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Today was a free day, for all of ATEEZ. So, they started it off the best way that they can; having a lie in. Seonghwa, being an early riser, got up anyway. He had the task of making breakfast for all of the boys and tidying a little. Once he clambered out of his bed, he noticed the absence of Hongjoong. Although he didn't panic, he knew where he was. So, he quietly crept into the bedroom of the others, already knowing the bed Hongjoong would be occupying. He smiled when he saw him and Wooyoung snuggled up under the duvet.
"Mornin' hyung," Someone groaned out, it was Yeosang, who was looking at him through scrunched eyes and tousled hair. Seonghwa quickly put his finger to his lips, signaling for the younger to be quiet.
Yeosang, who understood, slowly made his way out of the bed and hugged his hyung. The poor boy was still half asleep, so Seonghwa chuckled, guiding him to the sitting room, depositing him onto the sofa, and made his way into the kitchen.
Looking at their practically empty cupboards, he decided on making pancakes. It was easy and required little ingredients. Plus, when he made them, everyone loved them. He knew how to make the savory treat, unlike a certain pillar that raps. Not calling anyone out, however.
Laughing as he remembered back to that time, he grabbed the mixing bowl and got on with making a large number of pancakes.
The members began to awaken and join him when he was mixing the batter together, not that he cared.
"Good morning everyone," He smiled, looking around at the hazy faces that turned to him.
"Hmm," Jongho replied, waving one hand before walking into the sitting room and promptly collapsing on the sleeping Yeosang.
"Hey!" Yeosang called, groaning as he felt Jongho move to settle down on top of him.
Ignoring that, Seonghwa turned to the others. Everyone was here but Wooyoung and Hongjoong. "So, what're everyone's plans for today?" He questioned, now frying the batter.
"Shopping," Came the short reply from the one person who hated mornings more than anything, Mingi.
"Same, Wooyoung, Jongho, Yeosang and I am going as well," Yunho piped up, watching every move his hyung made.
Seonghwa hummed, deciding he also needed to go out and restock the cupboards. "I'll go with, someone's got to get the food for us all," He replied. "Sannie, you'll stay here with Joong,"
Heads turned at hearing this, everyone suddenly awake and not wanting to go out.
"Hyung's little?" Jongho questioned, coming into the kitchen and joining his hyungs' at the table.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure anyway. He was in with Woo, so," He went off, finishing up with the frying and plating everything up and setting it on the table with the help of Yunho.
"Just wait for the others, they'll be here in a second most likely," He reminded them.
---
In the other room, whilst Seonghwa was still cooking, Wooyoung had woken up, hearing everyone else potter around outside. But when he saw someone on his chest, he was reminded of what happened last night,
It was nearing 12 o'clock when the door slowly opened, letting in the slivers of light coming into the room get bigger and bigger. This caused Wooyoung to jump, his heart picking up. Until he looked at the door. His heart swelled at the sight.
There stood Hongjoong, clutching his Shooky teddy to his chest as a pacifier bobbed up and down, delicately in his mouth. The boy was glancing around, seeing if anyone was awaked. Which was unlikely, given the time. But this was his last bet, everyone else was fast asleep in their beds, and he didn't want to disturb any of his caregivers.
Once he saw bright, wide eyes staring straight back at him, he jumped, dropping his paci and letting out a soft whine. Picking up the dropped item, he made his way over to the awake male and stood, waiting to be invited into the bed.
"Hey pumpkin, why are you not asleep, hmm?" Wooyoung softly questioned, lifting up his quilt for the other to settle into, which he did. Wooyoung made sure to grab the dirty pacifier from the boy's hand, rubbing it over his shirt and cleaning it, before plopping it back into the boy's mouth. He knew the floor was clean, Seonghwa had steam mopped them only a couple of hours ago.
"Joon swip, no mean 'o," The little replied, settling down onto the others' chest and snuggling in, eyes quickly shutting.
Wooyoung chuckled, combing through the boy's brown hair as he succumbed to sleep.
"Aw, we'll get a little day tomorrow, hmm?" He murmured to himself, closing his eyes and falling asleep also.
Back in the present, Hongjoong stirred, causing Wooyoung to pause, his hand going still as it was combing the boy's hair.
"Mama?" The tired boy yawned out, rubbing at his eyes.
"Yes, baby?" Wooyoung softly asked back, continuing on with the comforting motion, smiling once he felt the boy lean into the touch.
"We wakey now?" He asked, looking up at the mentally older one.
Wooyoung giggled, "If you want, my sweet. Or we can lay here for a couple of minutes?" He offered, laughing when the little immediately agreed and reached up, grasping onto his shoulders and snuggling back down into his neck, suckling on his pacifier.
The two cuddled, not saying anything, but just cuddling together. That was until they smelt the pancake mix being fried. It caused Wooyoung's hungry stomach to rumble, notifying everyone in a 5-mile radius that he was in need of food. Hongjoong giggled, sitting up and dragging his mama out of bed, "Mama tummy noisy, need yummies!" He cried out, excited at the idea of food as he too, was hungry.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Wooyoung laughed, getting out of bed carefully so he didn't fall. He reached down and picked the little up, swinging him onto his hip, and made his way to the kitchen, where he saw everyone sitting down, seemingly waiting for them.
"Guys, you shouldn't have waited," He mumbled, setting the boy down onto his seat, then sitting in his own.
"Morning!" Hongjoong cried out, way too jolly for the morning. Everyone quickly mumbled their morning, then they dug in. Seonghwa made sure to cut up Hongjoong's food, so he didn't have to. Being the clutz he was in little space, he knew it wouldn't end well.
"Baby, most of us have to go out in the morning, but we'll be back by lunchtime, okay?" Yeosang, who was sat next to him, said, munching on his own pancakes covered with syrup.
"So it will just be you and I, baby," San cooed from the other side of the table. Hongjoong just nodded and clapped his sticky hands, paying more attention to the food than what was being said.
San chuckled, already used to this behavior.
---
Breakfast went quickly and uneventfully, and currently, everyone was dressed and waiting to leave.
"Bye-bye Joong, be good for papa," Everyone said, filing out of the door, one by one. Hongjoong watched them go, eyes turning sad as everyone left. He turned to San, his bottom lips trembling slightly.
"Dey leave..."
"Sweetheart, we told you earlier, at breakfast. They just have to pick up some bits, then they'll be back. It's only until lunch, darling," San reassured, picking the boy up and putting him on his lap as he sniffled.
"Come back?" he asked, one hand near his face as his big, watery eyes looked at his caregiver.
"Baby, you've dropped young, haven't you?" San said to himself, getting up to get the boy redressed into some age-appropriate gear. Once that was done, he stuck on the TV, knowing the boy wouldn't want to be doing anything else, especially being so young.
"TB?" The little questioned, leaning against San's toned chest, snuggling in with his teddy, blanket, and pacifier.
"Yeah bubs, we'll watch some TV," And that's how San ended up watching 2 and a half hours of paw patrol, the little bouncing with excitement when he saw the puppies on the screen.
---
"We're back!" Mingi called out, racing into the lounge to see the two in the same position they have been in for the last couple of hours. Once he saw what was on TV, he laughed, knowing San was going to be complaining. He knew the pain of watching that blasted cartoon for hours upon end.
"I've brought some cookie mixture, so baby and I can make some cookies!" Yunho's voice called out, coming to stand behind Mingi, also laughing at what was on Tv, more so at the pained face San was sending in their direction.
The little immediately gasped, reaching up to his Yunnie-appa and making grabby hands.
Seeing this, San said, "He slipped quite young when you guys left, he was sad," He said, walking away to bother Wooyoung.
"Well, hello little baby," Mingi cooed, bopping Hongjoong's nose, watching as the boy giggled.
"Why don't you help us while I'll make most of it, he'll just mix. But you watch him, please?" Yunho begged, he did want the cookies, so sacrifices had to be made.
"Sure," Mingi replied, taking the little from his arms. "Wait a second, he needs a change first,"
"Okay, I'll get everything set up," Yunho told him, walking into the kitchen and shooing Yeosang out, the boy complaining that he only wanted a snack.
Mingi quickly changed the boy, getting him clean and ready, lifting him up again and taking him out to the kitchen and putting him on a chair, grabbing the straps they kept in the cupboard and connecting them onto the chair. Then, he washed his hands and wiped Hongjoong's, and waited for the next instruction from Yunho.
"Okay, just mix this baby, okay?" Yunho said, handing the bowl to Hongjoong, setting it on the table in front of him. Joongie squealed, grabbing the spoon and mixing. Well...flicking most of it around the place. Mingi quickly shot forward, grabbing onto the wooded spoon and guiding the boy with the mixing.
"It's fine, I have another packet here," Yunho said, gesturing to the one he was currently mixing, a cheeky smile on his face.
"Okay dokie,"
They quickly dissolved into chatter as they made the cookies. Mainly Yunho and Mingi, but little Joongie didn't need to know that, he was too excited to lick the spoon. Once Seongwa saw this, he scolded the two as lunch was about to be served.
"I'm sure he's still hungry, hyung," Mingi complained, watching as Seongwhwa carried an oblivious Hongjoong away. Laughing when he saw the little wipe his dirty hands over the older's t-shirt.
"Serves him right," Yunho huffed, both from amusement and being told off. They got the cookies out and laid them to cool, walking into the lounge where everyone was already eating. Hongjoong, just like Mingi had said, was happily munching his lunch, snuggled into Jongho's side. They had simple sandwiches, but they were the fancy ones that Seonghwa had purchased from the shop instead of making them himself.
---
Hours later, once everyone was sleepy-eyed and dozy, Hongjoong and Jongho sat, the little over the others' lap, being fed a bottle.
"Aren't you a cutie, hmm?" Jongho cooed, lifting the bottle higher so he could get the last bits, it was rare that he would actually finish a bottle, so he encouraged it when the little seemed to want the warm beverage.
Hongjoong made a noise behind the bottle in reply, causing Jongho to chuckle.
"Our big trustworthy leader is such a cutie, a little baby for his appas," He said, still watching the face fondly. Hongjoong blinked, eyes shutting as he was softly spoken to. His caregivers sure did know how to calm him. With one more suckle of the bottle, he fell asleep, wrapped in the safety of his dada's arms.