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Felix wandered into the kitchen, grinning as he saw Seungmin bent down in front of the open fridge. He crept over to the fridge door and hid behind it, waiting for the other to notice him instead of speaking up. It was becoming more difficult to talk since he was starting to let himself slip.
Seungmin was busy looking for a good snack to munch on while watching cartoons. It had been a long time since he had last relaxed and he wanted to make the most out of a quiet day at the dorm.
At least, that was what he had planned, until he closed the fridge door and nearly jumped at the figure sitting behind it.
"Felix! You startled me. Where did you come from?"
Once the initial shock wore off, he took a good look at the Aussie, who was practically swimming in a hoodie that was definitely Chan's. He was also wearing shorts and tall, fuzzy socks.
"Sorry Minnie." Felix grinned in amusement, shoving the edge of one sleeve between his teeth. "Have you seen Channie hyung?"
"Uh." Seungmin paused to think. "Hyung should be in the living room, he's working on tracks."
"Oh, okay." Felix's smile shrunk, no longer blindingly wide but shy and small instead. He headed off in the direction of the living room, giggling softly.
His caregiver was indeed in the living room, working on his laptop on the floor. Felix almost felt guilty for wanting to take his attention away, but he needed Chan to help him stay in headspace. The few scattered moments of regression he had squeezed in between work schedules barely meant anything without the leader doting on him.
He went up to Chan and waited.
A few moments later, the older saw him from the corner of his eye and glanced up, taking off his headphones. "Lix?"
"Appa!" Felix shrieked gleefully, wrapping his arms around his side.
Chan stared at the top of his head for a second before breaking into a smile. He reached over to save his work and shut his laptop so that he could give Felix his undivided attention.
"Hey little one, are you doing okay?" He asked, in case he had slipped to deal with negative emotions. He gently tapped the younger's cheek.
Felix hummed. "M' okay. Missed appa, wan stay aww day."
Chan cooed, pulling Felix into his lap. "Appa hasn't spent much alone time with you lately, hm? We can stay together all day and do whatever you want. Let me make it up to you, my little Lixie needs a break from being a big boy for a bit."
His sweet, soothing words made Felix melt in his arms, eyes wide and glassy. A thumb found its way into his mouth and he sucked it without a second thought.
"How old are you feeling?"
The regressor held up two fingers, trying to bury his face in Chan's chest as he did so.
"Don't be shy sunshine, thank you for telling me. I love taking care of my itty bitty baby boy."
He wanted to put his laptop away properly, worried that leaving it out in the open living room would be a bad idea. If someone could watch the little in his arms, then he would be able to organize his things. He called for Seungmin, knowing he was the only other member home.
"Yes hyung?" Seungmin padded into the room, looking slightly disheveled with messy hair and wrinkled clothes, as if he had been getting dressed.
"Can you watch Lix until I'm done putting my stuff away? Please?" Chan was already moving out from under Felix, the latter whining from the loss of contact.
"Oh, uh, sure." Seungmin had no room to protest, so he plopped down beside them and held onto Felix.
"Thank you." Chan smiled at him, making his heart flutter unintentionally.
"Ah, it's nothing."
He turned Felix to face him after Chan had left. "Hey baby, what do you want to do today?"
"Mih'ie," Felix slurred around his thumb, raising his other hand to fist Seungmin's hoodie.
"Yes, I'm Minnie." He giggled, realizing he was feeling too young to answer. "You're cute."
Felix glanced up at him, tugging at the cloth in his hands.
"Uh-uh, no baby, no pulling, you'll stretch it out," Seungmin told him nervously. In actuality, he wasn't too concerned about his hoodie getting outstretched, since Felix was only bunching it up in his hand. He was more worried about exposing what was underneath.
"You want to feel things? When hyung comes back I'll get you a toy to grab onto. You can poke and pull it all you want."
"Toy?" Felix grinned, bouncing in Seungmin's lap. "Toy toy toy!"
Seungmin grimaced as he wiggled happily, pulling the neck of his hoodie to his shoulder. "Yes, toy, but let go first. No touchy."
He struggled to pull Felix's fingers away from him because as tiny as they were, they sure had a strong grip. There was definitely some purple cloth showing around his neck and shoulder now, what if Chan came and saw? What if he was disappointed that Seungmin was feeling small and couldn't be helpful?
"Toy, toy!"
"Lixie, no touchy!" He whined louder, with more exasperation, succeeding in pulling the little's hand off of him. After quickly adjusting his clothes, he inspected himself, making sure the purple cloud onesie underneath wasn't visible.
"I'm sorry," was the next thing he said, bringing Felix's fist close to kiss his knuckles. "I just wanna help. Then I can be little."
Felix seemed indifferent, merely tilting his head to look around at the room. Seungmin let out a breath of relief, glad that he wasn't crying. That would have been hard to explain to Chan.
"I'm back!" Chan greeted them as he came around the corner, holding out a baby blue pacifier.
Seungmin found himself focused on the teat. He blinked, catching himself before he could lean forward. Right, it was blue. Not pink. It was for Felix. Not him.
Felix squealed and reached for the leader, taking the pacifier into his mouth as Chan lifted him onto his hip.
"Toy!" He shouted again.
"You want a toy? What kind?" Chan made small kissy noises in his direction.
"He kept pulling at my clothes, so I figured a soft toy would help. He seems to want to touch things today," Seungmin explained carefully. He relaxed when Felix placed his hand on Chan's face and gave it a squeeze, making him laugh.
"Okay, I see. You need some sensory input, don't you? My baby wants to feel things today?" He nuzzled Felix's palm.
The cooing and sweet talking was making it difficult for Seungmin to stay big. If they kept this up he wouldn't last very long.
After a minute of Chan fondly playing around with Felix, the younger shrieked.
"Doggy!" He pointing at Seungmin. "Doggy toy!"
"You want Seungminnie's stuffed dog?" Chan glanced at the younger.
"Toy! Mi' toy!" Felix affirmed.
Seungmin nodded, even though he was reluctant to give up his prized possession, not knowing when he would be able to take it back.
"Can you-?"
"I'll get it," he answered Chan quickly, not wanting to upset him or Felix by taking too long. He went to his room and retrieved the toy, pausing to hug it tightly while he was still out of view before running back.
The pair was on the sofa. Felix was preoccupied with pressing the sofa seat down.
"Here you go hun, it's a good texture to feel." He placed the stuffie in Felix's arms, trying to remain composed as he made interested sounds and grasped at the plush.
"Look at that, Minnie lent you his pup. Isn't that nice of him? He's such a sweet brother. Can you say thank you? Lixie? Thank you?" Felix babbled something unintelligible.
Chan pinched his cheeks, completely oblivious to Seungmin's curling toes and innocent expression.
Nice. Sweet. The praises echoed in his head. He was being good! All he had to do was keep it up.
"You're welcome. Keep him safe, okay?"
Chan ruffled his hair. "You're so attached to it, it's adorable."
The action left Seungmin feeling much fuzzier than he would have liked. He smiled, unable to form a verbal response.
"Oh, could you fill a bottle with water for him?" Chan retracted his hand and adjusted Felix in his lap. "I'd get it myself but I don't want to move him, you know? In case he falls or something."
Seungmin moved to the kitchen. A part of him wanted to be able to sit and simply be, like how Felix was playing with his dog. Another part of him wanted to be responsible. He understood that while Felix could potentially be left alone for a few minutes, the risk of him getting into trouble was there.
Chan, caring as he was, would stay by his side for as long as possible. He never admitted to being clingy with his little, but he never had to. They all could see how gentle and caring he was with the younger, always antsy when Felix was regressed anywhere that wasn't within an arm's reach.
It had been a few weeks since they had last been together so intimately, so Seungmin refused to let his own regression disturb their time together. He started filling a baby bottle while considering slipping away after the task was done. His gaze shifted to the Aussie pair, his lower lip tucking itself between his teeth when he saw the regressor squish his toy.
He wanted to be involved so badly.
On instinct, he lifted his arm in their direction, watching, reaching, longing for what they were having.
The back of his hand knocked into the full, open bottle, tipping it over. Water splashed onto the counter and pooled over the surface in the second it took Seungmin to react. He shot forward to set the bottle upright, but by then it was too late. He could feel water dripping off the edge onto his socked feet, soaking into the material.
He made a mess.
His eyes filled with tears, still focused on the counter. A sob escaped him as he heard Chan sigh. Was he mad? Frustrated? The silence in the air only reaffirmed his worries.
He trembled from the weight of his emotions before caving, curling up on the floor and letting the tears flow freely.
"Minnie? Minnie baby, are you okay?"
Chan's warm presence surrounded him in the form of a back hug.
"Made mess an' hyung mad 'cause m' small an' been wanting be small so long an' can't clean an' an' too much," he wailed, burying his face in his hands.
"Oh baby, shh, it's okay. I've got you."
Chan pulled him closer to sit sideways in his lap and rocked him from side-to side. Eventually, his cries calmed down to small sniffs and coughs. The leader helped him clean his face with some tissues.
"I'm sowy," Seungmin whispered, "Wan'ed be good...maked hyung 'set."
"You are being good hun, you didn't upset me." Chan faced him with a confused look.
"But hyung maked noise."
"I sighed, right. It was because I knew we would have to clean it up first and it would take some time. That's all. I'm not mad that you spilled some water, it happens. Even to me."
He ran his fingers through Seungmin's hair in an attempt to soothe him. "Pup, you were feeling small from earlier, weren't you? If I had known I would have helped you or gotten the bottle myself. You should have said something sooner."
"Wan'ed Lixie an' hyung spend time wif each other. Filled water fine." He rubbed his eyes and looked around, spotting Felix playing on the carpet. A few couch cushions were placed around him to form a barrier he could stay within.
"You did fill it the first time. You were super helpful today, Minnie. Now it's time for us to help you too. Being little is never a bother to any of us, nor does it take away the time I spend with Lix, okay? Let me change you into some dry clothes, dress you up as tiny as you feel. How does that sound?"
"Good." Seungmin was pulled to his feet. Now that he was standing, he could see that a dishcloth had been placed on the counter, soaking up most of the water.
"Hey, don't worry about it. It's only water." Chan smiled and took his hand, leading him to his room. He peeled away Seungmin's damp socks and patted a wet patch on his hoodie, silently waiting for Seungmin to either take it off himself, or lean forward for the older to do it.
Seungmin shyly pulled it over his head, revealing the purple onesie he had been wearing all along.
"You have clouds all over you!" Chan cooed, poking his side. "I have such a cute baby with me here!"
"Thankies." He giggled, pushing his pants away so he could feel smaller in nothing but his onesie.
"Alright, let's get you to the living room."
Seungmin whined in protest before Chan could pick him up.
"What's wrong?"
"Lixie gots paci...wan paci too please?" He sounded unsure, glancing at Chan with hopeful eyes. And who was Chan to say no to such an adorable, polite pup?
Minutes later, Seungmin was seated beside Felix, happily sucking on his pink pacifier and holding the tail of his stuffed dog in one hand. Felix was still squeezing the rest of the toy, but neither of them wanted to take it from the other.
Chan left the TV on with something age-appropriate playing to keep them preoccupied while he finished wiping away the remains of the earlier spill. He quickly joined the littles, wrapping his arms around them both.
"I love you both so much, whether you're big or small." His voice was full of love. He kissed their heads and settled into a comfortable position where they were pressed into each other.
On the newly dried counter were two baby bottles filled with water.