Work Text:
Hoseok was at the school gate, waiting with a smile on his lips when he heard a loud scream and smiled even more.
“Daddy!”
Hoseok opened his arms and caught his son mid-jump hugging him tightly.
“Hi, Kwang!”
“Where is Dad?” The boy asked, looking around for his other father.
“He is at home with your sister.” Hoseok said, putting Kwang down, so he could hold his hand for them to walk home.
“But we have to go to the stadium! You promised we were going to the game!” Kwang said, distraught.
“And we will go. But the game is only later. We have plenty of time before it.” Hoseok said calmly.
The seven-year-old boy was beyond excited to watch a baseball game live again. It wasn’t the first time they were going, but it had been a while. And he was growing up and liking the game more and more, so it was only getting more exciting for Kwang to watch games on-site in the stadium.
Luckily for him, his parents also liked to go. And they were even going to take his little sister this time. Kwang wanted Hae to like baseball too, even with her being a girl, because he wanted to teach her all he knew about the sport when she got older, like a good older brother should do. Also, he didn’t agree with people who said girls shouldn’t like sports. That made no sense to him.
Kwang shrugged at his own thoughts and focused on thinking of his sister again. Right now, Hae was just a baby so Kwang wasn’t certain she would like the noise of the stadium, or even if she would understand anything at all.
“Daddy, what if Hae doesn’t like all the noise and starts crying?” He asked, surprising Hoseok a little.
Hoseok squeezed Kwang’s hand.
“You don’t need to worry about that, Kwangie. Seokjinie and I are prepared for it. We have a baby-safe sound muffler already packed in Hae’s bag.”
“Ah.” Kwang sighed relieved. “That’s good, Dad. Because Hae is loud and she usually doesn’t mind some noise, but a stadium can be too much. Uncle Namjoon said that.” He said in a serious voice.
“Oh, he did, hum?” Hoseok smiled to himself.
“Yep. The other day, when we were at his house, and you were talking with Uncle Yoongi about the game.” Kwang explained willingly.
They were at an intersection waiting for the green light and Hoseok pulled Kwang closer to him because of the crowd gathering around them.
“Well, Namjoonie isn’t wrong.” He said. “It’s a good thing your parents are as smart as Namjoonie and even talked to the pediatrician about taking Hae to the stadium beforehand, don’t you think?” Hoseok said chirpily.
“Wow! Yeah, Daddy!” Kwang laughed delightedly. “You’re as smart as Uncle Namjoon!”
The traffic light turned green and they crossed the road. They arrived at their apartment building by the end of the block quickly. After greeting the doorman, Hoseok let Kwang call the elevator.
“When I left, Seokjinie was napping with Hae, so let’s be quiet until we know if we can be loud, okay Kwangie?” Hoseok asked.
“Okie, Daddy.”
They entered their house, and everything was calm. After leaving their shoes by the door and putting Kwang’s backpack in place, they walked to the couple’s room and found Seokjin curled around the baby girl in the middle of the bed, both sound asleep.
Hoseok stopped Kwang before he could climb into it too.
“Go wash up, Kwangie. I’ll fix an early dinner for us.”
He pulled the boy out of the bedroom and directed him to his own space, then went to the kitchen.
A little while later, Hoseok felt someone hugging him from behind.
“Seokie, you’re home.”
“Yep. Did Kwang wake you up, hyung?” He asked his husband.
“Nop.” Seokjin popped the ‘p’ sound. “My boy would never.”
Hoseok cackled.
“We both know too well that he definitely would. But I told him not to.” He turned around in Seokjin’s arms and kissed him. “And Hae?”
“Safe and still sound asleep in her crib.”
“Great! It’s better for us that she will be well-rested later.”
At that moment, Kwang jumped behind his parents, making both of them squeak startled noises. The boy loved to startle them, to Seokjin and Hoseok’s amused annoyance.
“You do not want to wake up your sister, boy.” Seokjin spoke, trying to sound threatening.
“I didn’t!” Kwang gloated. “And if you had screamed it would be your fault, not mine.” He mocked Seokjin.
“Brat!” Seokjin chastised good-naturedly. “Kwang is like this because of you, Seokie!” He accused his husband.
“Wha- Of course not, hyung! You’re the sassiest!” Hoseok retorted quickly. “Kwang clearly got it from you.”
Kwang used his parents’ distraction to steal some cookies from the kitchen counter without them seeing him do it and fled to the living room.
“No more cookies for you today, Kim-Jung Kwang.” Hoseok intoned, making Kwang look back at him gapping.
“We always have eyes on you.” Seokjin smirked, knowing what the boy was thinking.
Kwang was caught every time he pulled stunts like that, and he was always amazed that his parents really seemed to have eyes on the back of their heads, as Grandma Kim liked to say.
“We will eat before we go to the stadium, the cookies were for during the game.” Hoseok continued. “You can eat the ones you got, but no more today. Are we understood, Kwang?” He spoke with a normal tone, but not smiling.
Kwang knew there would be no turning back from that decision.
“Yes, Daddy. Sorry.” He was sincere.
“Apology accepted.” Hoseok smiled again and Kwang relaxed.
Both Seokjin and Hoseok were easygoing parents, but they set boundaries with the kids. Hae was too young yet, but Kwang knew they were fair and never aggressive. He tested them from time to time – as any child would – and understood when he crossed the line. Like now. He wouldn’t repeat this stunt anymore.
Hae woke up on her own and they ate the food Hoseok had prepared. Then Hoseok took the baby girl to get her ready while Seokjin and Kwang organized the kitchen before getting ready themselves. Soon they were leaving.
Kwang was vibrating in expectation and couldn’t stop babbling about the players and the game. He was dressed up in a full uniform mirroring the uniform of the athletes they cheered for. While Hae – as any 10-month-old would – was looking around from the toddler carrier attached to Seokjin’s chest, attentive to the world surrounding them as they made the subway trip to the stadium. Her little hands didn’t touch everything she could reach just because Seokjin kept them in his.
When they arrived at the right station there was a huge crowd in the corridors heading to the stadium. Hoseok held Kwang very close to him making it nearly difficult for them to walk together. As soon as they got out of it and into an open space, he stopped Kwang and Seokjin and crouched.
“Come on, Kwangie, hop up. I’ll give you a piggyback ride to our seats.”
“For safety, Daddy?” The boy asked as he climbed Hoseok’s back.
“Exactly, sweet boy.”
As soon as Kwang was accommodated Hoseok got up and they continued walking to the grandstand.
Piggyback rides weren’t unusual in their plays and outings, and they happened for fun and for safety when the family was in crowded places because Kwang was growing up and it was more comfortable for Hoseok and Seokjin to carry him like this now.
Their seats were great with an optimal view of the field. When they got there, Kwang climbed down his father’s back and excitedly greeted their neighbors on the grandstand. Seokjin took Hae off her carrier so she could move more freely and make it easier to share her care with Hoseok during the game.
A few other parents around them complimented the baby’s outfit delighting her parents. Hae was cutely dressed in a fluffy tiger onesie, mimicking their team’s mascot.
The game didn’t take long to start and, between taking care of a very curious 10-month-old and a wildly screamer 7-year-old baseball fan, Hoseok and Seokjin barely paid attention to it.
Hae behaved greatly. She was mesmerized by all the movement. She didn’t even get fussy when Seokjin placed the sound muffler over her small ears when the cheering got too loud.
Kwang was beyond happy. The match point ball came in their direction and an older fan, two rolls up theirs, caught it. Kwang congratulated him enthusiastically at the end of the game and the elder gave the ball to the boy as a gift.
On the way back, Seokjin gave Kwang a piggyback ride while Hoseok carried Hae, who was dozing off, poor baby.
“Seo-ssi is so nice, Dad! He caught the ball that ended the game and gave it to me, but he didn’t even know me!” Kwang said again awed, his voice hoarse from so much screaming, and an arm stretched out with the ball firmly held in his hand.
“Yes, Kwangie. He was very nice.” Seokjin said, trying to conceal his tiredness. “He saw how such a fan you are and wanted you to have it.”
During the subway trip back home, Hoseok convinced Kwang to let him keep the ball in their bag, which was the right thing to do because before they got to their station Kwang was also dozing off, his head lolling on Seokjin’s shoulder.
The couple walked silently to their apartment. In it, each took one kid to each room and changed them into their pajamas without waking Kwang and Hae. And just like that the kids were out for the night.
When they reunited in their bedroom, both fell on the bed side by side. Hoseok chuckled quietly before speaking.
“Another game only next year.”
Seokjin snorted.
“Taking both babies, definitely. But maybe we can take Kwang alone before it.”
“Hum…” Hoseok mumbled, and Seokjin knew he was falling asleep too.
He got closer to his husband and kissed his cheek.
“Love you, Hoseokie.”
“You too, hyungie.”