Chapter Text
A beam of light slipping through the doorway roused Hongjoong from his sleep.
He didn't open his eyes, not yet at least, and barely repressed a groan as the light didn't disappear after a few moments. He knew one of the members had come into his room, but who was still a mystery that he didn't particularly want to unveil if he was being honest. Hongjoong had managed to come home from the studio at a decent hour for once (and he was actually in his bed instead of on the couch), and he didn't care for his sleep being interrupted. Just as he was about to voice these thoughts, he heard a sniffle coming from whichever boy had come to him for a late night visit. Immediately feeling guilty, he squeezed his already closed eyes and let out a little huff before finally cracking them open, squinting to try to clear his bleary vision.
Yeosang stood before him, head down, eyes up, to look at the leader through his messy hair. One hand had a firm grip on the hem of his sweatshirt and a stuffed rabbit was tucked to his chest. He sniffled again as he shifted from foot to foot, seemingly stuck now that he had Hongjoong's attention.
Hongjoong's heart broke a bit at the state of the boy. Yeosang rarely came to him during the night, especially compared to some of the other members, so whatever had happened must have been serious enough that he sought out the leader. The presence of the rabbit was another sign that Hongjoong's night was going to be a long one. Taking just a moment more to close his eyes, Hongjoong took a breath as he lifted himself from the bed. As he opened them again, Yeosang had taken a step back and his teeth sunk into his bottom lip.
"What's wrong, Yeosang?" Hongjoong asked, his voice coming out a bit rougher than he'd like. He didn't want to give Yeosang the impression that he was unwelcome or a nuisance, knowing how sensitive late night visits from any of the members could be. Plus, he really didn't need Wooyoung or Jongho waking up. Yeosang valued his privacy, so Hongjoong did what he could to make sure the younger boy felt safe enough to express his needs.
A soft, slightly high pitched whine was the only response Hongjoong received. He watched from his bed as Yeosang's eyes overflowed with tears and he buried his face into the plush fur of the rabbit in his arms. He could see that Yeosang was trembling, barely noticeable in the dimly lit room. Hongjoong swung his legs around and planted them on the floor. He needed to get Yeosang out of the room before one of the boys woke up, and Hongjoong knew he was moments away from breaking down. He made his way over to Yeosang, gently putting a hand on his arm and patting it a few times before speaking.
"Hey," he spoke softly, "Let's go talk about it in the living room, yeah? Will you be okay with that?"
Yeosang squeezed the rabbit again before nodding slightly. He hiccuped as he peeked from behind his toy. Hongjoong hushed him, bringing his arm up to wrap around the boy's shoulders and lead him out of the room. As they were about to leave, a voice stopped them.
Yeosang stiffened under his leader's hold as Wooyoung's voice filled the room. "Wha's goin' on?" he murmured, lifting his head from his pillow.
Hongjoong was quick to reply. "Nothing, Woo, lay down and go back to sleep."
Wooyoung lifted himself to rest on his elbows, doing the exact opposite of what Hongjoong asked. "Yeosang?" he called out, and Hongjoong suppressed a sigh as he knew what was coming next.
Yeosang started to cry, trying to be quiet but failing as he had a mini meltdown. He tipped his head, chin touching his chest as tears poured from his eyes and his shoulders shook. Completely bawling, he tried to pull away from Hongjoong, but the leader kept a firm hold on him.
"Yeosang, baby, it's okay. It's okay," he said in the best soothing tone he could manage. His irritation at Wooyoung tried to seep in, but he knew the boy was just concerned about his friend. "Wooyoung is going to go back to sleep now, right, Wooyoung?" he asked, a slight bite to his tone now. He couldn't help it, and it felt just a little satisfying to see Wooyoung's eyes widen in fear.
He nodded a few times. "Y-yeah! I'm going back to sleep now!" And with that he flopped back to the mattress with a bounce.
"Thank you," Hongjoong said exasperatedly. He rubbed Yeosang's back as the boy continued to cry.. He let his eyes travel to Jongho's bed and their eyes met, giving him a slight scare. The maknae brought a finger to his lips, indicating that he knew not to make Yeosang aware that he was also awake. Hongjoong nodded in response, grateful for Jongho's consideration. He knew the youngest was just as worried as Wooyoung and himself, but he also knew that Yeosang had gone to the leader for a reason and he wasn't going to interfere with that.
Turning his attention back to Yeosang, Hongjoong gently pushed him forward, urging him towards the door. Yeosang moved easily, still too lost to his tears to do much else. He closed the door behind them and hoped none of the other members would wake up as they entered the living room. Realistically, Hongjoong knew they would, but Seonghwa would probably keep San and Mingi from barging in, and Yunho probably already knew what was wrong but was respecting Yeosang's privacy.
Now that Hongjoong and Yeosang were alone, Hongjoong turned his focus to the still crying boy in front of him. The leader's heart broke at the sight of Yeosang mouthing at the ear of his rabbit, a clear attempt to muffle his sobs and soothe himself at the same time. Whatever was wrong must be really taking its toll on the boy, and Hongjoong needed to comfort his baby now.
"Shh, you're okay. We're alone now, so why don't you tell hyung what's wrong, hm?" Hongjoong cajoled as he stroked Yeosang's hair away from his face. A watery gaze met his own and Hongjoong responded with a small smile, trying to convey that he wasn't annoyed with his younger member and ready to help him feel better.
"H-hyung," Yeosang said through a whine. His breath hitched as he fidgeted where he stood.
"I'm here, hyung's here."
Through a shuddered breath, Yeosang spoke, "I-I didn't--I didn't mean to, hyung." He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look at Hongjoong. His hands flexed nervously underneath the plush fabric of the rabbit.
"Didn't mean to what, baby?" the elder gently prodded. "Let's sit down, all right? You want to sit in hyung's lap?"
As Hongjoong moved closer to the couch, Yeosang braced himself against the gentle pull, shaking his head and whimpering. Confused at the reaction, as the boys usually jumped at the chance to sit in someone's lap, Hongjoong stopped to try to read the boy in front of him. He wouldn't meet Hongjoong's eye and looked ashamed, shoulders hunched and head ducked.
"Why don't you want to sit?" Hongjoong questioned. "Are you hurt?" Yeosang shook his head. "Scared?" Another head shake. "Sweetheart, I don't know how to help if you won't tell me what's wrong."
Yeosang whined, letting out distressed little sounds as he tried to work up the courage to explain himself. Hongjoong was patient, and let the boy work through his tears. He kept a hand on his back, trailing it slowly across Yeosang's broad shoulders.
Finally, the younger snuffled a few more times before croaking out, "It-it was--it was an a-accide-ent."
Hongjoong's eyebrows furrowed. Accident? He hadn't heard any crashes or bangs before Yeosang came into his room. There was also very little chance Yeosang had been into mischief and broken something. He didn't respond, which only made Yeosang start sobbing again, and then it hit him.
Oh, an accident. Hongjoong refrained from slapping his forehead, irritated with himself for not understanding sooner.
"Are-are you mad, hyung?" Yeosang quietly asked. "I didn't meant to!" The rabbit's ear made it back into his mouth as he looked at Hongjoong with wide eyes.
"Of course not! I'm not mad at all," he said, trying to get it together. Admittedly, he was a bit taken aback at this information, but he truly wasn't mad or upset about the situation. Accidents and close calls were almost commonplace among the members when they were small (and sometimes when they weren't), but bedwetting was a new one. "Thank you for telling hyung. You're very brave." He pulled Yeosang close to him, shushing him as the younger kept crying. He swayed Yeosang in his arms, keeping a constant string of comforting words to soothe his dongsaeng's tears.
He held him for a bit longer before speaking, "Why don't we get you cleaned up?" He didn't give Yeosang a chance to reply before leading him into the bathroom.
Flipping on the light, which had them both squinting, Hongjoong took a look at the boy in front of him. He had a decently sized wet patch on the front of his sweatpants, but it didn't spread down his legs and was hardly noticeable on the dark fabric. It was probably a bit wet on his bottom, but still wasn't anything major.
Yeosang whined as Hongjoong stared, which made the older's lips quirk up in a little smile. "It's not so bad, Yeosang. This was just a tiny accident, yeah? We'll have you fixed up in no time."
Yeosang shook his head, eyes squeezed shut as he shuffled on his feet. Hongjoong knew he was embarrassed, obviously, but it wasn't like this was the first time he'd helped a member clean up after an accident. Just last week, Hongjoong had to clean Mingi up when he didn't quite make it in time. Before that, it was San, and those were just the most recent occurrences.
"Come here, sweetheart. Hyung needs to get you out of those clothes." As he took a step forward, Yeosang stepped back. Figuring he was just really embarrassed this time, Hongjoong asked him, "Do you want to do it yourself?"
The younger shook his head, letting out a quiet "no" at his hyung's question. He fidgeted again, and Hongjoong let him take a moment to compose himself enough to speak. "I-I still need to go," Yeosang whispered, face crimson.
Hongjoong smiled at the quiet admission. "Is that all? How about you let me hold your friend," he gestured to the rabbit, "and I'll step out while you finish?"
That got an immediate reaction.
"No! I-I need you," he said, taking a step closer to Hongjoong. Hongjoong tsked, pulling Yeosang in for another hug before he could really start working himself up again.
"Shh, shh. Hyung won’t go anywhere," he spoke softly. "Do you want me to help you?"
Yeosang whimpered, trying to make himself smaller against Hongjoong as he nuzzled into his chest. Hongjoong just held his dongsaeng. His sweet Yeosang could take all the time he needed because Hongjoong wasn't going to leave him on his own.
A few minutes passed. Hongjoong had started humming in an attempt to put Yeosang more at ease. It seemed to do the trick because Yeosang pulled back, sniffling roughly (and slightly grossing Hongjoong out) before he asked timidly, "Will you help me, hyung?"
Hongjoong couldn't help but smile. Yeosang's face was a mess, covered in tears and snot and flushed red, but he still looked adorable. "Of course, my little love."
Yeosang returned it with a small, watery smile of his own, but his lips still quivered, and Hongjoong knew any misstep would lead to another crying fit. He gave the boy's forehead a quick peck before moving into action.
"Okay, let's put your friend on the sink. That way he can still be close but he won't get dirty," Hongjoong started. The rabbit was already soaked in tears and drool, but Hongjoong didn't want to add any other fluid to the poor thing's fur.
"Can't I hold him?" Yeosang asked in a tiny voice and pulled the rabbit closer to his chest.
"If he gets dirty then you won't be able to hold him anymore, baby. You don't want that, right?"
"But--But I need to hold him," Yeosang whined, blinking up at Hongjoong with sad eyes. It sent two tears rolling down his cheeks, and Hongjoong's heart couldn't take it.
"All right, all right. Don't cry anymore," he relented. "Hyung will have to help you more now. Is that okay with you?"
Yeosang nodded, shuffling on his feet again. The action was clearly a potty dance, and Hongjoong didn't know how it took him so long to realize it.
"Okay," Hongjoong said, mostly to himself. He'd never done what he's about to do for Yeosang with any of the other boys. Usually, their accidents left them completely empty, so it was new territory to have to assist one of his members with actually using the bathroom. He figured the day would come eventually, with the way some of them acted, but he also assumed they would go to Seonghwa first because he was more gentle overall and typically the one to escort the members to the restroom.
"Okay," he said again before getting started. "I'm going to take your pants and underwear off, all right? And then we're going to sit on the toilet and you can go. Does that sound all right, Yeosang?" He hoped none of his hesitance was noticeable in his tone. He wasn't bothered by what he planned to do, but it was certainly not a situation Hongjoong ever thought he would find himself in. Despite that, Hongjoong wanted to make sure Yeosang was comfortable first and foremost, so he pushed his doubts aside.
Yeosang slowly nodded, looking straight at Hongjoong as he did. He shifted from foot to foot yet again, and Hongjoong moved into action.
Without further preamble, Hongjoong hooked his fingers in the waistband of Yeosang's sweatpants and boxers. He pulled both garments down in a swift movement, giving Yeosang a moment to step out of each leg before he tossed them to the side. Now that he was standing in just a sweatshirt, clutching a stuffed animal to his chest with a ruddy face and sniffly nose, Yeosang looked so tiny and Hongjoong wanted to coo at the sight. He didn't, instead just giving Yeosang a smile as he guided him to sit. He was about to step away once Yeosang was seated, but the younger boy reached out and grabbed Hongjoong's hand. Hongjoong didn't pull away, letting Yeosang find a way to comfort himself through this. He did keep his gaze averted from the boy, who wouldn't have noticed either way since his face was tucked behind the rabbit. As he heard the beginnings of a trickle hitting the water, Hongjoong simply rubbed his thumb back and forth on Yeosang's hand. It was his quiet way of letting him know he was there and everything would be okay.
After a moment, silence filled the room, and Hongjoong waited just a bit longer before moving forward. He pressed a kiss to Yeosang's head before asking, "All done?"
He nodded, squeezing Hongjoong's hand tighter and glancing up from behind the rabbit.
"Good boy, Yeosang!" he praised. "You did so well for hyung. Let's wash our hands now."
Yeosang nodded again, a hint of a smile on his face, and let Hongjoong pull him up and guide him to the sink after reaching around to flush. They both washed their hands and Hongjoong gently dried Yeosang's hands for him. It was then that he looked down and remembered that Yeosang was currently pantsless and he stifled a giggle. The sight was just too cute. At least the boy's sweatshirt was long enough to maintain his modesty.
"Hyung needs to get you some clothes now," he began as he pulled a washcloth and some wet wipes from under the sink. He looked at Yeosang, gauging which direction to go. The boy wasn't crying at the moment, but the rabbit's ear was back in his mouth. That thing was definitely getting a wash soon.
"Since hyung needs to get your clothes, do you want to try to clean up by yourself or would you like my help?" he asked. "Either choice is okay, and you can always change your mind."
Yeosang nibbled the ear a little more aggressively, clearly weighing his options. He looked to his hyung, then to the wipes, and back to his hyung. "I can do it."
Hongjoong smiled, giving him a little pat. "Such a brave boy. You make hyung proud." His words brought a little grin and flushed cheeks to Yeosang's face, but Hongjoong could see the underlying unease. He still wanted to give Yeosang a chance to handle things himself, so he let it go. "I'll be right back, and if you have trouble, I can help you when I get back," Hongjoong said, giving Yeosang a peck on the cheek before leaving the bathroom.
He shut the door quietly after taking one last glance to make sure Yeosang was okay and made his way to the bedrooms. As he turned a corner, he locked eyes with a wide eyed San peeking from his door. He had a pacifier latched firmly in his mouth and Shiber clutched in his arms.
"And what are you doing awake?" Hongjoong asked, voice flat.
San didn't get a chance to answer as Seonghwa made an appearance.
"San, I told you to not open the door," Seonghwa scolded. If his tone was any indicator, he'd been dealing with San, and most likely Mingi too, for a while now. "Sorry, Hongjoong. San is being a bit naughty tonight."
Hongjoong smirked as San pouted behind his pacifier. Before he could say anything, Mingi was standing on his tiptoes, which Hongjoong thought was unnecessary, really, to peek outside too.
"Hongjoong-hyung, what's goin' on?" he asked, excitedly or anxiously. Hongjoong couldn't really tell.
"Everything is fine," he started. "San, Mingi, listen to your Seonghwa-hyung and go back to bed."
"But--"
"No buts. Unless you two want to start tomorrow with a time out, I suggest you go back to bed like the good boys I know you are, all right?" Hongjoong said, leaving no room for argument. Or at least he thought there was no room until San stomped his foot and Mingi whined loudly.
Seonghwa stepped in then. "Enough. We're going back to bed, and you two will write lines in addition to a time out if you don't go now, understand?"
At the threat of a second possible punishment, the boys retreated back into the bedroom, quietly telling Hongjoong good night as they went. Once the creak of beds and shuffling of blankets was heard, Seonghwa turned to Hongjoong. "Do you need any help?"
Hongjoong smiled, shaking his head. "Nah, I've got it, but thanks. You've got enough going on now with those two."
Seonghwa rolled his eyes, but he had a fond smile on his face. He bid Hongjoong good night as well before returning to the boys in his room, leaving Hongjoong to continue to his destination.
When he reached Yeosang and Yunho's room, he entered quietly, but Yunho was already awake. He was sitting up in bed and playing on his phone. His expression turned sheepish when he realized he'd been caught.
"Sorry, hyung," he whispered.
Hongjoong waved it off this time, knowing that he couldn't really help it considering the circumstances. "I'm just going to grab some clothes for Yeosang. I don't know if he'll be sleeping here tonight."
He walked to Yeosang's side of the room and pulled out some underwear and pajama pants from the drawers. He then glanced at Yeosang's bed, noticing the wet spot in the middle. It wasn't very big, but Hongjoong didn't want to leave the mess through the night. He sighed, feeling bad that Yeosang had to wake up like that.
"Did Yeosang have an accident?" Yunho suddenly asked.
"He did."
Yunho looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking. "I can change the sheets, hyung."
Hongjoong smiled as he walked over to ruffle Yunho's hair. "That's very kind of you, sweetie, but you don't have to."
"But I want to!" he said, a little too loudly. He was quieter when he spoke again. "Even if he doesn't sleep in here, he needs clean sheets, and I want to help." He looked up at Hongjoong with puppy eyes, and the elder quickly gave in.
"All right, all right. Just make sure you go back to bed after you're done," he stated. "I don't want to see you on your phone when I come back, okay?"
Yunho immediately agreed, jumping out of bed and making a beeline toward the linen closet.
"Thanks, Yunho," Hongjoong said as he passed him on his way back to the bathroom. Yunho beamed at him and continued to rummage through the closet. When he arrived at the bathroom, he knocked twice, gently calling out, "Yeosang, I'm back with your clothes. May I come in?" He waited for an answer, but the door simply opened and he let himself inside.
Yeosang looked a little shaky still, like he would be in tears again at the smallest upset, but Hongjoong could tell he had cleaned himself up, judging by the droplets of water that had splattered to the floor, the opened container of wipes, and the rabbit sitting off to the side and out of harm's way. He brought the boy close for a hug, heart filling when Yeosang snuggled close to him, the rabbit no longer a buffer between them.
"Good job, baby. Hyung's so proud," he praised. Yeosang giggled and rubbed his cheek against Hongjoong's shoulder. "Are you ready to get dressed and go back to bed?" He felt Yeosang nod against him and pulled away from the embrace though he still kept a hand on the boy's arm. "Would you like to dress yourself?"
At this question, Yeosang hesitated. He bit his lip and whined, cheeks turning red. "Can hyung help?" he shyly asked. "I'm--I just--," he panted out, working himself up again.
Hongjoong hushed him before he could spiral. "Of course hyung can help. I'll always help you when you need it."
That said, Hongjoong quickly but gently redressed Yeosang. He wanted to get them both back to bed before it got too much later. Before leaving the bathroom, Hongjoong tidied up a bit. He didn't want the other members to see the evidence of what had occurred though he knew they would figure it out anyway. Still, he wanted to spare Yeosang as much embarrassment as he could.
As he finished, Yeosang reached for him. His rabbit was back in his arms and he clutched Hongjoong's hand tightly. The grip hurt a little, but Hongjoong didn't react. "Can I sleep with you, hyung?" he asked in a small voice.
"Sure, sweetheart. My bed or yours?" he asked easily.
"M-my bed is still dirty," he said, tears filling his eyes at the reminder of his accident.
"Now, now, no need for anymore tears," Hongjoong comforted. "Yunho was very sweet and changed the sheets for you. Wasn't that nice of him?"
Yeosang nodded, sniffling. "I wanna sleep in your bed, hyung," he started. "B-but Yunho-hyung cleaned up for me so I need to sleep there and thank him."
"Yunho will understand that you need a little bit of comfort tonight, baby. You can thank him in the morning," Hongjoong told him and began leading him out of the bathroom. Yeosang didn't reply, but he let Hongjoong pull him toward the bedrooms.
As they passed the first room, Hongjoong didn't hear anything. He mentally cheered for Seonghwa and the fact that he wrangled Mingi and San back to bed. They came upon Yunho and Yeosang's room next, and Hongjoong stopped for a moment to look inside. He was glad to see Yunho had listened and was nestled under his blankets, no phone in sight. He'd have to make sure to praise him in the morning. Reaching his shared room with Wooyoung and Jongho, Hongjoong hoped those two would be sleeping too, just so Yeosang could be more comfortable about joining Hongjoong.
The light was on when they entered and Wooyoung and Jongho had guilty expressions on their faces. Wooyoung tried to act like he had just woken up with a fake yawn that just made Hongjoong roll his eyes. He felt Yeosang press closer, hiding his face by resting his forehead on Hongjoong's back. The boy whined, and Hongjoong just knew that rabbit's ear was being gnawed on again. He really should find him a pacifier for the night, but he figured it was better to let Yeosang have the comfort of his bunny just this once.
"Yeosang will be joining us tonight, so turn the light out and get back to sleep," Hongjoong said, voice firm. He saw Jongho move to comply, but Wooyoung gasped.
"What happened?!" he screeched, almost jumping out of his bed.
"Do not move from that bed, Wooyoung, or you will not like what happens." Hongjoong could feel the back of his shirt getting wet and groaned internally. How did Yeosang have so many tears in him?
Wooyoung looked like he was about to argue, but a glare from Jongho stopped him.
"Is he okay, hyung?" Jongho asked.
"He's fine. He just needs to get back to bed, as do you two. Now, please turn off the light," his voice was stern and his own exhaustion was seeping in.
The room was dark again, save for the small night light in the corner by Wooyoung's bed. It was enough for Hongjoong to be able to guide Yeosang to his bed.
"Come on, baby, let's get you settled, hm?" He gently pushed Yeosang to sit and took a moment to wipe his face dry with his sleeve. Yeosang sniffled but seemed calm enough. Hongjoong reached for his water bottle that was on his desk. He uncapped it and held it out for Yeosang, urging him to take a drink.
"Just drink a little bit, okay? It will help you feel better and then we can sleep," he whispered and smiled when Yeosang immediately complied. He drank about half of what was in the container, the last bit dribbling down his chin when he pulled back. Hongjoong swiped his chin and took the water bottle back after making sure Yeosang was satisfied.
He urged Yeosang to crawl under the blankets then, joining him soon after. The boy's eyes were drooping and Hongjoong barely held back a coo at how cute he looked as he tucked him in, making sure to tuck in his rabbit as well. Yeosang yawned before letting his eyes shut, smiling a little after Hongjoong pressed a kiss to his forehead.
"Good night, sweetheart. Hyung will be right here all night."
---
The next morning, Hongjoong woke up to the sounds of a poorly repressed squeal. There was no mistaking that voice, and he cracked an eye open to give a one eye glare to Wooyoung. The boy wasn't fazed in the least, if the smile on his face was anything to go by, but he did at least stay quiet. He pointed eagerly to Hongjoong's bed, and it was then that Hongjoong remembered the previous night. He opened both eyes to check on his little bed buddy, who was snuggled under Hongjoong's arm, head resting on the older's chest, and now Hongjoong knows why Wooyoung had squealed.
Yeosang's fist was clutched in Hongjoong's shirt, the fabric tucked into his mouth. While he wasn't completely thrilled with his shirt taking the place of that rabbit's ear, Hongjoong had to admit that Yeosang looked adorable. His little snuffles of breath and soft, sleep flushed skin added to the appeal that only their angelic boy could have.
"Hyung, you have to let me take a picture!" Wooyoung exclaimed, phone already aimed and ready.
"Don't even think about it," he said, voice gruff with sleep.
"But hyung! Look at him!"
As Hongjoong inhaled to reply, he was stopped short as the warm body nestled close to him shifted. He glanced back down to Yeosang, seeing his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth pulling the cotton shirt a bit urgently. The boy whined, kicking his legs a little, and Hongjoong knew he had to soothe him.
"Shh, it's okay, baby," he lilted, as much as he could this early in the morning at least. Lifting his head to place a kiss on the crown of Yeosang's head, his eyes shot up to Wooyoung, one eyebrow lifted.
Wooyoung got the hint. "Sorry, Sangie," he softly spoke. He didn't receive a response from the other boy, but Hongjoong nodded in approval.
Since Yeosang seemed placated for the moment, Hongjoong continued with Wooyoung. "Will you go to Seonghwa and see if he needs help with anything, Woo? Yeosang and I need a bit of time to get up."
Lower lip jutting out, Wooyoung griped, "But I wanted to stay with Sangie, hyung."
"You can sit with him at breakfast." Hongjoong leaned into Yeosang, cradling him gently. "Does that sound good to you, baby? You want to sit with Woo?"
He bit back a laugh when Yeosang shook his head and heard the gasp from Wooyoung that followed.
"Sit with you," was all Yeosang had to say, voice muffled from the fabric that he wouldn't release.
Hongjoong smiled, but he did feel a little bad for Wooyoung. He knew the younger was just worried about his friend, still not really having any answers as to what had happened just a few short hours ago. One look at Wooyoung was all Hongjoong needed to know that he needed to find a compromise, and fast, if the glisten in Wooyoung's eyes was any indicator.
"You can sit with both of us. How does that sound?" His brought his hand up to stroke Yeosang's hair, smiling when the boy let out a little murmur of agreement. "Does that sound good to you too, sweetheart?" Hongjoong asked Wooyoung next, adding the pet name to help ease any upset from the other.
Wooyoung nodded, but before he could say anything else, there was a gentle knock on the door frame, and Seonghwa poked his head inside.
"Good morning," he greeted, stepping into the room fully. His eyes instantly went to Yeosang and his expression softened. "Everything all right?"
"Morning," Hongjoong replied. "We're good. Just taking a little time to wake up." He watched as Wooyoung latched onto his oldest hyung, a petulant look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Seonghwa asked as he wrapped an arm around him. "You want some hyung snuggles too?"
Hongjoong watched the pair fondly, smiling at Wooyoung's red face and embarrassed little wiggle, but he didn't move away from Seonghwa. His attention was quickly drawn back to the bundle in his own arms as Yeosang began to move around. He huffed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Are we waking up now?" Hongjoong asked.
Yeosang grumbled, reaching his arm around with his eyes still closed and patting the bed. Hongjoong had to lean back before he got smacked.
"I think he wants the bunny, Seonghwa. Do you see it?"
"It's on the floor, hyung," Wooyoung said, pointing at said bunny.
Seonghwa took a few steps to reach the plush, Wooyoung still clinging to him. With a little difficulty, he bent and held it out for Hongjoong to take. He did so with thanks and placed the stuffed animal into Yeosang's waiting arms. The boy quickly pulled it to his chest, burying his face into the fur. He rolled over, tucking his knees up as he settled back into the sheets.
Hongjoong tsked. "Ah, ah. It's time to get up, baby. Don't go back to sleep." He lifted himself up and leaned against the bed's frame. With a bit of a struggle, he pulled Yeosang up shortly after so the boy was also sitting up. Hongjoong shushed his whines, rubbing a hand up and down his back to ease him.
"Breakfast will be ready soon," Seonghwa said. "We'll see you two in a bit. Come on, Wooyoung."
Hongjoong watched the two leave. Yeosang's warm weight leaning against his side was tempting Hongjoong himself back to slumber, but he knew he needed to get the both of them up and ready for the day.
"Are you hungry, Yeosang?" Hongjoong asked lightly. He smiled at the little nod he got in response. He also took it as his cue to urge Yeosang to get up and out of the bed, and he praised him for complying.
"Good boy," he said, taking his hand to lead him out of the room. Yeosang was a little wobbly, eyes still shut as he let Hongjoong take the lead. "How about we take a little potty break and then we go see what Seonghwa has made for breakfast?"
"Hyuuuung," Yeosang whined, cheeks turning red.
"What, can't hyung take a potty break?" Hongjoong asked, eyes wide in feigned surprise.
The action made Yeosang giggle, but his cheeks stayed red. "I can take hyung to the potty," he declared, stepping forward to take the lead.
Hongjoong just grinned. His dongsaeng was really too cute. He let Yeosang lead him to the bathroom, putting on a little act for how bad he had to go. Of course, he did need to relieve himself, but letting Yeosang think he was helping him would hopefully make him feel good. Hongjoong had used this strategy in the past. He had discovered that if he made his own need to relieve himself known to whichever member had had an accident, they tended to get over it sooner. He didn't know if it was because they were eager to help their hyung or some other reason, but he was grateful he had discovered this fact early on.
Once they reached the bathroom, Hongjoong thanked the younger and ducked into the bathroom to do his business quickly. He hadn't missed the way Yeosang looked just a bit panicked and started the beginnings of his potty dance, as if he'd just realized that he needed to go as well, but he figured he would be fine since he wouldn't be in the bathroom very long. And sure enough, when he exited, Yeosang was bouncing a bit in place, lip stuck between his teeth. Hongjoong said nothing as he nudged him inside and praised him when he eventually came out.
They were the last ones to arrive in the kitchen, and Hongjoong led Yeosang to an open seat next to Wooyoung, making sure he sat down immediately after placing him there so Yeosang wouldn't think he'd left. The food was already laid out on the table, and it seemed like the rest of the group were just waiting for them to get there before they dug in. A few boys served themselves, but Seonghwa took over for Yeosang and Wooyoung while Jongho took over for San. It was quiet as they ate, a comfortable quiet that was so important to have in their hectic lives. Hongjoong savored moments like this, for he knew this calm atmosphere would be temporary as they dove into a day of vocal lessons and dance practices and livestreams.
"Hyung, tell Mingi I get the last piece!"
Well, it was nice while it lasted.