Yixing stares at his two year old son with more than a little apprehension. "No," he says, unable to come up with anything more eloquent. "No."

Little Shang holds out a katana to him. "Ba?" He asks unquestioningly, and Yixing sighs, kneeling down next to his child.

He looks up at Jongdae, who is attempting to maintain a studiously innocent look on his face. "Are you going to explain how our son happens to be holding a sword?"

"I will, yes," Jongdae says, with an unconvincing smile.

Yixing takes the sword away from his son, who stares up at him in horror, lip trembling. To ward off the imminent tantrum, he hands him Mr Bear, always on hand for such situations. Shang grabs him immediately, thumb creeping into his mouth as he stares at him reproachfully.

"Well?" He asks, arms crossed as he rises to face his partner.

Jongdae nervously tugs at his wig. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Yixing notes that his costume really has stood up well, and perhaps it was worth the time and money he spent on it, as Jongdae claimed. "We might have passed the sword stall..."

"Oh, might you?" Yixing repeats dryly. Shang watches his fathers avidly, eyes wide. He looks like a tiny little changeling child, his Mr Spock ears still holding firm. His hair, however, is messier than any true Vulcan would allow.

"He wanted them." Jongdae gestures to his child, a miniature version of himself. "How could I say no to that little face?"

'That little face' is currently gnawing on Mr Bear's ear. Yixing grimaces slightly.

"What you mean is, you wanted the katanas, and then Shang was attracted by how shiny they were." Their son is inordinately attracted to things that glitter; it's a family trait.

Jongdae looks extremely shifty. "I can neither confirm, nor deny that."

Yixing narrows his eyes. "Hmm."

They both turn to watch their son, who is slowly, but surely, crawling towards the sword, placed high out of his reach. He looks like a tiny, clumsy ninja.

"It is only plastic," Jongdae offers, as Shang stands up, a triumphant grin on his face. "And he holds them like a proper little warrior."

As if to prove the truth of his father's words, Shang snatches the sword, and leaps into the air with it, as he has seen the characters in Avatar: the Last Airbender do.

 Yixing considers. "Hmm," he says again, this time more thoughtfully.

***

There may have been an impromptu photo shoot with Shang dressed up as a very small ninja, but Yixing could not tell you this for sure. He also could not possibly tell you whether or not they dressed their son up as Link from The Legend of Zelda.

 But if they did, there would be very little evidence.

Inspired by a scene in Cassandra Clare's short story, The Whitechapel Fiend. Yes, Jongdae goes to Comic Con in this universe, and he dresses the kids up too! A moment here to wish that Leonard Nimoy rests in peace. He was much loved.