Chapter Text
It had been a relatively easy day for all the members of ATEEZ. Nothing out of the ordinary for a day off, San and Yunho were playing video games with Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho spectating and occasionally joining in. Hongjoong had been holed up in his room after receiving 12 packages all relating to a fashion piece he had decided to work on and Seonghwa had been called into the room about half an hour ago. Yeosang though, had been spending the rare off day reading and napping, ignoring everyone else as well as he could.
Yeosang is about to start a new chapter of his book when there’s a knock at the door. He yells his consent for entry and San pops his head around the corner, “Why are you in trouble?”
“What?” Yeosang sits up, alarmed. He doesn’t remember being in trouble.
“Seonghwa-hyung was pretty adamant about having a chat with you in the hyungs’ room.” San explains, making Yeosang even more confused. He slowly closes his book and places it on the side table, standing up and looking at San with a puzzled expression.
“He say anything?”
“Nah, just that he and Joong-hyung wanted you to come down to their room.” San shrugs and Yeosang opens the door all the way and moves past him, walking down the hall to the door of the hyungs’ room. He knocks on it and waits until he hears Hongjoong’s voice telling him to come in.
“Hey, San said you wanted to speak with me?” Yeosang asks as he enters, spotting Hongjoong sitting on Hongjoong’s bed, a package next to him, and Seonghwa sat on a chair opposite him, looking back at Yeosang.
“Hey Sang, you doing alright?” Hongjoong greets as Yeosang closes the door behind him. Hongjoong pats the spot next to him and Yeosang sits down, “I just wanted to ask you a few questions. You don’t have to answer them, ‘cause I feel like I’m in the wrong here, but I’d appreciate if you did.”
“Okay?” Yeosang agrees, still very much confused.
“Now, I didn’t mean to open it,” Hongjoong starts, picking up the package between them, “But I thought it was one of mine, and it had been lumped in with my ones. I’m sorry if this is something private but I thought it was better to ask than to let you see the open package and wonder who opened it. So, uh, I was wondering if you could tell me what you bought these for?”
Yeosang wanted as Hongjoong pulls out two items wrapped in the usual packing plastic things come in. One being a pale yellow baby blanket and the other a pink adult pacifier. Yeosang’s mind immediately goes into panic mode. His eyes widen as he realises that both of his hyungs have seen the new littles things he had ordered for himself a week ago. He doesn’t even process his hyungs looking at him concerned as he is way too close to slipping into little space right there and then.
“Are you okay, Sang?” Seonghwa asks, meeting Yeosang’s startled eyes as he faces the older. “Is this something we need to talk about? Are you homesick? What’s going on?”
Yeosang shakes his head and his hands move to his face, wiping the first tears as they fall. His mental age rapidly descends and before he knows it he’s little, too little to comprehend anything, all the way down in baby space. His cries get louder and when he feels a hand on his arm he immediately moves towards the human contact, practically launching himself on Seonghwa.
Both of the hyungs share a look of utter confusion and questioning. Seonghwa starts rubbing Sangie’s back, hoping to help the younger boy calm down. After having no such luck for over twenty seconds he mouths to Hongjoong “Get Wooyoung!”, figuring that the younger might be able to give them some answers. Hongjoong nods and leaves the room quietly, leaving Seonghwa with the crying boy.
Seonghwa whispers sweet things to Sangie but nothing makes the boy loosen the death grip he has on Seonghwa’s chest and upper back. By the time Hongjoong returns with Wooyoung, Seonghwa can swear that he can feel Sangie’s tears seeping through his shirt, still extremely concerned over the reaction of the younger.
“Oh shit.” Is the first thing out of Wooyoung’s mouth when he sees his long time friend crying on Seonghwa’s shoulder. He instantly moves to Seonghwa’s side, crouching down so he can see Yeosang’s face clearly.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Hongjoong asks. Wooyoung shakes his head and looks up at the elder.
“What caused this?” Wooyoung queries. Hongjoong shows picks up the items from earlier.
“I accidentally opened his mail and was trying to ask him about it incase he wasn’t doing okay or something.” Hongjoong clarifies, “I didn’t expect this.”
Something seems to click for Wooyoung as he looks at the items in Hongjoong’s hand, “He’s little!”
“What?” Both of the hyungs ask.
“Here,” Wooyoung ignores the question and sticks his hand out to Hongjoong, “Give them to me.”
Hongjoong passes the items to Wooyoung, who opens the pacifier rapidly, “Ages ago, like a year and a half ago, me and Sangie discussed me specifically using something called little space, or age regression, to destress.”
Wooyoung gets the pacifier out and tilts Sangie’s head towards him, showing the little the pacifier, “Here darling, have your paci.”
Sangie takes the pacifier into his mouth and his cries decrease immediately. Wooyoung starts on the blanket, “We did a whole heap of research. Basically its where you develop a headspace of a child and when you’re there you forget all your responsibilities and just relax for a while and let yourself essentially be a child.”
Sangie takes the blanket into his arms when Wooyoung hands it to him and tucks his head into Seonghwa’s neck again, this time a lot quieter, only small whimpers and hiccups can he heard from the boy.
“I thought we had agreed that I wouldn’t try because it was too hard to hide from you all and the risk of it coming round at the wrong time was high,” Wooyoung continues, still watching the little, a lot calmer now that the frantic rush is gone, “But obviously Sang picked it up himself. I dunno how long for but it seems like he’s in baby space, where he’s practically a baby in an adult body.”
Wooyoung looks between the two hyungs. Both have been stunned into silence. Wooyoung sighs, moving from he floor to sit on the bed, “He’s gonna be fine. We’ve just got to treat him like he’s a baby until he’s big again. I guess you stressed him out enough to make him fall into baby space, but it’s not your fault ‘cause you didn’t know.”
“I’m sorry.” Hongjoong apologises anyways, looking down at the ground.
“I can’t speak for Yeosang, but I’m pretty sure he’ll understand that you just wanted to help.” Wooyoung reaches over and moves Sangie’s hair out of his eyes, smiling when he sees that the boy has just about fallen asleep, “Move him over onto your bed, let him sleep, if he’s big when he wakes then we’ll talk more then.”
Seonghwa stands with Sangie still wrapped around him. The little doesn’t do anything more than a small whine in the back of his throat as Seonghwa places him down in his bed. He steps back to let Wooyoung tuck him in. They have to admit, Sangie looks adorable like that.
“We’ll talk more later, we should let him sleep.” Wooyoung steps away, turning on the side lamp and moving towards the door, the older two moving with him. Wooyoung turns off the main room light as they leave, looking one last time to make sure Sangie’s sleeping okay.
“Are you sure that he’s okay?” Hongjoong asks one last time once Wooyoung closes the room door in the hall.
“Yes. He’ll be fine.” Wooyoung insists, bringing Hongjoong into a hug. Seonghwa also gives him a hug and the three move towards Wooyoung, Yeosang and Jongho’s room.