Chapter Text
Every year since their debut (and a few years before because they were being trained to interact with other idols) the Dreamies had a tradition of walking to each idols’ table and yelling out “TRICK-OR-TREAT” and waiting for candy to be placed in their pillow cases. The first time they had done it, Taeyong spent a majority of the night running after ‘his’ kids to make sure they didn’t say anything impolite or inappropriate.
After that, the elder members of the group decided to rotate who chased the rambuncious group of teenagers. Much to Yuta’s complaining, he was tasked with the duty this year. Starting the first of October, Yuta would have to constantly ask each member what he wanted to be and finalise it by the fifteenth. The stylists wanted enough time to get the right pieces and props if needed.
Yuta was standing in the middle of the dorm’s living room in front of the couch. Jeno, Renjun, and Jeno were squished together while Donghyuck easily spread out on top of them. Chenle was seated on the coffee table and Jisung on the floor next to him.
“Last chance to change costume ideas. I’m telling the stylist noonas tomorrow morning and I’m not taking any decisiveness like Johnny last year.” Yuta said as he uncapped his dry erase marker. While he had his back turned to write each member’s name on the white board, Donghyuck muttered “that’s why you’re not as cool as Johnny.”
Jaemin, always there to defend his favourite (shhh, don’t tell Jungwoo) hyung, smacked Donghyuck’s butt hard. The noise caused Yuta to turn around, ready to scold whoever hit another member, but stopped when he saw Jaemin flash that knowing, bright smile his way.
“Hyung, Sungie and I still want to be Jasmine and Aladdin. Sungie’s Aladdin and I’m Jasmine.” Yuta reached over to fluff Chenle’s hair, “well, if Tennie and Jungwoo can cross-dress, I suppose you can too.”
“You’d be better to go as Abu and the magic carpet, to match your IQs and all.” Renjun laughed out, more sarcastic than his usual quips to hurt the other members’ feelings. ‘He must be feeling in the Halloween spirit’, Yuta thought to himself.
“I’m still Bob Ross, Mark refuses to do a couples costume.” Donghyuck said with a pout, Jeno patted Donghyuck’s hair before shifting his arm behind Jaemin. This is what Yuta was dreading. He knew the three 2000-liners wanted to do a three-way costume but they couldn’t decide.
Renjun wanted to go as the Mean Girls, but he thought Donghyuck would change his mind about going solo this year and tell Yuta he wanted to be Cady.
Jeno wanted to go as Harry, Hermione, and Ron but Renjun knew he was going to end up being Hermione and rejected the idea.
And Jaemin. Jaemin wanted to go as the three witches from Hocus Pocus ever since Johnny watched it in July. But again, Renjun didn’t want to go as a girl, even if he could admit Sarah Jessica Parker was good looking and made a funny witch.
“Hey! What if you guys go as the boy version of the Powerpuff Girls? Renjun is obviously Buttercup cause he’s hotheaded but witty. Jaem is Bubbles, he’s cute and outgoing. Jeno is the leader, anything stupid he does, Jaemin follows, and the Renjun does too in FOMO.” Donghyuck looked up expectantly at his same-age friends.
They looked at each other and began to nod. Yuta could never thank Donghyuck enough for solving his biggest fear of the month. He treated the boy to a caramel apple (without nuts because Donghyuck hated nuts).
Halloween afternoon was hectic. Yuta had a simple costume, Rin Matsuoka, and he thanked the stylist for getting an actual Free! Jacket for him. He also got to re-dye his hair back to red, he was very happy about that. It was one of the main reasons he chose this character.
He was also one of the first to get ready because he had to take care of “Taeyong’s kids”. Granted, one was his, one was Johnny’s and one was Kun, but most of them were Taeyong’s so he got the blame.
Yuta decided to sit in between Jaemin and Chenle, Chenle had more makeup to get done than Jaemin. He had picked out the eyeshadows himself and was very proud. “Hyung, can you get me a juice box? I have like 20 in my bag.”
Yuta went to grab three juice boxes, he knew Jaemin would want one and Chenle would down the first one and then ask for a second. Chenle’s face lit up as Yuta’s face came into view in the mirror. “Thank you, hyung! You look good by the way.” Yuta nodded in reply.
The kids were set loose, like six puppies off their leash in the huge yard. Only Donghyuck stayed practically glued to Yuta’s side. Earlier Mark had pushed him away when Donghyuck tried to hug the elder. Since then, Donghyuck hugged and clung to their deemed chaperone. Yuta linked their arms and pulled him past the rest of NCT to the table EXO was occupying.
The rest of Dream was surrounding Chanyeol, who was dressed as Shazam! this year. Baekhyun, who looked like he was Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon, was placing candy in each pillow case. As Yuta got closer he could see the detailing in Chanyeol’s costume, but also the hands roaming around the elder’s body.
Junmyeon complimented the boys and looked to Yuta and Donghyuck, “Your year?”
“Yep, more work than I thought,” he paused to nudge Donghyuck in the direction of Chanbaek. “They kept telling me how Johnny was better last year.”
Junmyeon laughed before telling Yuta that the kids were gone. Yuta bowed quickly, thanking all seven members for giving them candy before walking after the Dreamies towards Girls’ Generation. Donghyuck was already attached back to Yuta’s hip, skipping out on the handfuls of chocolate Taeyeon and Sunny were handing out.
“Hyuckie, why aren’t you trick-or-treating?” Yuta asked quietly as Jisung and Jaemin turned up the cuteness for more Reese’s cups.
“Mark-hyung, um, he said that trick-or-treating is for kids and we’re almost 20. Hyung said it wasn’t cute anymore and neither was the couples’ costumes. And it’s unfair to you guys to keep watch over us, especially when ChenJi get too much candy.” Yuta hung his arm around Donghyuck’s shoulders.
“Buddy, if you still find this fun you should do it. No one gets annoyed by you running up to them and admiring their costumes and such. They love it, Sehun-hyung told me last year that you looked wonderful as Michael Jackson and the year before that Donghae-sunbaenim - the guy who never talks even in his own group - told me he wished he had kids to do this with. I was going to tell him he could do this instead of me this year.”
“Really, I had no idea.” Yuta just nodded, reassuring the 127 maknae. Donghyuck rushed off to meet up with his other members, who were hugging Kyuhyun and Ryeowook. Yuta practically ran to stop any of them from hurting any of their seniors. Heechul looked like he was going to pick up Jisung and Renjun at the same time.
Jaemin was begging for candy from Shindong and Leeteuk while Jeno was dancing with Eunhyuk. Siwon came up to Yuta, “hey, do you mind letting them stay here for a bit? We have at least one person to watch them, two for the maknaes. Please,” Siwon asked.
“Um, actually, yeah. I have to go back to my group for a second. Just find me if you need a break.” Yuta took one last look at the kids before stalking off toward the three tables NCT was huddled around.
“Mark-ah!” Yuta shouted as he approached the tables. The Ken Barbie Doll made his way over to his hyung, throwing his hands up like he was saying ‘what? Why are you loud?’
Yuta grabbed the nape of Mark’s neck and grabbed hard. “Ah, ah, hyung, that hurts,” Mark whined out. “Why would you say that to the kids? Especially Dongie, you know how much he looks up to you, brat.” Mark’s eyes shot up in fear.
“I didn’t think he’d take it seriously, he never does.” Yuta tried to get this idea into Mark’s head.
“Mark-ah, you are the hyung. In TWO groups. All of them look up to you. What if you had said that to Sungie?” A tiny ‘I would never’ came from Mark’s mouth. “Of course you wouldn’t! If you wouldn’t say it to him don’t say it to Donghyuk. I expect you apologise sometime tomorrow.” Mark just nodded, putting his head down in shame.
Somehow SuperJunior lost a Dreamie. And until Yuta came over, the nine seniors couldn’t figure out which Dreamie they lost. “How did you miscount and lose Jeno?” Yuta asked, Donghae was already tearing up and apologising profusely to Yuta. Jaemin and Donghyuck were laughing about something, “what do you know, kiddos?”
“Someone brought a cat with their costume and Jeno ran after it.” Renjun coldly said, the other Dreamies continued laughing.
“Alright guys, say goodbye to SuJu-sunbaenim and I’m taking you back to Taeyong.” He got groans and whines and a distinctive “Not MOM!” from Jisung.
Luckily on the way back they found Jeno, petting the cat Taemin had with him. “C’mon, we’re getting you back to Mom.” Chenle complained. “He’s not even you mom.” “Yeah, well he’s not yours either.”
Yuta didn’t know he had to babysit the Dreamies after the party. But it seemed like he was stuck with them and they were hyper with all the candy Joy and Irene dared them to eat. He was going to yell at those girls next time he saw them.
“Guys, clean off your faces and change into comfy clothes.” Yuta called out as they entered the dorm. The only one sleepy was Jaemin, gripping onto Yuta’s jacket. “Hyungie, ‘m tired.”
“I know, sweetie. We’re gonna get you cleaned off and in bed, okay?” Jaemin just nodded in reply, getting dragged through the dorm by Jeno and Renjun. Chenle and Donghyuck were gathering blankets and pillows and it looked like Jisung was throwing the couch cushions onto the floor.
Guess they were having a cuddle pile in the living room. He still needed them to wash off their makeup and change their clothes. It was going to be a long night.
It was almost 3am when all the Dreamies finally settled down, Jaemin had been asleep on Yuta’s chest for a while now. The Japanese member was surprised that the younger Na stayed asleep despite the noise. Chenle and Renjun were singing loudly in Chinese while Jisung played with slime and Jeno was trying to film a JSMR.
Now they were all in some way touching Yuta (and in some form Jaemin because the boy had pressed himself to his hyung) and falling asleep. In different stages of consciousness, they said their good nights to each other. “Thank you, Yuta-hyung. You took care of us better than Yongie-hyung.” Jeno whispered into Yuta’s neck.