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The last time that Yunho had been little was over a month ago. Both of his main caregivers, Mingi and Hongjoong, had become increasingly worried at the boy’s perceived hesitance and reluctance at being little, but neither had been able to convince the boy that he needed it. The little had used a different excuse each time, they didn’t have enough time, or he didn’t want to, or he wanted to care for one of the others.
Yunho could tell that his refusal to go into little space was starting to affect his mental state, but so was the reason he refused in the first place. You see, the last time that he had been little, Mingi had been carrying the little around the house, and had only been able to do so for a few weeks, having worked up his upper body strength.
Unfortunately, when taking the little to the kitchen for lunch, he tripped on a toy and dropped Yunho to the ground. Yunho’s little self had decided that it meant that he himself was too heavy for Mingi, and his thoughts spiralled to the point where he decided that it was better for him not to be little, because he was too big and wasn’t cute like Sannie or Woowie anyways.
Yunho desperately wanted to go into little space, but he didn’t feel like he should. He’d watched Mingi and Hongjoong look after the other three littles and they seemed just as happy, if not happier than when they looked after him, so with his messed up logic he came to the conclusion that they felt the same way as he did. That Yunho was too big to be a little.
This brings us to today. Mingi, Yunho, Yeosang and Seonghwa are doing a cute kind of livestream, making friendship bracelets for each other and ATINY. Yunho is concentrating on making a pretty yellow and red flower bracelet. They’ve already been live for about half an hour and Yunho has felt his headspace slowly creep up on him. He’s pretty sure Seonghwa is sitting on the brink of headspace too, but knew his hyung wouldn’t regress until the live was over.
Soon all the pretty colours faded together and Yunho was really starting to struggle to hold back, but he managed to make it to the goodbyes. As soon as the camera was off, Seonghwa was thanking the staff with as much speed as he could manage and was out of there, taking Yeosang and his bracelets with him, the younger of the two sharing a knowing look with the members left at the table.
Yunho debates running somewhere to regress alone, but the thought disappears when Mingi asks, “You wanna head to Joong-hyung’s studio, Yun?”
Yunho looks at Mingi with a startled expression, before sighing and nodding. The two thank the staff like the pair beforehand, albeit slower, and are soon on their way to Hongjoong’s studio, where they know the older caregiver will be. Yunho almost trips over his shoelace on the way there, but Mingi keeps his upright with a firm grip on his hand.
They soon make it to Hongjoong’s studio and Mingi knocks on the door. A shout of affirmation is heard from inside and Mingi opens the door to find Hongjoong looking at them expectantly. His eyes light up and a wide smile reaches across his face when he sees the little and caregiver, happily inviting them to sit on the couch.
“Hey Yunnie.” Hongjoong greets the little. Mingi grabs the soft toy that Hongjoong keeps in his studio incase of a little emergency, placing it on Yunho’s lap.
“’m not little.” Yunho mumbles, very unconvincingly.
“Why not?” Mingi asks, “You’re allowed to be little in here, bubs.”
Yunho shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he tries not to let their soft tones trigger a slip.
“You wanna tell me why you’ve refused to be little for so long?” Hongjoong interrogates, placing a hand on the boy’s knee, “This isn’t like you, you’re worrying us.”
Yunho looks at Hongjoong, surprised. He hadn’t thought that he was worrying the caregivers by not being little.
“I-I don’t know.” Yunho says, looking at the ground, but it doesn’t sound convincing even to his own ears. Hongjoong sighs and takes the boys hand in his own, tilting Yunho’s head back up to meet his eyes.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
The tenderness in his voice makes the realisation of what he’d been doing come crashing down on Yunho and he bursts out crying as he slips, pulling Hongjoong into a hug and crying into his chest. Both Mingi rubs circles into his back as Hongjoong reassures him that he’s okay, that nothings going to hurt him, that they aren’t mad.
Eventually the tears slow and Yunnie mumbles something into Hongjoong’s chest.
“What was that darling?” Hongjoong coaxes the now sniffling boy away from his chest, “I didn’t hear you bubs.”
Yunnie rubs at his eyes with his hands and Mingi pulls them away, using a tissue to wipe up the boy’s face, “‘m sorry hyungie.”
“It’s okay, Yun.” Mingi smiles, finishing wiping the boy’s face, “Can you tell your hyungie’s why we haven’t seen little Yun in a while?”
Yunnie nods, taking a deep breath, “Am-am I to big for hyungies?”
The reaction from the other two is instantaneous, showering the little with hugs and kisses and reassurances that he isn’t to big, that he is just the right size to be their little baby. Yunnie smiles and sniffles, looking at his hyungies with hearts in his eyes. The two caregivers then coo as the little yawns, the stressful events of the morning catching up to him.
“Do you wanna nap, sweetheart?” Hongjoong asks the little, who nods and yawns again.
“Here bubs,” Mingi pulls the little up and onto his lap, spreading them both out along the couch. It’s not long enough for them to lie down fully, but it is big enough for them to sit with their legs fully extended. “You can nap and hyungies will wake you when it’s time to go, okay?”
Yunnie nods, yawning again. Hongjoong taps the little’s hand once more before he can close his eyes, “Promise me one thing okay baby? Promise me that you’ll tell your hyungies if you ever feel too big again, okay? We love you and we want you to be happy.”
“Pwomish hyungie.” Yunnie lisps, sticking his pinky out to Hongjoong, who takes it and seals the promise. The little the manoeuvres his head onto Mingi’s chest and closes his eyes, ignoring the coos sent his way by the caregivers. He finds sleep quickly, satisfied now that he’s wrapped in his hyungie’s arms again.