separate from the ongoing smaller selves alternate universe

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Sowon hummed as she bustled around the kitchen, she had been recently getting really into cooking, it was fun and healthy. Of course she still funded the girl's late night fried chicken runs at times, but when she had the time and energy, they all enjoyed a home cooked meal. Feeling small arms wrap around her calf, Sowon looked down, finding their currently extremely stressed baby Eunha.

"What is it? Why are you not sleeping?"

"I can't sleep."

Scooping her up with an arm, Sowon balanced herself expertly to handle her stew with one hand, Eunha clinging to her on the other.

"What happened to the girl with no sense, always happily purposely ignorant of the atmosphere?"

Eunha sighed as she lay her cheek on Sowon's shoulder, her small hands reaching around Sowon's neck to play with her fingers, looking at them, linking them and unlinking her smaller fingers.

"It's tiring."

"Tiring?"

"It's tiring to pretend that nothing matters."

Sowon hummed, making vibrations that tickled Eunha's cheek. She wiggled in response. Sowon stayed quiet, not quite knowing what was bothering Eunha this much.

"I can hear them, I have ears you know?"

"Mmhmm."

"But it's hard. It's hard to pretend they don't hurt me."

Sowon swayed a little bit, walking around the kitchen as she turned the stove on low to slow cook the last part. Patting Eunha's back, Sowon was saddened. Even though they faced so many issues together, Eunha was always the one who was fine, she was a strong girl, and they all adored her for it despite her height.

"They can't hurt you."

"They can't?"

"How can they? When they have to go through me first?"

Sowon held Eunha up in the air above her, looking up with such loving eyes.

"You're a cutie, no matter what they say, ignorant or not, a fool or not, I know that you're a good girl."

Hugging Eunha again, Sowon kissed her head softly.

"If you need help, we're always here to remind you how much you're loved."

"I know that."

Sowon chuckled.

"Then why are you like this? All tiny like a baby? Not that I mind, you know me and babies."

Kissing Eunha's puffy cheeks, Sowon smiled brightly enough to ellicit one from Eunha as well.

"Maybe you should just baby me sometimes."

"Like I am right now? Even when you're big?"

Eunha cutely bobbled her head, making Sowon squeal and kiss her again, this time landing it on the top of her head.

"You think if I go and kiss Hwang Eunbi, she'll get mad?"

"Why suddenly about little Eunbi?"

"Because I figured that you enjoy teasing her, having known her for so long as you have. Shall we go see?"

Eunha pondered for a second, puffing her even more squishy cheeks.

"Okay."

The cute action made Sowon rub their cheeks together, hurrying to the 98s room.

"Yah Hwang Eunbi!"

"What is it you giraffe?"

SinB opened the door and froze when a kiss landed on the top of her head, comically she quickly ducked to avoid another, using her arms to cover her head.

"What's wrong with you giraffe! Why're you kissing me!"

Eunha's giggles filled the room, even Umji crawled out from under her covers and went to side hug Sowon, tucking herself under the tallest's arm.

"For the sake of our Jjyannyangie's happiness, I will sacrifice everything!"

Sowon rushed forwards, pulling Umji along with her as she chased SinB with her lips protruding in an exaggerated kissy face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tiredly sat in the living room, Sowon patted Eunha's back softly to urge her to sleep.

"Sowon unnie?"

"Yes?"

"You're like a mom."

"Omo, I'm a mom?"

"I remembered form a long time ago, Yuju said you already had five kids, and you called us all grown adults."

Sowon hummed, recalling the particular clip.

"And then when you walked the runway, you called SinB and Yuna as your kids."

"Well, you're all my kids."

Sowon kissed Eunha's head softly.

"I told you, if they want to hurt you, they'd have to get to me first."

Poking Eunha's cheek, Sowon smiled as Eunha whined.

"In my eyes, Yerin is cute, where other people would say she's weird. In my eyes, you're the cutest person I know in the world, the most flirtatious as well. Yuju is a weird kid, but she's smart, she's so smart you just don't get her all the time. SinB, is a tsundere. Once you know her, you really know her. Yewon is-"

"Your favorite."

"Nope."

Sowon booped Eunha on her little nose, Eunha just noticed that Sowon was using a pretty voice to talk with her, it did soothe her baby form.

"Yewonie is smart, straight laced, almost perfect daughter. But she has her flaws, like she won't say what's on her mind. You know this as well. We all love her a lot. Because she wouldn't talk to us otherwise. Out of all of you, I can't say I have a favorite. Because I love you all equally."

Eunha hummed, her eyes drooping slowly. Wanting to hold something in , she resorted to biting Sowon's shirt a little, and Sowon let her. She would have encouraged Eunha to on her own thumb, as it soothed babies tricking them into the safe space they were with their mothers, but perhaps Eunha wanted to remain an adult and avoided such things.

Waiting until Eunha passed out completely, Sowon untucked her shirt from Eunha's mouth, replacing the spot with a towel to protect herself from the drool.

"I hope, that if you're not back to normal tomorrow, that you'll at least spend it running around and having fun."

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because we all need to be babied sometimes, life is always hard. :P