Chapter Text
“Hobi.” Yoongi calls, his tone of voice quiet in a low whisper, just like Hoseok likes it. “Sunshine, it’s time to wake up.”
He caresses the boy’s tummy through the soft fabric of his pajamas, soft and gentle movements so he doesn’t startle him.
Hobi sighs and stirs in his sleep, his eyebrows slightly furrowing when he catches the pacifier that was half-falling from his mouth, steadying it between his pouty lips.
One of his hands is curled around the Bambi plushie that he seems to carry with him everywhere ever since Jimin gave it to him on his birthday. His fingers start moving against the soft fur of his stuffed animal, a little whine escaping his mouth as his eyes start blinking open.
Yoongi watches fondly as he sighs and whines until his eyes are finally focused and he starts looking around, taking his surroundings, until his bright orbs find the caregiver’s face right above him.
He seems to take a few seconds to process the fact he’s awake, bringing a fist up to lazily rub the sleep away from his eyes.
“Hello, love.” Yoongi greets, gently tickling the baby’s tummy.
Hoseok stops, looks up at his caregiver and then, slowly, a smile starts growing on his face, behind his soother.
“Dada!” He squeals. Loud, clear. A sign he’s finally wide awake.
Then he giggles, throwing his head back, messy hair forming a crown around his head, sprawled on his pillow.
Yoongi laughs with him. “Silly.” He says, right before pinching his nose. “You’re a silly baby.”
Hoseok laughs and laughs. Because he is awake, ready to play and he’s just so happy to see his daddy right when he wakes up.
Yoongi is surprised when he starts moving, though, rolling his own body onto his tummy, so he is laying with his back facing the caregiver. He supports himself on his hands and bends his knees until he’s sitting on his ankles - hair a complete mess and cheeks tainted a soft pink when he stares up at his caregiver.
“Hobi out?” He tilts his head questioningly, pacifier bobbing cutely in his mouth and muffling his speech.
When he stretches his arms out in a demand to be picked up, Yoongi has no choice but to put down the safety rail on the little’s bed.
The caregiver takes advantage of the moment he picks Hobi up from his bed and plants a gentle kiss on his forehead, followed by a peck right on the tip of his nose, proceeding to kiss his chin and then just showering his whole face with little kisses that turn his baby into a giggly mess.
Hobi laughs like the happy baby he is and claims it tickles while scrunching up his nose.
“Bambi too! Bambi too!” He demands, holding up his stuffed animal and pressing it to Yoongi’s face.
Yoongi laughs, but sees no choices but to fake kiss Bambi’s nose, the big inanimate eyes resembling Hoseok’s a lot with the way they stare back at him like they hold all the stars inside them.
“Is Bambi, by any chance, a bit hungry?” He asks, hand patting Hoseok’s bottom playfully while the little climbs to his lap so he’s holding onto his torso like a little koala. The gentle tap is also a caregiver way he learned to discreetly check the baby’s pull-up, without causing too much of a fuss.
Hoseok looks down at his plushie then back at him, doe eyes going wide as food is mentioned.
He tilts his head again. “Nana?”
Yoongi laughs. The kind of warm, genuine laugh only Hoseok can take out of him.
“You can eat banana if you want, yeah.” He nods, moving Hoseok’s bangs from his forehead so he can plant a kiss right there. He can’t resist pampering his baby.
That’s how they find themselves making their way to the kitchen, Hoseok chanting “nana! nana! nana!” repeatedly while he shakes Bambi in one hand and touches everything at his reach with the other.
Yoongi sits him at his place on the table and pushes the chair forward so Hobi has no space to escape from his sit. He has to take his precautions when dealing with an energetic little.
Hobi plays with his Bambi while waiting for his food, patiently, but always talkative. Yoongi doesn’t mind one bit listening to the soft babbling and happy noises coming from his little while he mashes some bananas and gets some milk in a baby bottle, even getting into the conversation sometimes.
“Ok, ready?” He asks Hobi, when placing the plate of fruit on the table.
Ever so careful and gentle, he takes the pacifier out of the baby’s mouth and puts a colourful strawberry-dotted bib around his neck. He makes sure it’s not too tight since Hobi hates feeling the pressure around his throat.
Grabbing a chair, Yoongi sits next to Hoseok, right where he placed a mug of warm coffee for himself, and picks the baby’s hand up so he can guide it to the plastic fork resting on the plate of mashed banana.
“Eat.” He says with an encouraging smile.
One of the things Yoongi learned from being Hoseok’s caregiver was to not mind messes. Probably due to normally being in a pretty small headspace, Hobi is really clumsy and a very messy eater.
Having the coordination of a baby, his hand, although holding the plastic fork with a closed fist, fails him when it comes to bringing food to his mouth and most of his banana ends up falling back to his plate, dripping down his chin or tainting his bib.
Yoongi decides to let him do it on his own, though. Hoseok seems very proud of himself every time the almost-empty fork gets to his mouth.
That is, until he decides to give up using the utensil and starts using his hand instead.
Already predicting this would happen, Yoongi just watches and chuckles when Hobi looks at him, after grabbing a handful of his food and putting in his mouth, cutely smacking his lips while he munches.
“Is it yummy?” He asks, grabbing the bib to clean the boy’s chin.
Hoseok smiles.
“Yummy!” He agrees.
“Here.” The caregiver says, grabbing the baby bottle from the table and holding it to Hoseok’s mouth. “Milk.”
Hobi puts his lips around the bottle and gives it a few sips before he lets go with a satisfied “ah!”.
Yoongi chuckles and cleans the corner of his mouth and his chin with the bib again. He really can’t get enough of his baby.
Sipping on his own coffee he watches as Hoseok finishes his banana and goes to grab his bottle with both hands, food covered fingers holding the plastic very delicately.
When he finishes drinking his milk, he places the bottle back on the table and looks at his daddy. Eye smile, nose scrunched cutely.
“Done!” He says.
Yoongi cheers.
“Good job!” He says because he likes to act like every task little Hoseok completes is a victory. “And you drank all of your milk on your own too? Such a big boy!”
Mimicking his cheerfulness, Hobi claps his messy hands together and makes some happy sounds with his mouth.
That brings his attention to his fingers. Looking at them like it’s the first time seeing his own hand, he decides to bring them to his mouth.
Yoongi smiles fondly as he watches the boy’s ministrations but is quick to gently take the baby’s hand out of his mouth and grabbing the pacifier from where it’s clipped to his chest to replace it.
“Daddy thinks Hobi needs a bath.” He says as he takes the bib off and grabs the dishes to go put them in the sink.
“Bath?” The baby echoes, tilting his head questioningly.
“A bath.” Yoongi nods as he pulls the little’s chair back. “Hobi is messy.”
“Messy.” Hoseok seems to agree as he’s picked up by his caregiver. “Hobi. Messy.” He says around his soother.
“Yes, very messy.” Yoongi hums. He grabs the Bambi Hoseok had left on the table. “Daddy will take Bambi, okay? So it doesn’t get dirty from your hands.” He says when Hobi reaches out for the stuffed animal and whines when Yoongi pulls it away.
The little ends up nodding his head and just rests his forehead on Yoongi’s shoulder while he’s being carried to the bathroom.
Once they enter the bathroom, Yoongi sits Hoseok on the toilet lid and gets the hot water started to fill the tub.
“Ready? Let’s take this off.” He says, carefully taking the pacifier out of Hobi’s mouth. He places it on the sink, right next to where the Bambi plushie is sitting. “And this too. Arms up!” He tugs at the little’s shirt and watches as Hoseok happily complies.
Contrary to when Hoseok’s first started regressing, the little now loves bath time. What once was a really hard part of his day, taking a lot of tears and some ugly meltdowns to even get in the tub, is now one of Hobi’s favourite moments of his routine. Yoongi has made baths so much fun and relaxing.
“And we’re done!” Yoongi cheers, when he finishes undressing the little, getting rid of his pull up and picking him from the toilet sit. He places Hoseok down into the water gently, carefully. “Is the water good?” He asks as he sits him down.
“Good.” Hobi answers with a happy noise and his hands dancing under the water. “Warm.”
“Warm? But not too warm, hum?” Yoongi asks. Hoseok shakes his head no. “Close your eyes, baby.” He says. He knows how much Hobi hates getting water in his eyes.
When he’s finished wetting Hoseok’s hair, he grabs the shampoo.
“Daddy?” He hears Hoseok’s voice as he pours some shampoo on his hand. He hums questioningly, looking down at his little. “Toy?” Hobi asks, Yoongi follows his eyes to the little boat resting on the seat by the bathtub.
“Oh! You want your boat?” He asks going to grab the toy.
The boat is one of those soft toys that can go underwater and Hoseok seems to love it, that’s why he squeals happily when Yoongi brings it to his reach. The reason it is a soft toy, like every other toy little Hobi owns, however, is because the first thing Hoseok does after putting it underwater and playing with it for a bit is bring it directly to his mouth.
“Hobi, we don’t eat our toys.” Yoongi says, warningly but in a soft and playful manner that makes Hoseok obey without a fuss.
Taking the toy out of his mouth, Hoseok starts moving it in and out of water, his happy noises echoing all over the bathroom while Yoongi washes his head.
That’s how the bath goes, Yoongi massages his scalp with the shampoo, rinses his head and then grabs the body wash and massages his skin so gently that Hobi stops playing to focus on the gentle touch.
“Good?” Yoongi asks while pressing his fingertips carefully against Hoseok’s shoulders.
Hobi hums in response and looks up at his daddy through wet eyelashes.
“Good.” He says in a soft whisper.
Yoongi knows the way he smiles, heart shaped and eyes squinting, is his warmest way of saying thank you. He leans down from where he’s kneeled by the tub to kiss the tip of Hoseok’s nose.
After he’s done, Yoongi lets Hobi play for a bit while he grabs the little’s big fluffy towel.
“Hobi?” He calls, Hobi hums in response, distracted with the bubbles and his boat. “It’s time to get out.”
Hoseok looks up at him, he’s a bit upset about leaving his toy and the warm water. But the towel in Yoongi’s arms looks equally comfortable.
He stands up on wobbly legs and lets daddy wrap him up.
Yoongi hugs his frame while putting the towel around him and pulls him to his body so he can pick him back up.
“Are you okay, baby?” He asks, just to make sure. He cleans the little’s face with a corner of the fluffy towel so he gets the water out of his lashes.
“Cold.” Hobi answers while cuddling up to his daddy’s chest.
Yoongi chuckles. “Yeah, it’s cold when you get out. Let’s go and get you dressed.” He adjusts the boy on his hip and starts walking out of the bathroom.
“Bye, bye!” Hobi says when they’re about to leave, looking at his toy still floating in the bathtub. “Daddy, Bambi!” He points to the stuffed animal resting on the sink right before they’re out.
Yoongi backs off to grab Bambi and gives it to Hoseok before finally making their way to the boy’s bedroom.
Hobi is carefully placed on his bed, on his back, facing the ceiling where a fake glow in the dark constellation.
Although they call it Hoseok’s room, this is, in reality, little Hobi’s room. It used to be the place where Yoongi would tattoo before he opened his own tattoo shop, but later became the playroom, all delicately decorated to meet little Hoseok’s needs.
It became a big rainbow. Full of colour. Hoseok’s favourite place after Yoongi’s arms.
Yoongi dries him up, gentle touches intercalated with butterfly kisses all over Hobi’s body.
The little squeals and squirms and giggles, relaxing when soft scented baby lotion is massaged onto his skin.
“Close your eyes, sunshine.” Yoongi says as he starts applying the cream to Hoseok’s face.
The little closes his eyes tightly, nose scrunching adorably.
Yoongi coos, “We got to take care of baby’s sensitive skin.” He says while applying cream to his cheeks and going all the way down to his neck.
Hoseok opens his eyes and reaches out for the baby lotion’s bottle in Yoongi’s hand.
“Want.” He says, a pout on his lips.
Yoongi is done with the lotion already so he just closes the bottle and gives it to Hoseok, expecting the little to open it and try to apply more cream like he usually does.
However, the first thing Hobi does once his fingers are wrapped around the container is bring the bottle to his face and try to put it in his mouth.
“Ah-ah.” Yoongi stops him before his teeth bite the plastic. “Why are you trying to eat everything today? Are you still hungry?”
He decides it’s better if he takes the bottle out of Hoseok’s hands and is met with a pout.
“Want.” Hoseok whines, trying to grab the bottle once again.
“Do you want your paci?” The caregiver offers, instead.
Hobi seems to think about the option for a second and then nods, “Paci.”
“Okay.” Yoongi finds one on top of the nightstand next to Hoseok’s bed. He gives it a short inspection before realising it’s clean to go on the baby’s mouth.
Hoseok accepts it but it doesn’t seem like enough distraction so once Yoongi is back to is task, now trying to slide a pull-up up his legs, he starts whining again.
Hobi is usually very well behaved. It’s very rare to hear him complaining about something or being upset. But the fact he always has too much energy to spend makes him grow impatient easily when he has to stay put for a while.
Unless he is in the lowest age his headspace can reach, dressing him is always an adventure. He’s usually moving too much or whining too much or trying to get Yoongi’s attention in some unthinkable way. Or just the three at once.
“Can you count the stars for me?” Yoongi asks, deciding that is going to be Hobi’s distraction for today.
Hoseok blinks up at the fake stars glued to his ceiling.
“Stars.” He says quietly around his soother. “Lots.”
Yoongi chuckles. He taps Hoseok tight slightly without needing words for the little to slightly raise his bottom from the bad so Yoongi can pull the pull-up to his waist.
“They’re a lot of stars, yes. A constellation.” Yoongi smiles. “Can you sit up for daddy so we can put your shirt on?”
Hobi reaches his hand out for Yoongi to hold and help him sit up, earning a forehead kiss when he does so.
“Okay, arms up.” Yoongi says as he puts on his shirt.
Once he’s dressed, it’s time for his pants. Hoseok fusses a bit, he doesn’t like wearing pants and Yoongi usually just lets him walk around the house wearing his diaper and a shirt only. However, it’s a bit cold outside and the caregiver doesn’t want to risk having a sick baby, so he just distracts Hoseok with whatever as he puts on his pyjama pants.
As Hoseok whines out “no pants!” for the second time, he asks, “Look, Hobi. Who’s that on your shirt?”
The little looks down, chin touching his chest as he peaks at his own pj’s shirt where Winnie-The-Pooh is printed, holding a pot of honey and smiling at whoever looks at the shirt.
Hoseok’s smiles grow and he squeals endearingly.
“Pooh!” He points a finger to the cartoon.
By the time he looks up at his caregiver for approval, he already has his pants on.
Yoongi smiles down at him.
“That’s right. That’s Pooh.”
He grabs a pair of socks to cover Hoseok’s feet listening closely as the little keeps talking.
“Eatin’.” Hoseok claims.
Yoongi hums, “He’s eating. What’s he eating?”
But Hoseok is too distracted by the way Yoongi is putting on his socks to answer. He just watches attentively and once his daddy is done, wiggles his toes.
“Daddy?” He asks when Yoongi announces he is done dressing him.
“Yeah?” The caregiver asks while absently combing the little’s wet hair with his own fingers.
“Play now?” Hobi asks, a pleading pout adorning his lips.
Yoongi smiles down at him.
“Play now.” He nods. “C’mon.”
He helps the little off the bed but places him on the floor right away. Hoseok crawls to where his play corner is, sitting on his bottom when he reaches his play mat and fetching his toys from the basket Yoongi keeps neatly organised when he finishes playing.
Yoongi turns on the TV of the room and then goes to turn on the baby monitor he keeps on the nightstand, turning it in the direction where Hobi’s playing.
“Can you play on your own while daddy takes a shower?” He asks, the screen part of the baby monitor on his hand.
Hoseok has already made a mess of his toys and is now excitedly organising all his plushies in a line, talking to them in pure enthusiasm. Yoongi finds it endearing how he likes to chat with his toys like they’re answering him right back.
Hobi looks up at his caregiver, nods and turns back to his toys.
“Play.” He mumbles and Yoongi decides he isn’t going to interrupt his play time anymore.
He leaves the room and goes to the bathroom to take his shower. The shower is quick and when he’s making his way to his room to get dressed he passes by Hobi’s room to check on him, although the baby monitor is always accompanying him.
Hoseok is still in his corner, alternating his attention between his stuffed animals and the cartoons playing on the television so Yoongi just lets him be.
When he’s dressed, he goes back to his baby. He has some paper work to do on his secretary, but he just blatantly ignores it since it’s been a while he has been able to spend a whole day taking care of little Hoseok.
He’s so deep in daddy space too, he can’t help but crave to give Hoseok all the attention he has in his body still.
He finds Hobi laying down on top of a big elephant plushie he has, he is laying on his back and wiggling his legs up in the hair while his eyes are entirely focused on the television.
“What are you doing?” Yoongi asks once he enters the room.
Hoseok sits up to watch as his caregiver walks in his direction and his face lights up just like it’s the first time he’s seeing Yoongi that day.
“Daddy!” He squeals, smile hiding behind the pacifier still held between his lips. “Bears!” He points at the TV.
“Oh.” Yoongi looks at the television, an episode of We Bare Bears playing. Being Hoseok’s caregiver, he has come to recognise every cartoon the little watches. He has learnt to like some of them too. “Can daddy sit here with you?”
He doesn’t need a verbal answer by the way Hoseok just squeals in excitement and makes grabby hands at him.
Yoongi sits down and Hoseok finds his place between his legs. That’s his favourite way to be held, back against Yoongi’s chest, head resting on his shoulder, daddy’s wrapped securely around his body.
Yoongi kisses his head and his cheeks and his shoulder, sometimes tickles his tummy just to hear him giggle.
They watch the cartoon like this, with occasional chatting when Hoseok decides he’s been quiet for too long and Yoongi always finding a way to shower him with affection.
There’s no safer place, Hoseok thinks, eyes looking up at his caregiver to ask him for another kiss.
He receives a peck right on the tip of his nose and a praise for being such a good boy.
No place he would rather be than in Yoongi’s arms.