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taeyong, yuta, and johnny had become friends, because of multiple things, but the biggest, their love for kids and hatred of the foster care system, all three of the boys had had bad expeirences and wished it upon no one.
so when they found out that they were able to adopt as a trio, to foster these poor kids, they were ecstatic.
it started with taeil. their first kid, he was 6 when he came, they all fell in love with the small child, and it hurt them all so much to hear of the incident that placed him with them. they had had taeil for a year before they adopted again, they fostered, but this was the next adoption....well adoptions.
'the triplets', the three of them weren't really triplets, they all came from different countries, but they were all so close in age. kun, doyoung and chittaphon. they were a year younger then taeil, but all respectivley 6 when they arrived. (a mere week after taeil's seventh birthday.)
it moved quickly from there, the actual twins (jungwoo and jaehyun) and sicheng were adopted two years later, at the age's of 7 (the twins) and 6 (sicheng.) they all were so happy with their growing family.
however, two days after the adoption of the twins and sicheng, they were met with four huddling and crying 5-to-6 year olds on their doorstep. if you asked johnny, taeyong, and yuta, the foursome had one of the worst stories. till this day, they are still trying to get custody of xuxi, mark, dejun, and kunhuang. but they had been their sons for five years at this point. they always were going to be.
the twins and the chinese cutie #2 (jeno, donghyuck, and renjun), came soon after, they were placed in the trio's care at the age of four, all cute and blabbering messes. and it stayed like that for a while, the second set of twins being the youngest.
and then, when taeil was 11, the triplets 10, the twins 9, sicheng and xuxi 8, mark, kunhuang, and dejun, seven, and the twins plus renjun, 6 , they got met with four new additions, jaemin, chenle, shotaro, and sungchan. all aged three.
and suddenly, the twins and renjun were the big brothers.
once again, it stayed like that, but this time for much shorter, a mere 2 months later, jisung got placed in their care, at the ripe old age of 1 year old.
then, for what they thought would be the last time, having 19 kids already, they stopped. johnny, taeyong, and yuta's family was finally complete. almost.
-
"DAD! TELL YANGYANG TO SHUT UP!" xuxi shouted as he looked back down at his homework.
"XUXI! HE'S ONE HE DOESN'T LISTEN!" johnny shouted back, over the loud cries of their true final addition to the family.
"yeah, xuxi, you remember how jisungie was don't you." mark reminded, grabbing a handful of goldfish from xuxi's bowl.
"when jisung was one kunhuang and i had that visiting year with fangsu." xuxi grumbled, he loved his brothers, he really did, but why did he have 19 of them. at least it was better than fangsu's. (his and kunhuang's mother.)
"oh. well it gets better, i promise, dejunnie and i will help you and kunhuang!" mark smiled, he was always so optimistic.
"thanks, markie." xuxi smiled, finally looking up from his math homework.
-
taeil, as the oldest brother, and only teen (albeit only 13,) was destined to have a rebel phase. johnny, yuta and taeyong had accepted that fact after they adopted jungwoo, jaehyun, and sicheng.
however, they didn't think it would be so soon.
"i had no part in this when dad, papa, and appa notice, got it hyung?." ten said strictly as he placed the bleach on taeil's brown hair.
"of course, tennie." taeil smiled, "thank you for helping me, i want to have red hair, not be bald."
"always, hyung. no brother of mine will be bald...okay yangyang can pass 'cuz he's a baby, but still he has a good amount of hair." ten shook his head, he was the fashionista of the family.
"you get that from dad." taeil commented, johnny had always been so stingy about looking good, only to himself though, "being such a fashionista."
"so i've heard. come on that has to sit for 30 minutes, watch bojack horseman with me, doyoung and kun are being boring." ten groaned as he wrapped taeil's blech covered head.
"how are they being boring?" taeil asked as ten went to grab his laptop.
"they're doing homework." ten explained.
"have you done your homework, chittaphon?" a voice asked from behind the two of them, causing a startle.
"oh- h-hi papa, i'll go do that." ten squeaked, running to his shared room.
taeil internily cursed the younger but realized it was too late.
"heyyyyy papa." taeil said, looking up at the japanese man.
"i think we need to talk real quick, taeillie." yuta smiled, sitting on the edge of the bathtub to face his son on the counter.
"i'm sorry." taeil said as the door closed.
"it's okay. i wish you would've told dad, and i you wanted to dye your hair, we did appa's hair all the time in highschool, i would trust the outcome a bit more then when it's done by your twelve year old brother." yuta smiled, ten didn't do a bad jop, per say, but him and johnny could've done it better.
taeil stayed quiet, unsure how to respond, and trying his best not to scratch the bleach off his head.
"have you been doing okay, tae? we've been really busy with your brothers lately, i'm sorry about that." yuta asked, he knew this would happen.
"thought if i dyed my hair i'd get your attention again..." taeil mumbled, looking down at his lap.
"hey,hey, bubba. i'm sorry that we've been so busy, if you need or want our attention, please tell one of us. we love you so much, we will always be here for you." yuta smiled, placing his hand on his son's knee softly.
"i'm not in trouble?" taeil asked, tears streaming down his face.
"no, bubba, i promise. you should've told me about wanting to do your hair, but im not mad. you aren't in trouble." yuta smiled, lifting his son's head to make eye-contact with him.
"o-okay." taeil sniffled, hugging yuta softly.
"bubba, do you want to beat my ass in mario kart with the twins?" yuta offered softly, a small giggle coming out of taeil.
"of course i do papa. and then maybe you and dad can help me finish my hair." taeil smiled.
"dad is a little busy with the maknae's right now, but i promise i will help you." yuta said, planting a kiss on taeil's forehead.
"come on, you know how impatiend jae and woo get."
-
dinner. the most hectic part of the dayd, but also the part taeyong loved the most. "wash up, wash up, i have some announcements for dinner." he called lovingly to his sons who were strewn around their house.
he started to make all 23 plates, it was barbecue night, and yangyang would get some mashed veggies and maybe some mac and cheese. while the others would have either hamburgers, hotdogs, or grilled pork.
"what's up, appa?" kun asked, as he sat down, he was the last to arrive to the table.
"i have a few things, to tell you all." taeyong smiled. looking at his family.
"first, dejun's school play is in two weeks! we will all be going, and please, please, please, do not dump water on the people in front of us. i'm looking at you xuxi and kunhuang." he said teasingly, the family cheering in support of their brother.
"second, i will be gone on wednesday and thursday next week because of court meetings about jisungie and yangyang's adoption, they both will be coming with me, enjoy the peace while you have it."
"lastly, and this is really, really, really big news, so i want you all to pay close attention," taeyong said, lookind specifically at his rambuncious group of six year olds. "not even dad and papa know about this," he added, bringing the table to complete scilence.
"it got confirmed, xuxi and kunhuang are ours, always will be, fangsu signed off her rights." he let out, and the table errupted in cheers.
"she did! she-she signed them?" kunhuang exclaimed running over to taeyong.
taeyong nodded, lifting the ten year old into a hug, just like when they first met. "you and xuxi are all ours."
"well this is fantastic! honey, why didn't you tell us?" johnny exclaimed, xuxi was hugging tightly around his waist, tears flowing.
"you would scream and wake up yangie." yuta said, although he knew he would do the same.
"who-who all is left before we're all-all together, officially?" sungchan asked shyly.
"jisung, mark, dejun, jaemin, and yangyang. then we will all be officially a family, but remember, no matter what happens, or what papers are and aren't signed, you are all our sons." johnny smiled, "come on, let's eat, family mario kart after dinner to celebrate.
-
so yeah, their family still had a long way to go, but they knew nothing would happen to them, becasue they would always be family, from home.