It was a usual day for SHINee, or at least as usual as they could get. Kibum and Jonghyun were missing for they one of them had a separate schedule and the other was home sick. It was only Jinki, Minho and Taemin.

And a child – a baby.

They were backstage with all the noonas that dressed them and styled them and did their makeup. One of them, one that had become a very good friend of theirs, recently had a baby. That didn’t stop her from going to work. She’s a super woman. Like every working, non-working, single, married – like all mothers, really. Taemin loves his mother a lot, he calls her super mom all the time, even has her number saved as Super Mama too.

Back to the point, they were backstage with the baby. He was two months old.

“Want to hold him, Taemin-ah?” The super noona asked, ready to take her son out of the stroller and give it to him. Minho is the one that normally carries the baby when she’s occupied, but he was nowhere to be found.

“No, nonono, nope. I’ll just wait until he’s more… uh, chunky.” Taemin said. He really doesn’t like carrying babies. It’s not that he dislikes children – he loves them, and children usually love him too – he is just no confident in holding such a small baby.

Two months? Nonsense. The baby needs head control. Only then he’ll feel secure. Get your head – control your damn head boy.

Super noona almost, almost offered Jinki a turn in holding him, but SHINee’s leader was already standing 10 feet away with a bag of chips, staring at the baby with no interest. Well, there was interest – just not in holding the baby.

“I will carry him, then!” Another noona said excitedly and washed her hands and everything – all to hold the baby as safe as possible.

Only, though, that there was nothing safe about how she was holding the baby.

The poor child looked uncomfortable from the start, and the woman was holding him too low – way too low, dammit put one hand on his and the other on his head! HIS HEAD!

Both of her arms were too low on the baby, and he is only two months old – there is absolutely no head control yet. As the baby squirmed in her hold like a little worm, he jerked his head back and if it wasn’t for Taemin putting his hand on the baby’s head, Taemin is a hundred percent sure he would’ve fallen.

“Oh sweetie, what’s wrong?” The noona cooed while the baby screamed.

He hates you. “Hold his head.” Taemin said, trying to be as calm as possible. He was sitting next to her, watching the baby and playing with him. The baby was super cute, had excellent eyebrow control, and he stared at what Taemin thinks is a blurry image of himself – babies that young don’t have clear eyesight yet.

If the baby had clear eyesight, he would have noticed how on-edge uncle Taemin was. That’s for sure.

It was the third time Taemin’s hand had instinctively jerked up to hold the baby’s head when he took a deep, shaky breath and looked up at Jinki who – even 10 feet away – could see Taemin’s struggle, the baby’s distress, and the noona’s cheery-go-lucky persona. She really was trying. But she was failing.

Jinki turned around. He doesn’t want to watch.

“Oh baby, stop crying~”

Jesus Christ – hold his head, HOLD HIS HE— “I want to try!” Taemin blurted out, sprinting to get a hold of some hand sanitizer. Once his hands were squeaky clean, he took the baby in his arms. The noona that was struggling put a cute baby cloth on his shoulder while Taemin held him like Rafiki held Simba on Pride Rock. The baby still looked slightly pissed at everyone as his little legs kicked away, but his distress was lowering significantly with Taemin cooing at him like an idiot.

When the cloth was properly placed on his shoulder, Taemin moved to place him there, but the baby soon screamed, letting Taemin know that he doesn’t want to be there. Taemin, then, opted to have him close but not that close, his feet were against him, but his chest and his head – supported by his damn hand – were away from Taemin, successfully holding him at an angle that seemed to work. The baby was happy.

Looking around for his mom as if saying mother please, who the heck you left me with – but he wasn’t crying, so that’s a win.

“Look at you, so cute.” Taemin said, bouncing him a little to soothe him even more. After all that stress he went through, Taemin want him to feel as comfy as possible. It looked like the baby just wanted to see everything, his eyes never stopping. Whatever it was, he was calm with Taemin – and Taemin was calm and the baby’s head was supported. All was well, at last.

Super noona came back with Minho behind her and was surprised to see Taemin holding her son. “Oh! Didn’t you say you wanted to wait until he’s stronger?”

Taemin warily looked at the struggling noona, then at Jinki who looked calmer, then at Minho who gave him a strange look, as if knowing something must have happened if he stepped the up and decided to hold the baby. Taemin looked at Super noona and smiled.

I don’t feel safe holding babies this young but this noona was making me super nervous with her terrible carrying skills that I had to do it. Imagine how terrible it was that I – someone that doesn’t feel safe holding a small baby – felt safe HOLDING THE BABY. IMAGINE THAT.

Of course, Taemin didn’t say that.

“I just really wanted to try.”

The baby is okay lmao. Sorry I haven't been doing much (as always) University is pretty tiring.

Love you lots.

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