year-olds would never pick up on something like that. 

"White it is, then." 

Hojoon just about managed to squeeze a fidgeting Jiho into the dress, he always got impatient around this time, before adding the finishing touches to his outfit. 

He stepped back to admire his work. He tried his hardest not to well up every time he saw Jiho fully dressed up, but he looked so precious sometimes he couldn't help himself. 

However, he had ten equally impatient kids and his husband waiting outside. 

"Ready to go show your brothers?"

Jiho nodded feverishly, he couldn't wait. Hojoon loved that his five-year-old had absolutely no concept of gender roles. He knew it wouldn't stay like this, that kids in his class would influence him, that eventually he'd want to be a normal boy. But Hojoon was more than happy to indulge his son while he still could. 

Hojoon opened the hotel room door, revealing Sangdo and ten boys, equally as excited to see their brother. He really hoped none of them would take it badly, he didn't want anything knocking Jiho's confidence, they had worked so hard to improve it. 

"Oh my god!"

"Jiji, you look like a real girl!"

"He's so cute!"

"I wanna grow my hair that long!"

"Your dress is so sparkly!"

"Daddy, I want one!"

"He looks cute, right, Appa?"

Sangdo smiled down at Sanggyun in his arms, snapping out of his trance. Seeing his son in a full face of makeup, waist length curled back hair and a bejewelled white cupcake dress wasn't exactly the norm, but there was no denying Jiho looked cute. 

"He looks amazing," he turned back to the beaming five-year-old, "we have a surprise. Boys?"

Jiho's eyes sparkled as his father and brothers ped the hoodies they were wearing, revealing black t-shirts with Team Jiho written across them in pink glitter. 

That's what finally set Hojoon off. 

"Oh my god, babe, don't cry." Sangdo pulled Hojoon into his side with his free arm, laughing softly as he tried to comfort the elder. "We need to get downstairs, come on, smile."

"Smile, Daddy!" Sanggyun chirped, mimicking his father, reaching across to try and wipe the tears from the blonde’s face. 

Hojoon giggled. Jesus Christ, his family were adorable. But Sangdo was right, they needed to get downstairs or they were going to be late. 

He scooped Jiho up in his arms, carefully so as not to ruin his pristine dress or hair. The last thing he needed was a hair piece falling out or the boy tripping over as they made their way downstairs. Jiho wasn't the most graceful when he was running. 

He instantly regretted bringing ten other kids along as they stepped into the main hall, the place was heaving. He was used to much smaller, local pageants which didn't have anywhere near this amount of people. 

"Babe, make sure none of the kids get lost while I get Jiho ready for line up, I wasn't expecting the place to be so busy." 

Sangdo nodded, leading the rest of the kids off to find somewhere to sit, which proved more difficult than he originally thought considering there were so many of them. He ended up with three of his sons on his lap while some of the smaller kids had to make do with sitting in their other brothers. It wasn't ideal but it would have to do. 

"Appa, why does Jiji have to dress like that?" Byungjoo turned in Hyunho’s lap to face him, clearly still not okay with seeing his brother in a dress. The silently thanked god that Byungjoo hadn't said anything in front of Jiho, the younger twin always took whatever Byungjoo said to heart. 

"He doesn't have to, Byungjoo, he wants to. He likes dressing up like that and doing pageants."

"But why? Dressing up as a girl is stupid. I don't want a sister I want my brother back." Byungjoo huffed, arms folding across his chest. 

Sangdo sighed, he honestly thought Byungjoo would have gotten over this by now. It was weird for him too, seeing one of his sons in a sparkly dress, all done up like that, but it seemed to make Jiho really happy and that's what was important. 

"He's still your brother, sweetie, wearing a dress doesn't make him a girl. Boys can wear dresses too."

"Can I wear a dress, Appa? This looks fun!" Hyosang clapped his hands together from his spot in his father's lap as he watched some of the girls in Jiho's age division perform. 

Sangdo laughed softly as Byungjoo’s pout deepened. Hyosang too? Why couldn't his brothers just be normal and like normal boy things? He was about to tell Byungjoo to be more supportive when Jiho's name was called out by the host. 

"Contestant number forty-seven; Jiho Yu!"

Sangdo’s breath hitched as Jiho stepped out onto the stage, perfectly poised and ready for action. He watched as the five-year-olds eyes scanned the crowd for his family, suppressing a smile as all of his brothers cheered and waved back, well, all but one. Sangdo really hoped Jiho didn't pick up on Byungjoo sitting back with his arms still tightly folded across his chest. 

"Hey," Hojoon appeared behind him, offering to take Sanggyun from his arms so he could cheer Jiho on easier, "he looks amazing, right?"

"He's gorgeou-" 

"GO ON, JIHO, BABY, YOU GOT THIS!" Sangdo was cut off as he winced at the small blonde beside him, screaming towards the stage, an excited Sanggyun clapping while propped up against his hip. 

He laughed to himself, he knew Hojoon had gotten pretty involved in these pageants, but he never expected his husband to act like all of the crazy pageant moms he had seen on tv. 

"SPARKLE, BABY!"

He tore his eyes away from the elder to turn back to the stage as the music started and Jiho began his routine. Sangdo didn't know a whole lot about pageants, but he knew the first round was known as Beauty, and it involved the contestants showing off their faces and personalities with twirling and cutesy poses. He also knew that Jiho wasn't that big on Beauty, he found it boring and much preferred the Talent segment, but nonetheless his son stayed professional despite only being five years of age and carried out his routine without any flaws. Or if there were any, he couldn't pick up on them. 

He didn't know if he was just being biased because it was his son up there, but Jiho honestly shone on stage, like he was meant to be up there. He looked so comfortable, a far cry from the timid and slightly awkward four-year-old they had adopted, the one that was constantly living in his twin brothers shadow. He couldn't believe how far Jiho had come in such a short period of time. 

He watched on as Jiho finished his routine, stunned. He was so polished for someone his age, Sangdo assumed anyway, the contestants that were on before him really weren't as put together. Hojoon had done an amazing job training Jiho. 

Jiho finished his routine, flashing one more winning smile before running off the stage to see his family, being swamped by his brothers as Hojoon tried to warn them not to mess up his dress because it was expensive. 

"Jiji! You did so good!"

"You looked like a princess!"

"You're gonna win I just know it!"

Jiho giggled as nine boys crowded around him, paying him compliments. Wait. Nine? He looked around for his twin, realising Byungjoo was still sat on the seats his family had occupied. 

"Joo! Did you see me? Didn't I look cute?" He bounded over to the other five-year-old, hands on his brother’s knees as he bounced excitedly. Byungjoo being there meant more to him than anyone else. His twin would always go along to his natural pageants, but seemed to stop when he moved over to glitz. 

Byungjoo didn't respond. 

"You did amazing, Jiho, I'm very proud of you." Sangdo tried to distract him from Byungjoo, running his fingers through the boy’s hair, trying not to mess it up and getting a scolding from his husband. 

Jiho smiled weakly at his father, eyes still trained on his brother. Why was Byungjoo ignoring him? 

"Okay, baby, let’s go. We gotta get you ready for Talent." Hojoon scooped Jiho up in his arms to take him back upstairs to get ready for the next section of the competition. 

"Daddy," Jiho played with the locket around Hojoon's neck as he walked, "is Joo mad at me?"

Hojoon's breath hitched, he was really hoping Jiho wouldn't pick up on Byungjoo's mood. 

"Is he mad that I'm wearing a dress and makeup?"

"Of course not, baby." Hojoon hated lying to his kids, but the last thing he wanted was Jiho's confidence being shattered just because Byungjoo couldn't come to terms with his brother’s hobby. This made Jiho happy, and Hojoon was willing to tell a few white lies if it meant keeping him happy. "He's just not feeling well, that's all." 

"Oh, okay!" Jiho beamed, seeming to buy it. "Hope he feels better later!"

"Yeah, me too, Jiji." He really wished Byungjoo would come around, the last thing he wanted was any of his kids thinking they had to conform to gender stereotypes. 

They got ready much quicker, only having to change Jiho's outfit this time, considering his hair and makeup were already done, racing back downstairs to watch some of his competition before it was Jiho's turn to go back on stage. 

Sangdo laughed softly as Hojoon slumped down beside him. "You look stressed."

Hojoon whined, head resting on his husband's shoulder. "I'm not that bad actually, everything has gone okay so far, touch wood." He tapped on Sangdo’s head, making the brunette scowl. "But Jiho's worried about Byungjoo, he thinks he's mad at him, so I had to tell him he's just feeling sick. I didn't know what else to say." 

Sangdo hummed, eyes settling on the group of kids in front of him playing on the floor. Byungjoo had seemed to perk up after Jiho went upstairs and his brothers decided to play together. 

"Maybe he won't be as bothered this time, Jiho's outfit isn't as effeminate." Jiho had joined his brothers on the floor, his dance outfit was a red bomber jacket and shorts, something any of the kids would wear anyway, but he still had the hair pieces in and all of the makeup on, so Hojoon wasn't too sure. 

"I just don't understand why he's being so weird about it. We've always told them that there's nothing wrong with liking girly things. I don’t - Jiho! Don't wrestle with your brothers, I don't have time to fix your hair! - I don't know where he's suddenly gotten the idea that it's so bad from." 

"School?" Sangdo offered up. "Maybe that's what some of the kids at school are like, not everyone is raised like ours." 

"I guess." Hojoon pouted, nuzzling further into Sangdo’s shoulder. "I just hope Jiho doesn't want to give up on this because Byungjoo makes him feel self-conscious. He's worked so hard."

"We'll just have to talk to him, make him understand." Sangdo laced their fingers together, thinking back to when he wasn't fully on board with Jiho's new hobby either, but he could never come between anything that made one of his kids this happy. Byungjoo would come around eventually. 

"Jiho, sweetie, it's time to go line up, come on." Hojoon put his hand out for Jiho to follow him over to the side of the stage 

"Kids, come sit back down, Jiho's gonna be back on soon." Sangdo chuckled at how obedient his kids could be when it came to seeing their brother performing. It would usually take a good 10 minutes of that they still want to play before they would even think about listening to their parents, but they were all back in their seats within seconds, anticipating seeing Jiho on stage again. 

"What's he doing this time, Appa?" Sehyuk asked, squeezing in close to his father so one of his brothers could share the seat with him." 

"I think he's dancing." Sangdo replied, not actually 100% sure. He knew this section was where the kids would show off their talents, and Jiho loved dancing so he could only assume. 

"Ooooh! Jiji is a good dancer! I can't wait to see him!" Hansol kicked his legs excitedly as he settled down next to Sehyuk. "Right, Joo?" He turned to his younger brother who loved dancing just as much as he did. But Byungjoo looked completely unphased, arms folded across his chest.  

Sangdo scooped him up to sit on his knee, determined to get him involved somehow. 

"Byungjoo, you love dancing with Jiho, don't you think it'll be fun to watch him on stage?"

"I guess." The five-year-old mumbled. He really didn't want to be here. He thought pageants were dumb and didn't want to see his twin brother prancing around on stage in makeup and a dress. It made him uncomfortable. It didn't feel right.  

"I want you to clap when he comes on stage, okay? We have to support him because he's worked really hard." Sangdo looped his fingers loosely around his son's wrists, pulling them out of their folded position in the hope that Byungjoo would join in when the time was right, or at least look a little less pissed off if Jiho happened to glance over at him during his performance.  

Byungjoo just hummed in response. He wasn't going to do that, but he didn't want to get in trouble so he didn't directly disobey or throw a tantrum. He was just going to sit there and do nothing throughout this stupid pageant anyway. 

Hojoon came running back over as the contestant before Jiho finished up, practically bouncing as he sat down next to Sangdo. He loved watching Jiho dance, he loved watching all of his kids dance, but Jiho had this amazing stage presence, he commanded attention. 

He grabbed Sangdo’s hand, even more excited that his husband was here to watch their son. He knew how much Jiho wanted his Appa's approval when it came to his slightly unorthodox hobby, and he was finally getting it. 

The five-year old was delighted that not only his Appa was here to support him, but all of his brothers were too, and honestly, it warmed Hojoon's heart. His gaze shifted from the stage to his other five-year-old, sat in Sangdo’s lap, looking completely disinterested. He just wished Byungjoo was as supportive as the rest of them, he knew that was more important to Jiho than anything. 

He was pulled from his thoughts as Jiho’s music started up, eyes lighting up as the boy stepped on stage. He smiled as the boys began to cheer for their brother, standing up in their seats so they could see properly. He ignored the hushed whispering from the people behind them that they couldn't see, he didn't care, his kids supporting their brother was way more important. 

"Go on Jiji!"

"Oh my god, he's so good!"

"Appa, look at Jiho go!"

He beamed at how excited they all were to see their brother dancing. If it wasn't such a hassle having ten other kids running around while he was trying to get Jiho ready he would bring them to every pageant. 

His eyes fixed back on the stage as Jiho popped and locked in front of the entire audience. They had spent hours on this routine, it was completely new, Jiho insisting he couldn't use one of his old ones for such a huge competition. His son was every bit the perfectionist that he was. 

"Woah."

He heard a soft gasp beside him as Jiho performed a flawless back handspring, Byungjoo standing up in his father's lap to see better. He didn't realise Jiho was that good. Despite the fact his brother was wearing makeup and hair pieces, he was still an amazing dancer and Byungjoo couldn't take his eyes off him. 

Sangdo’s turned to Hojoon, a wide smile on his face as he wrapped an arm around his son's waist to steady him. He squeezed his husband's hand as he noticed Hojoon’s eyes begin to glass over, knowing how much Byungjoo being supportive if his brother was to him. He could cry later, right now he had to focus on Jiho’s performance, he couldn't spend the entire routine watching Byungjoo. 

Hojoon snapped out of it, turning back to the front just as Jiho seemed to hesitate. Oh no. He'd forgotten his routine. He stood up, urging him to continue. Only being five he was still young enough to be allowed coaching throughout his routine, but Jiho usually didn't need it, usually insisted he didn't need it. 

But he was floundering. 

Hojoon signalled for him to do his next move, but he just couldn't remember what it was. So, he did something else. Just, anything. He launched into another back handspring, repeating a part of his routine from earlier, just managing to link it in the very end of his routine, a part that he could remember. 

The whole audience clapped as he finished up, running off stage to his parents as the music stopped. 

"Jiho! Baby, you did so-"

"I messed up!"

Hojoon’s heart wrenched as he noticed the tears flowing down his son's face. 

"No, no, no, no, baby, you were amazing honestly. No one even noticed." He kneeled down, arms stretched out so the boy could cuddle into him. He hated seeing Jiho cry, especially over something like this. He hadn't messed up. He may have forgotten a bit of his routine, but he covered it up so quickly no one but the two of them would ever know. He couldn't be prouder of how professional his son was on stage, most kids would just stop or break down, but not Jiho, he pushed on, determined to finish his performance. 

"Trust me, sweetie, you were perfect. Please don't cry, I'm so proud of you." He rocked his son back and forth, pressing soft kisses into his hair in an attempt to calm him down. 

"R-really?" Jiho emerged from where he was buried in his father's chest, mascara running down his face as he looked up. 

"Yes!" Hojoon laughed softly at the state of Jiho’s makeup, thumbing away his tears as he tried to clear up some of the black mess that stained the five-year-olds features. "Don't ever doubt yourself, Jiho. You did great."

"Jiji don't cry!" Byungjoo jumped out of Sangdo’s lap to run to his twin. "You're such a good dancer!"

Hojoon’s heart skipped a beat as Byungjoo threw his arms around Jiho, pulling the younger into a tight hug, making him giggle. This was what he lived for; the two of them loving and supporting one another no matter what. They had been together since birth, were practically inseparable and Hojoon didn't want that to change. He loved the bond his twins had and was so glad to see Byungjoo coming around to Jiho’s new hobby after seeing how amazing he was at it. He forced back the tears as his eyes met Sangdo’s, to who smiling softly at him. 

Why did his perfect little family make him cry so much? 

He settled himself back down next to his husband, nuzzling into his shoulder as the rest of the kids crowded around Jiho, singing his praises. 

"They're so precious." Sangdo whispered into blonde hair, smiling as Dongsung picked the five-year-old up and spun him around. 

"I know!" Hojoon whined, trying his best not to let his emotions overcome him and break down. "I'm so happy Byungjoo has come around to this, Jiho would have been heartbroken if not."

"His face lit up when he saw Jiho dancing, he seems really proud of him."

"Yeah." Hojoon laced his fingers with Sangdo’s, turning his head to brush his lips against the youngers. "I'm pretty proud of him too. I honestly thought it was going to end in a huge tantrum and then falling out or Jiho wanting to quit pageants." He took a shuddering breath. "Hopefully that won't happen."

Sangdo leaned in to capture Hojoon's lips in his own while the kids weren't paying attention, humming softly as Hojoon moved against him, allowing him to take control. That was usually the case, unless Hojoon was trying to drive him crazy by teasing him, but they were in the middle of a hotel ballroom filled with pageant parents and their kids. 

"I think they're gonna be fine, babe." The two of them looked across at their kids who had begun playing together on the floor next to their seats. They didn't have any toys or anything down in the ballroom with them, but they always managed to invent games between them. They all had such vivid imaginations it amazed their parents what they could come up with. 

"So, what happens next?" Sangdo asked, still having no idea how these pageants worked. 

"Crowning." Hojoon beamed. He loved crowning. He loved how excited Jiho would get when he would come away with trophies that were bigger than he was and crowns that were loaded with so many crystals in his eyes would sparkle. "But that's not for a few hours, the rest of the contestants have to do their talent segment first. We should go get food or something before they get all bratty."

"Yeah, you're right, let's go."

They wrangled the kids up to go get something to eat, there were still a load of contestants to go and it was a waste of time watching them, really. Hojoon wasn't one of those pageant parents that got involved with all the drama and rivalries, he was there for Jiho and nobody else. 

And now they were all here for him, all supporting him. It truly warmed his heart. They often went to Sehyuk's football games or Taeyang's piano recitals as a family, but this was the first time they'd all been here together here. 

Them all being together meant the world to him. He smiled to himself as the kids made a mess of the table, not really caring since they were in the hotel restaurant and he wouldn't have gone the one to clear up after them. He knew it meant the world to Jiho too, the five-year-old hadn't stopped smiling since he had gotten over his little mistake on stage. The people he loved most in the world were here supporting him and that spurred him on to do better than ever. 

"Daddy?" Hojoon was pulled from his thoughts as Yoonchul tugged on his sleeve, Hojoon laughed softly as he realised his son had pasta sauce all over his face, wiping it off with a napkin. 

"Yeah, baby?"

"Is Jiho gonna get another crown?"

Hojoon nodded. The great thing about these pageants is that no matter where Jiho placed he would get some kind of crown and trophy so he would always feel like a winner to some extent. He was beginning to understand which titles were higher, and what was just a pity title, but Hojoon was pretty sure he cared more about the actual crown than title anyway. As long as he had some kind of crown he was happy. 

"Who needs that many crowns?"

"I do!" Jiho spoke up from across the table, pizza sauce all over his face, just like Yoonchul had. He looked far from the prim and proper pageant kid that was on stage not long ago, makeup all wiped off, hair tired up in a little ponytail on the top of his head, oversized t-shirt hanging off his shoulder. "Because I'm, like, a prince. Right, Daddy?"

Hojoon’s lips quirked up. "Sure you are, baby."

"You're more like a princess, really." Hyunho interjected, stuffing a handful of fries in his mouth, earning a tut from Sangdo as he reminded him to take his time when eating. 

Jiho shrugged. "I can be both. I'm a prince right now and a princess when I put on my makeup."

"I wanna be a princess!" Hansol whined, head resting on the table. "Daddy, can you do my makeup too sometime?"

"Yeah me too, Daddy!"

"Sanggyunnie would look kinda cute with long hair."

"Oh my god! Yeah, he would!"

"Appa! You should let Daddy do your makeup sometime!"

Sangdo almost choked on his water. What?

"Uh, I dunno about that."

"Appa! Why not? You'd look cute."

Hojoon laughed, hiding his smile behind his hand as Sangdo shot him a look. 

"Yeah, Appa, you'd look cute." He repeated, mimicking Hyosang, imagining what Sangdo would look like in the heavy drag makeup he wore when he was in his twenties. He couldn't really see it if he was being perfectly honest. 

Sangdo stuttered as the rest of the kids joined in asking to see him in makeup. That wasn't really his thing. At all. 

"Uh- I don't- Maybe not, okay. Wouldn't you rather see Daddy in makeup? He looks really pretty."

Hojoon quirked an eyebrow as eleven pairs of widened eyes turned to look at him. There was no way he was dressing up like that again, it had been over ten years. But, then again, he couldn't exactly show the kids any pictures from his drag queen days, his persona wasn't exactly...child friendly. 

"Okay! We have to go now, crowning is pretty soon and we don't wanna miss seeing Jiho win, right?" He spoke up, diverting the attention away from himself, knowing fine well that would get the kids excited. They all jumped out of their seats, making their way back to the main ballroom as Sangdo shouted after them to stop running before someone tripped over and hurt themselves. 

They settled back down in the ballroom, Hojoon’s knee was bouncing in anticipation as they waited for the judges scores to be revealed. 

"Daddy!" Sangwon whined in Hojoon’s lap, tiny hands in his father's t-shirt. "I'm sleepy, stop it."

"Sorry, honey." He pressed a soft kiss to his youngest's forehead, it had been a pretty long day for him, and he didn't want to keep him up but he was so anxious. It was true that he would be proud of Jiho no matter where he placed, but he hoped he would at least get a decent title after working so hard. 

"Can the contestants in the five to six age category please make their way to stage!"

Jiho squeaked as he jumped out of the chair he was sharing with Byungjoo to run up to the stage. He loved this part the most, getting all of the prizes and something big and sparkly. 

All of the contestants were given a trophy just for participating, and the participants that hadn't pulled for a higher title were given Princess crowns. They didn't really mean anything, other than the kids were happy that they got a crown to add to their collection. 

Jiho had never gotten a Princess crown, he always pulled for a higher title. There was him and two other girls in his age category that weren't given one which gave Hojoon some hope. Next came the title of Queen - the best in the age category who hadn't pulled for a higher overall title. Sangdo’s eyebrows furrowed as Hojoon tried to explain this to him. This was too complicated for his liking. 

"So, we don't want him to get a crown?" He tilted his head, trying to comprehend exactly what his husband was saying. 

"Not yet. The longer we wait the higher the title and bigger the crown. I'll be pissed if he doesn't pull out of his age group, he deserves it." Hojoon’s eyes narrowed slightly as the Queen crown was brought on stage. Jiho deserved better than that. 

"And the five-to-six Queen crown goes to contestant number forty-"

Hojoon swallowed thickly as the woman with the crown seemed to make her way to Jiho. There was no way he hadn’t pulled from his age group. 

"-six, Kaija."

"Oh, thank god."

Jiho came running back over to his parents, trophy in hand and a smile on his face. 

"Daddy! I'm gonna get a big crown, right?"

"Yeah you are, baby." He leaned down to scoop Jiho up with his free arm, settling the boy down on his lap next to Sangwon. "Way bigger than the ones the other girls in your age group just got."

"My girlfriend only got a small crown." Jiho mused, looking around the hall for the girl to see if she was okay. 

Hojoon hummed. "She still did good, sweetie. You just did better."

Hojoon felt himself getting more and more anxious as time went on. All of the age category Queens had been named and they were moving onto the bigger titles. 

"And the winner of the Beauty Supreme is-"

"And the winner of the Talent Supreme is-"

First came the overall winners of the Beauty and Talent segments, Hojoon would have been more than happy with either considering how hard Jiho worked, he often came away with Talent supreme. 

But he wasn't called for either. Had he won an even bigger title? Jiho was still fairly new to the pageant circuit, some kids his age had been doing this since they were babies, but Jiho seemed to have this natural talent for being on stage and showing off his abilities to a large group of people. It was surprising to Hojoon at first considering his son used to be so shy. 

"And the winner of the Mini Supreme is-"

Now they were starting to get into the really big titles. Mini Supreme was the equivalent to coming fourth out of everyone who had entered the competition. Jiho had never placed this high before. Hojoon could feel his palms sweating, trying his best to stay still and not bounce his knee in fear of getting another scalding from Sangwon. 

"-contestant number sixty-three, Emilia."

. 

Jiho was in the top three? Hojoon had butterflies and he didn't quite know how to control him. It was making him feel a little nauseous. 

What if this was one of those pageants where not everyone got a crown? He had seen those on TV, parents getting excited thinking their kids had pulled for the highest title and it going to someone else, leaving the child without any crown at all. That would break Jiho's heart. He wrapped his arm tighter around the five-year-old's waist, really hoping that wasn't the case. 

"And the winner of the Grand Supreme is contestant number twenty-nine, Caitlyn."

Hojoon was barely even paying attention at this point, too nervous that Jiho was going to go away empty handed. 

"Babe, are there only two titles left?" Sangdo whispered to him, pulling Hojoon from his thoughts. 

Two? Had grand been announced and he hadn't even realised? Oh god. 

He nodded slowly, looking up at his husband with worry written all over his face. He knew Jiho was good, really good, but he was in the biggest pageant they'd ever been to with way more experienced contestants. Was it really possible for him to place so high? 

"And the winner of the Ultimate Grand Supreme goes to-"

Hojoon’s heart was racing so hard he felt like he could pass out at any moment. 

"-contestant number seventy-one, Chelsea."

His eyes unfocused on the back of Jiho’s head, a dull buzzing in his ears as everything seemed to go silent around him. There was only one title left, the highest in the entire pageant. Jiho had either won or come away with absolutely nothing. He hadn't been paying attention properly to be able to work out if anyone else was waiting, hoping they had come out on top, only to find that they too hadn't placed at all. 

"And the best of the best, your Ultimate Mega Grand Supreme goes to-"

Oh Jesus. 

"-contestant number forty-"

Wait. What. Could it actually be-

"-seven, Jiho!"

Hojoon’s jaw dropped as Jiho jumped out of his lap to run up to the stage, squealing to himself. 

He had done it. He won the biggest title in the pageant. He-

Hojoon began to well up as Jiho leapt on stage, a trophy twice the size of him on his right and a lady placing a sash with his title around his shoulders on his left. All of their kids had climbed back up onto their seats so they could see their brother properly and he could see them; clapping and cheering as Jiho was presented with the biggest crown he'd ever seen in his life. 

Hojoon and Sangdo joined them in standing up, making sure Jiho could see how proud they were as the boy waved at his family from onstage. 

Hojoon couldn't hold back the tears any longer as the crown was placed above Jiho’s head, way too big to actually be placed on top. 

Sangdo chucked softly as he pulled Hojoon into his side, pressing a kiss to blonde hair. He knew how proud the elder was of his son; he was too, he was just better at holding back his emotions in public than Hojoon was. 

"Appa! Can we go up and see Jiji?" Byungjoo whined, tugging at his father's jacket. He wanted to hug his twin and it was taking ages for him to come back what with photos being taken and all. 

"Sure, I don't see why not." It's not like Jiho would be able to carry his trophy and crown back over here and the directors seemed just about done with whatever they needed. "Just be careful, try not to break anything."

Byungjoo let out a soft squeak of excitement as he ran up to the stage to see Jiho, the rest of his brothers following suit. 

"Daddy!" Sangwon cried from Hojoon's arms, wanting to be let down so he could join in. Hojoon hadn't even fully registered what was going on as he noticed his kids running to congratulate their brother. He placed Sangwon on the ground, laughing to himself as their youngest tried to catch up to his brothers. 

"God, they're so cute." He whined, head burying into Sangdo’s chest, arms wrapping around the brunette’s waist. 

"They all love each other so much, it's adorable." Sangdo agreed, smiling as the boys all bounded into the stage to hug Jiho. 

"I can't believe he came first." Hojoon mused against Sangdo’s t-shirt, which was slowly getting damp due to the tears that were still rolling down the blonde’s face. "I'm so ing proud of him."

Sangdo laughed softly, nuzzling into Hojoon’s bleached hair. "He did so good, babe. And so did you for training him."

Hojoon giggled as Sangdo leaned down to pepper kisses across his forehead, not at all caring that they were in public. 

"How the are we going to get that trophy home, though? It's bigger than me."

♔♕♔

Hojoon flopped down on the hotel room bed, eyes fluttering shut. He was absolutely wrecked. He'd been up since god knows what time, and putting the kids down to sleep when they were so excited had been hell. 

He rolled into his side, settling down to go to sleep when Sangdo interrupted him. 

"You not even going to get changed?"

Hojoon sighed. He actually hadn't even realised he was still wearing his clothes. Too tired to care. 

"Can't be bothered."

He heard Sangdo chuckle under his breath, repositioning Hojoon so he was on his back. 

"You're not sleeping in skinny jeans, you'll just  in the morning when you're too hot and uncomfortable."

He opened his eyes just enough to roll them at his husband as Sangdo fiddled with the buttons of his pants. Why did Hojoon insist on wearing such ing tight jeans? There was no denying he looked amazing in them, but they were a to get off. 

Hojoon complied, too tired to argue, lifting his hips ever so slightly so Sangdo could peel off the black denim. He thought he would be allowed to sleep, eyes falling shut as he nuzzled into the pillow only to feel a tugging at the hem of his t-shirt. 

"I'm not having you complain that this ridiculously expensive shirt you insisted on having is all creased because you slept in it." 

Hojoon whined as Sangdo pulled the material up his chest, knowing that meant he'd have to move his arms to take it off. As if he would complain. That didn't sound like him at all. 

"Yes, Appa." He sighed sardonically, arms lifting so Sangdo could manoeuvre the shirt over his head. "Can I sleep now?"

"Yes, baby." Sangdo chuckled, pressing a kiss to Hojoon’s forehead and tucking him in like he would any of his kids before walking around the bed to crawl in next to him. 

Hojoon gravitated back to Sangdo almost instantly, finding his rightful place in the youngers arms, head resting on his chest so he could press a soft kiss to his collarbones. 

"I'm really glad you came today."

"Me too." Sangdo smiled, his arm wrapping tighter around the blonde as more barely there kisses were littered across his shoulder. "It was amazing watching him, he's a really talented little boy."

"Yeah." Hojoon sighed, fingers meandering down Sangdo’s torso to toy with the waistband of his boxers. He may be tired, but he wasn't that tired. 

"And you're the best Appa ever for coming along and supporting him." His fingers dipped into Sangdo’s underwear, wrapping around the base of his and earning Hojoon a hushed whimper from the brunette. "I know you weren't really on board with this when he first started, but I'm glad you are now."

"You know I'd support him no matter what."

"That's why you're the best." Hojoon leaned up to capture Sangdo’s lips in his own, fingers skilfully playing with his husband's . He wanted Sangdo to feel good, to know just how grateful Hojoon was that he showed up. 

"Babe." He gasped out as Hojoon began to pump harder, using the pre-come that was dripping from Sangdo’s tip as lube to really work the brunette. Really make him lose it. 

Hojoon moved onto Sangdo’s neck, leaving a trail of open mouthed kisses along the sensitive skin as his husband moaned his name over and over. He wanted to and bite down more than anything, but he knew fine well the younger hadn't packed any turtle necks and it was way too warm to be wearing a scarf to cover up any hickies. 

Sangdo’s arm tightened around Hojoon as he threw his head back against the pillow, chest arching into the elder’s touch. He loved how Hojoon still managed to drive him crazy after being together so long. Things were never boring between the two of them. 

He was so close already. It had been a long, stressful but exciting day and he couldn't bring himself to hold on much longer, not when Hojoon’s fist was wrapped so tightly around his hard . 

Hojoon sensed how shallow Sangdo’s breaths were becoming, how tight his voice was as he whimpered Hojoon’s name. 

"Come for me, babe." He whispered close to Sangdo’s ear, breath hot against his skin, causing the younger to shudder as he gave into Hojoon’s touch, spilling all over the blonde’s hand and his own stomach. 

Hojoon smiled as Sangdo gasped out a '', leaning over the brunette to grab a couple of tissues from the bedside table to clean the two of them up. He loved seeing Sangdo like this, face flushed, eyelids heavy, lips parted. And he loved being the one to cause it. 

He settled back down into Sangdo’s side, sighing blissfully as he lazily threw an arm over his husband's waist. 

"Night, baby."

"Don't you want me to..." Sangdo motioned to Hojoon’s own hardening , he couldn't just leave the elder like that. 

But Hojoon shook his head against Sangdo’s chest, yawning. "Too tired. I'll be fine."

Sangdo wrapped his other arm around Hojoon, pulling him in even closer as the blonde let his eyes fall back asleep, nuzzling into the younger. 

"I love you, Hojoonie."

Hojoon smiled at the pet name, it was so rare that Sangdo called him it anymore he always got butterflies when he did. 

"Love you too, baby."