Chapter Text
“But… but I was playing with it…” Gunwook complained as he tried to take the small game console out of Yujin's hand.
Yujin looked at Gunwook, confused as he pulled the console back towards him. “We are playing together, Wook! It's my turn to play the game.” Yujin argued, trying to reason with Gunwook even though he didn't understand why he acted like that suddenly. Maybe Gunwook was upset because he lost on his last turn to play, but it was still weird.
Actually, Gunwook knows it is Yujin’s turn to play, but for some reason, he can't accept that. If he wants to play, he should be able to play, right? Why was Yujin being mean to him?
“But… I- I want to play… no… give me!” Gunwook raised his voice involuntarily as he tried to take the console out of Yujin's hands again. However, this time, as Gunwook tried to pull the object towards him, he noticed he didn't feel as strong as he normally would. After some push and pull from both, Gunwook got frustrated and let go of it, causing Yujin to lose his balance and trip with the sofa behind him.
“YUJIN!” Hao yelled from a distance when he saw the younger almost fall and hurried to see if he was okay. The other members just stared at the scene amusedly from the kitchen as they were still having breakfast.
“Han Yujin and Park Gunwook… I told you countless times to be careful when you guys play. Our comeback is near and we don't need any injuries, especially you two. What are you doing right now?” Hao asked when he got close enough to check if they were alright.
“I didn't do anything, hyung!” Yujin defended himself, feeling wronged. “We were playing together just fine, and then Gunwook decided he didn't want to share this thing with me anymore.” He pointed at the game console they were arguing about just some minutes ago. Now, Yujin was the one who was upset with Gunwook.
Gunwook was listening to Yujin's conversation with Hao without uttering a word. He tried to pay attention to what they were saying, but for some reason, he felt like some of the things they were saying didn’t make sense at all. Why are they trying to confuse him with difficult words? They're so mean. Gunwook just wants to play his favorite game a little more.
“Why did you do that, Gunwook?” Hao, this time turned around to look at Gunwook, taking him out of the imaginary bubble Gunwook himself didn’t realize had entered. “You guys always play together, and if you've already had your turn, it's only fair for Yujin to play next, right?” The center of the group tried to reason with the second maknae, unaware of the internal struggle inside his head.
Gunwook knows Hao is right. He also knows he is in the wrong for not wanting to share with Yujin. However, at the same time, he thinks Hao is being mean for no particular reason, which upsets him. Gunwook’s mind was so full of contradicting thoughts that he didn’t know what he was supposed to say or do, so he crossed his arms in front of his chest to show he disagreed with what he had heard from the older and deliberately ignored him, surprising everyone in the room. Because if you know one or two things about Gunwook, you know he would never disrespect one of his hyungs unless he was joking around. But he clearly wasn't right now.
“Gunwook, don’t ignore Hao… He is just trying to help.” Hanbin, who had been witnessing everything, finally intervened to sort the matter quickly. However, contrary to Hanbin's desires, Gunwook seemed to have only started, because he ignored his leader too, staring at him defiantly and looking visibly upset.
By now, Gunwook's mind was a complete mess. Very deep down, he still knew he was in the wrong, but his thoughts only became progressively more complicated and the only thing that made sense were the things he wanted to do. And he just wants to play games. Why can't he?
Gunwook was starting to get very frustrated because one part of him wanted to apologize to the members, but the other didn’t want to listen to anyone but himself. He also couldn't come up with the words to explain how he was feeling, so he chose to do what he thought was best in that situation. Gunwook ignored everyone who was still trying to talk to him and went to his room in a hurry, leaving the rest of the members shocked.
Once in his room, Gunwook started to feel dizzy and his thoughts started to become foggier than before. He didn't understand what was happening, making him feel anxious and more upset. Then, Gunwook felt the sudden urge to cry, his nose started to get red, and sad tears filled his eyes; and before he knew it, he was bawling his eyes out.
Now Gunwook was very sad, he didn't know what was happening to him, his hyungs now probably hated him, and he still couldn’t believe Yujin didn't let him play that stupid game like he wanted to.
~
Back in the living room, the members were staring at each other, trying to figure out what had happened just a minute ago.
“Does anyone know something I don't?” Hanbin asked the rest but he only got confused looks as a response. “That was so… unlike Gunwook.” He thought out loud, and the rest agreed silently.
“Did you and Gunwookie have a fight?” Matthew asked Gyuvin at his side, but he seemed to be as confused as everyone else. “No? I mean, Gunwook and I never really fight at all in the first place. But I also don't understand why he was acting that way just now. I am as confused as you guys are.” Gyuvin assured him.
“This is really so unlike Gunwook, guys. Something must have happened,” said Jiwoong, who had been silently listening to the conversation.
“I agree, Jiwoong hyung. I mean, any other day I would have gotten mad with any of you for ignoring me like that, but I know this is not how Gunwookie acts. Right now, I'm just worried something happened,” said Hao worriedly.
“Should we check on him? He might be stressed from all the work we've had these past weeks. He tends to put a lot of pressure on himself and doesn't really know how to manage it.” Ricky suggested and everyone agreed.
“Who will check on him?” Taerae wondered aloud.
“Well, since Gyuvin is his boyfriend, he can probably talk to him. But, I would like to talk to him first to try to sort out whatever the problem is quickly. I mean, we don’t know why he is acting like this.” Jiwoong suggested, trying to think of the best solution.
“I don't mind you going, hyung. If it doesn't work out, I can go after you and try to talk to Gunwook.” Gyuvin was the first one to accept, and the rest agreed too, so Jiwoong went upstairs to find the younger’s room. The rest of the members would wait for him downstairs, and Gyuvin had his phone on hand in case he needed him.
Jiwoong stood a few seconds outside Gunwook’s room before knocking at the door softly, waiting for the younger to let him in. He stood there in silence before knocking at the door again, this time a bit louder, making sure Gunwook heard him. But he never answered the door. It probably wasn't the best thing to do but Jiwoong still made his way inside the room just to make sure Gunwook was okay.
He was shocked when the first thing he heard upon entering was faint sobs that came from one corner of the surprisingly very dark room. “Gunwookie?” This time, Jiwoong didn’t hesitate to completely enter the room in a hurry, alerted by the crying he easily recognized. Once he reached the bed, he was met with a devastating sight.
Gunwook's body was entirely covered by his big white blanket, and Jiwoong could see his body shake as he tried to muffle his now quiet sobs. Jiwoong immediately hopped on the bed to comfort him, being equally worried and confused about the entire situation. “Shh, Gunwookie. Don't cry.” Jiwoong patted his back, trying to calm him down. “Gunwook… Can you come out of there? I want to help.” He asked softly, almost in a whisper.
After a few minutes, Gunwook finally peeked his head out of the blankets, his red eyes still wet due to all the previous crying. “Help Wookie?” The younger one asked hesitantly, his lips forming an adorable pout. Jiwoong nodded his head, extending his arms, encouraging Gunwook to get out from under the covers. “hyungie… no hate me?” Gunwook asked again once he was properly seated in bed with the help of Jiwoong, who was confused by Gunwook’s choice of words but failed to notice how difficult it was for the younger one to articulate that simple sentence.
“I don't hate you, Gunwookie. Why would you think that?” And as if he had said some magic words, Gunwook opened his arms and hugged Jiwoong tightly. The older one was taken aback but still hugged Gunwook back regardless. Then, Jiwoong helped Gunwook sit on his lap so their position was more comfortable for both. “Do you really think anyone could hate you while being this adorable?” Jiwoong asked while Gunwook just tightened his arms around his hyung’s shoulders even more.
Jiwoong backed away from the hug to look at Gunwook and wiped away the few tears that still stained his reddened cheeks. “Gosh… you're such a crybaby. It was just a small discussion, Gunwookie. I know you’re not used to dealing with this kind of situation, but there’s no reason why you should cry like this. You're breaking my heart right now.” Jiwoong kept soothing him and patting Gunwook's back for a few minutes until the latter completely stopped crying. When Jiwoong noticed Gunwook's cheeks were finally dry, he maneuvered himself to be more comfortable in bed, because apparently, Gunwook would not leave his lap any time soon. He sat the younger in a more comfortable position so he could talk to him, thinking they would now be able to have a proper conversation, but he was about to learn the opposite when the younger was the first one to break the silence.
“Cuddle wookie?” asked Gunwook, tilting his head to the side.
Jiwoong melted at the sight and almost complied with the younger, but he remembered what he came to the room for. He shouldn't get distracted. “No, Wook. We have to talk about what happened earlier first.” Jiwoong said, trying to focus on sorting the matter first. Gunwook's lips trembled, threatening to cry again. Jiwoong panicked, thinking he had said something wrong. Then, Jiwoong got even more confused, because even though Gunwook has always been a sensitive kid, he would not cry just from his hyung trying to talk with him. Something was wrong.
“Okay, okay… don't need to cry again, Gunwook. We can cuddle, come here.” He opened his arms, welcoming the younger again who, now with the widest smile, accepted the hug, throwing his body weight onto Jiwoong carelessly, and rested his face in the crook of his hyung's neck. Jiwoong sighed but still held him. He wouldn't reject one of his babies wanting comfort, for whatever reason he might need it. He could figure everything out later.
~
Jiwoong didn't realize how much time had passed until he looked at his phone. It had been about half an hour since he entered the younger’s room.
He moved Gunwook slightly so they could try to talk again but he realized the younger was fast asleep, thumb in mouth and all. Jiwoong couldn't help but coo at the sight. He had never seen Gunwook act as one of the youngest members even though he was the second maknae. He normally likes to appear older than he is, so this entire situation was new. A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He allowed whoever it was to enter, trying not to be loud so Gunwook didn't wake up. A few seconds later, Gyuvin was in front of him, looking confused at the sight of his sleeping boyfriend resting on the lap of another man.
Jiwoong looked at Gyuvin's complicated expression so he explained briefly what happened. “He was crying when I came in, then he wouldn't stop crying unless I cuddled him. I didn't realize how much time had passed until I looked at my phone and by that time, he was already asleep. He looked tired so I didn't want to wake him up.”
Gyuvin's expression softened at that. “Awe, my baby.” He cooed, getting closer to the bed so he could stroke Gunwook's hair. “It's okay, hyung. I just came up because you were taking a while and Hao was getting anxious. Thank you for explaining everything, though. I was very surprised to see you guys like this.” Gyuvin looked at his boyfriend with adoration. Then, he furrowed his eyebrows, noticing something strange. “Why does he have his thumb on his mouth? He never does that.” Gyuvin looked at the older man like he would have an explanation for him, but Jiwoong just shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea. I was going to ask you about it. I found it odd too.”
At that, Jiwoong finally started to think back on everything Gunwook did that day that he hadn't minded at the moment. First, Gunwook fought with Yujin over a game they normally shared. Then, he refused to listen to Hanbin and Hao, even though they’re Gunwook’s favorite hyungs. Then the crying, the babbling, asking him for cuddles, the thumb on his mouth; and if he doesn't remember wrong, Jiwoong now realizes Gunwook had not been able to form one single proper sentence since he entered the room.
A sudden realization hit him.
“Gyuvin… has Gunwook ever behaved as if he were younger than his actual age?”
Jiwoong might be reading too much into this, but everything he saw today might have an explanation for Gunwook’s sudden change in behavior. Gyuvin was still looking at Gunwook and stroking his hair when he heard Jiwoong, so he stopped to think. “Now that you mention it, hyung... lately I’ve been feeling that some of his reactions are a bit… childish? I don’t know how to explain it, but sometimes... it feels like I'm talking to a 3-year-old.” He said, hesitantly, afraid of the reaction the other would have. “Just two days ago, he pouted for an entire day because I hugged Hanbin hyung first instead of him. At first, I thought Wook was playing around like he normally does, but he genuinely seemed upset and only felt better after I gave him chocolate and we cuddled to sleep. He didn’t always do this, though. He only started a couple of weeks ago.”
“I see…” What Gyuvin said kinda confirmed Jiwoong’s suspicions. The Gunwook they know would never act jealous, nor ask for cuddles unless you were Gyuvin, nor fight with his only little brother Yujin. “I think I might know what is happening, Gyu. I'm not sure but it's the only thing I can think of right now.”
Jiwoong explained what he thought Gunwook was doing while Gyuvin listened attentively, trying to take everything in. They started discussing different possibilities of what could be happening, but their conversation stopped when Gunwook started to wake up.
Gunwook opened his eyes tirelessly and blinked a few times to get used to the light of his room. He started to become aware of his surroundings and when he noticed his boyfriend, he smiled at him, happy to see him. Then, Gunwook realized he was hugging someone, not anyone but his hyung Jiwoong? What? “Why am I in Jiwoong hyung’s lap?” He asked, looking up.
“You asked to be held, Gunwookie. It was like an hour ago. You have been sleeping since then.” Jiwoong carefully explained, letting the younger sit properly on the bed. Gunwook immediately missed the warmth of someone else’s body near his own, so he quickly sat on Gyuvin’s lap for good measure. He was still confused by what he had heard earlier though.
“I asked?” Gunwook questioned Jiwoong while trying to find a more comfortable position in his boyfriend’s lap, asking Gyuvin to hold his waist to feel more secure. Gunwook felt satisfied when the older embraced him tightly so now he could try to assess the situation.
“Yes, you asked...You got upset earlier when you fought with Yujin and were here crying alone when Jiwoong hyung found you. Then, you asked for cuddles and later fell asleep.” Gyuvin explained carefully behind him.
But from Gunwook’s expression, Jiwoong could tell he had no idea what had happened during the last couple of hours.
“Fought with Yuji? crying? Me?” Gunwook asked repeatedly, clearly still very confused. “Are you sure you weren’t sleeping and dreamt that? That doesn't sound like me.” Now there was the real Gunwook.
“I know you are probably very confused right now, Gunwook. We are too, but I think I have an idea of what might have happened today, but we should all have a conversation.” Jiwoong tried his best to be calm while explaining. He didn’t want to upset Gunwook enough for him to go back to his previous state before discussing important things with him.
“What is it?” Gunwook encouraged him to keep talking, “Am I sick or something?”
“No, Gunwook. You’re not sick.” Jiwoong took his time to think of the right words to say. “I think… I think all this time you might have been going into little space without knowing.”
The room fell completely silent.
“Little… little space? What’s that?” Gunwook hesitated to ask, not quite understanding what Jiwoong was talking about. At the same time, he felt Gyuvin hug him tighter, making him feel warm and cozy despite the confusing situation he found himself surrounded in.
“Well, it’s a mindset,” Jiwoong started explaining carefully. “We actually should look into it more together because I don’t know much about it myself. What I know comes from the things I witnessed, courtesy of all the years I've been in this cursed industry. Anyway, I know people who have used little space to avoid feeling stressed. The person who goes into little space has the mindset of someone younger… and even though it might be too early to tell, I think you have been unknowingly going into that space to cope with all the anxiety and stress you have been feeling since before our debut.”
“I'm little?” Gunwook tilted his head, trying to make sense of what he heard. Jiwoong smiled at him fondly. “From my understanding, the person who is in little space also believes to be younger, hence why they stop worrying about their concerns in their adult world,” Jiwoong explained as he saw how Gunwook was trying to grasp all the information, but, strangely enough, it seemed like the younger was having difficulty to understand not just the idea of what was being said to him but also the words that were coming out of Jiwoong's mouth.
This time, Jiwoong was able to see the change before it even started. He quickly realized that Guwnook hadn't fully left little space when he woke up. He figured that maybe Gunwook was assessing the situation and when he felt he was safe with them, he started to slip again.
“Baby? Are you listening to Jiwoong hyung?” Gyuvin had also noticed the sudden switch-up on Gunwook, even though he couldn’t see his face.
“Ji…hyungie?” Gunwook looked around the room to find his hyung. Then he laughed at the funny expression he thought Jiwoong was making when he found him. His hyungie looked hilarious when he was serious. “There!” Gunwook pointed at Jiwoong proudly after recognizing him. How did he not see him before?
“And he was, in fact, not listening,” Jiwoong murmured, patting Gunwook's head as a reward for finding him.
Gunwook suddenly missed being in the warmth and comfort of his hyung's arms so he opened his, making grabby hands towards Jiwoong, asking to be held again. Jiwoong didn't seem to understand at first, but he later opened his arms too at the realization of what the younger wanted. Gunwook tried to escape the tight embrace he was surrounded in, but failed miserably. He even felt more trapped as someone tightened their arms around his belly.
Gunwook looked at Jiwoong in despair. Why couldn't he move? He just wanted to be with his hyung! Tears started to cloud his sight. “Wookie cannot… not move! help!” The younger one raised his voice towards his hyung who he had now realized was laughing at his struggle. Meanie hyung .
“You're stuck, Gunwookie?” Meanie Jiwoong asked him while smiling. What was so funny?! He wasn't having fun. He just wants to be helped! “I think Gyuvinie just wants to spend more time with you, Wook. Can't you let him hold you? mhm?” Gunwook stopped moving immediately and looked behind to confirm what Jiwoong said. Gyuvin indeed was just behind him. He was sitting on Gyuvin hyung’s lap! How did he not notice before? His cheeks suddenly started to tint a deeper shade of red.
“Aaw, are you feeling shy Gunwookie? That’s just Gyuvin, you know him right?” Jiwoong asked and Gunwook nodded in response, playing with his hands to avoid looking up. He then started to move frantically again and asked Jiwoong to hold him. Gyuvin opened his mouth in disbelief but he didn't want the little version of his boyfriend to be upset with him so he finally let go of him. Gunwook practically jumped onto Jiwoong's lap, straddling him in the position he was in when he went to sleep an hour ago.
Jiwoong held him tightly and gave him gentle pats on his back. “Is there something wrong, Wookie?” asked Jiwoong when he felt the younger sigh behind him while tightly holding him. “Shy…” Gunwook whispered, hiding his face in the crook of Jiwoong's neck.
“mm? Why are you shy?” Jiwoong asked, confused but finally understanding when Gyuvin laughed hysterically, making Gunwook squirm in his lap. “No way my baby is shy because he realized I was the one holding him.” Gyuvin tried to stop his laugh at Jiwoong's stern face but he couldn't help it.
“Is that so, baby? You were shy because Gyuvin was holding you?” Little nods were the only answer the younger gave them.
“Oh my God, you are the cutest baby ever, my love.” Gyuvin pinched the younger's cheeks, causing him to hide his face even more. Jiwoong laughed, rolling his eyes. “Leave him alone, Gyuvin. Now we have to talk about what we are going to do. We weren't able to talk to him while he was big for a few minutes, and the others may be wondering why we are taking so long here.” Jiwoong said, worriedly.
“So your suspicion was right,” said Gyuvin, trying to think of what to do. “Can't we just take a nap? We don't have any schedule later and I can’t think while I’m tired. I'll just tell the others that Gunwookie was tired and went to sleep. We can tell them about this little space after we confirm with Gunwook that's what he wants.”
“Okay, I will tell them that, then.” Jiwoong motioned to get out of bed, only for Gunwook to complain. “No… no leave wookie." The younger one backed away from the hug, looking at his hyung with sad puppy eyes. “I'm not leaving you, baby. I will come back in a few minutes.” Jiwoong explained. “No~ no leave wookie, please~” Tears threatened to come out of Gunwook's eyes again.
Gyuvin was dying from cuteness at the slurred version of words that came out of Gunwook's mouth. He didn't want his boyfriend to be upset, so he offered to go instead of Jiwoong. It seemed like little Gunwookie was very fond of the older. It's not like actual Gunwook wasn't already fond of him, but the little one seemed to care about him more.
“I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't have much fun without me here. I'm talking to you little one.” Gyuvin pointed at the younger one who was finally able to look him in the eye, only to go into completely shy mode again. Gyuvin left the room happy to be able to cause a reaction from him.
“Should we change into something more comfortable, Wook? We have to sleep now. You're probably still tired.” A yawn that came out of Gunwook's mouth confirmed Jiwoong's suspicions. “A nap it is.” jiwoong chanted.
Jiwoong got out of bed, still holding Gunwook. For someone as tall and big as Gunwook was, he was actually pretty light, so Jiwoong had no trouble carrying him around. He got Gunwook a new change of clothes from his closet and convinced him to sit on the bed again on his own, but when Jiwoong handed Gunwook the clothes, he only looked at him expectantly, not knowing what to do.
“Oh, no… this is a problem, Gunwookie.” Jiwoong sighed. He wasn't tired, he was just overwhelmed thinking about all the questions he had to ask Gunwook when he became an ‘adult’ again. “I didn't get to ask you if you were comfortable with me helping you change, honey.” Jiwoong smiled at him, reassuring him when he noticed that the little one became a bit hesitant when Jiwoong mentioned the word problem.
Sigh, now Jiwoong had to mind his words too.
“hyungie, have problem?” Gunwookie tilted his head, not fully understanding what was wrong. As little as he was right now, Gunwook was still a smart kid. He can tell when his hyung is going through something. He just doesn't know what it is about.
“No, Wook. I don't have a problem. I just- can you try to change your clothes so you are a bit more comfortable for your nap?” Jiwoong offered slowly. Thankfully, Gunwook nodded a few times in agreement. He is a big boy. Of course, he can change his clothes on his own.
Unfortunately, that confidence died down fast.
Of all days, today was the one adult Gunwook decided to wear a buttoned shirt, which would be completely fine on a normal day, but little Gunwookie was struggling to undo his first button, and he grew impatient, starting to whine. Jiwoong laughed a little at the struggle but shortly stopped when he noticed the younger was starting to get upset.
“Don't worry, love. Buttons can be hard to undo, it's okay.” Jiwoong decided he would intervene today. He could later ask Gunwook’s older version if he was comfortable with that or not. “This is what we are going to do, Wook.” The younger looked at him, paying attention. “Today, I can help you get dressed. Then, if you happen not to like it, I will teach you how to do it on your own.” Jiwoong explained slowly for him to understand. “Are you okay with me helping you get dressed?” He then asked. Gunwook nodded his head again, shyly. “woongie help,” said Gunwook enthusiastically, raising his arms so Jiwoong could take his shirt off.
Jiwoong quickly got him changed and left Gunwook's clothes in the laundry basket. Of course, he had to do all that while carrying Gunwook because, apparently, too much time had passed since he was not in his arms. He placed Gunwook in bed and later lay beside him to keep him company. Not even three minutes later, Gunwook was again on top of Jiwoong, sleeping soundly. Jiwoong sighed yet again, playing with the strands of Gunwook's hair until he got drowsy too, and fell asleep alongside him.
~
“Oh, thank God you're back. I was about to go up to look for you guys. I was worried,” said Hao as soon as he saw Gyuvin coming down the stairs.
“Sorry, hyung. We didn’t realize how much time had passed.”
“That's okay. Now, is Gunwook okay?” Hanbin asked worriedly.
Gyuvin got nervous looking at his leader’s serious expression. He should have asked Jiwoong what to say before coming down. Now he felt like he couldn’t say anything without sounding suspicious. He looked at his hands momentarily, trying to think of something before speaking. He was probably already acting suspicious because it didn't take long for the rest of them to start asking questions too.
“Well?”
“Is Gunwook okay?”
“Why aren’t you answering, Gyuvin?”
“Mmm, He’s okay. Don’t worry.” He replied shortly, hoping that would be enough for them.
It wasn’t.
“Where is he now?”
“Why isn't he here?”
“What about Jiwoong hyung?”
They really wouldn’t let him be, would they?
“Gunwook stayed in his room. He was tired and Jiwoong stayed with him to keep him company. If you want to talk with him, you can do it when he wakes up.” Gyuvin replied. It wasn’t a lie; Gunwook was sleeping. He just missed a few details.
“Oh, okay? That’s odd, but I guess he was really tired if he had to go to sleep right away. That’s fine, we can talk to him later.” Hanbin said after a while
“I kind of want to take a nap too. Yesterday we stayed until late rehearsing for the comeback and today we woke up early. We don’t have any other schedule until tomorrow anyway.” Taerae luckily said after that, so everyone decided to do the same.
Gyuvin thanked him internally and went back upstairs in a hurry, not forgetting to take his phone with him. When he entered Gunwook’s room again, he and Jiwoong were already fast asleep. He took a few pictures for the record of how adorable they looked in that position and lay down on the other side of Gunwook, hugging his waist.
Just about an hour later, Gyuvin felt someone moving. He opened his eyes slightly to see Jiwoong getting up. He looked up at him, confused. How did he manage to escape Gunwook’s hold without waking him up?
“I’m just thirsty. I’ll be back in a minute. I don’t think he is waking up any time soon.” Jiwoong whispered, quickly leaving the room in case the younger one woke up and was still little.
But of course, Gunwook woke up as soon as Jiwoong closed the door.
Gunwook started looking around as if he were trying to find something. Gyuvin stayed still, scared of his reaction. He didn't know if he was the actual Gunwook or not, so he just watched his every movement to figure it out.
When Gunwook was more awake, he realized someone was behind him. He turned around and saw Gyuvin already looking at him. Gunwook smiled brightly. “Oh, you are here!” Gunwook said while hugging Gyuvin by the shoulders and nuzzling his nose on his boyfriend’s neck.
The actual Gunwook is back.
“Hey, babe.” Gyuvin quickly relaxed, reciprocating the hug. “Did you rest well?”
“I think I did, I don't feel tired at all.” He replied happily, stretching his body. Lately, he had been having trouble sleeping so that was a relief for both of them. Maybe that mentality he had gone to earlier really helped him feel more relaxed. They lay in bed talking about anything in particular, just enjoying each other's warmth and embrace. Gyuvin would talk about the ‘important’ situation later. Gunwook didn’t seem to want to talk about it anyway.
Five minutes later, Jiwoong arrived. He opened his eyes in surprise when he saw the younger one was awake. Luckily, he noticed the difference too. That was their Gunwook, not the younger version of him.
“Jiwoong hyung?” Gunwook questioned as soon as he saw him by the foot of his bed. He normally would not enter his room unless he needed something in particular or something was wrong. “Did something happen?” He looked confused, but not as confused as Gyuvin and Jiwoong. Did Gunwook not remember anything from the previous hours?
“You feel okay, Gunwookie?” Jiwoong ignored his worries and asked the younger one.
“Yeah, I'm fine?”
“You don’t remember anything, Gunwook?” This time, his boyfriend asked. Now Gunwook was even more confused.
“I'm not sure what I'm supposed to remember. You guys are scaring me.”
“Oh, you don’t have to be scared. Nothing bad happened.” Jiwoong hurried to explain. He didn’t want to cause distress to Gunwook again. “We were wondering because we thought you would remember at least something, but you just woke up and you probably are very confused right now.” He saw the younger one nod his head slowly. “That’s fair. We do need to talk to you, though. Freshen up and the three of us will talk here before we go down. The others are already waiting for us.”
And so they did. As confused as Gunwook was, he did as told and took a quick shower to feel completely awake. A few minutes later, they were back in his room, sitting on top of the bed.
“Okay, Gunwookie. Now that you are more awake, do you happen to remember anything from this morning?” Jiwoong, again, was the one to lead the conversation.
The younger took his time, trying to remember everything he did that day. He remembered waking up early to go to their schedule, then going back to their apartment and having breakfast. After that, he thinks someone asked him to play with him. He kinda remembers a discussion, but he wasn't really sure what it was about. Everything else felt like a blurry memory to him. The last thing he remembers is waking up confused in his bed and Gyuvin being beside him.
Gyuvin and Jiwoong exchanged glances, silently debating who would be the one to tell him everything.
“So… this morning, after having breakfast, Yujin did ask you to play with him but you guys fought over the controls.” Gunwook listened attentively while Gyuvin explained slowly. “Hao tried to intervene but you wouldn't listen. Hanbin tried to talk to you too but you ignored them and came up to your room.” Short flashes of the previous conversation he had with Jiwoong started to appear in Gunwook's mind, but every memory was still blurry.
Jiwoong seemed to notice that.
“I know you're probably very confused, Gunwook but we need to get this sorted before it happens again.” It being Gunwook becoming younger again and unable to hold a conversation with more than three words per sentence. “Do you remember me saying something about Littles?”
Gunwook slightly nodded his head. “I do… but I don't remember what you said about it. I just remember you saying that word.” Jiwoong and Gyuvin exchanged glances again.
“Well, I still don't know much about it but…” Jiwoong took the time to explain again what he had already said. Gunwook stayed quiet the whole time listening to their hyungs talk.
“So I'm a little,” Gunwook repeated to confirm what he had heard. His hyungs nodded their heads in silence, like waiting for him to say something about it. “Is it bad? That I'm a little I mean. You guys already have enough on your plates and I don't think dealing with a younger version of me will make it any better.”
“You don't have to worry about that, Gunwook. You know I would do anything for you, especially if it is something that helps you feel better.” Gyuvin held Gunwook's hands and looked at him lovingly.
“That’s right.” This time Jiwoong spoke. “There’s nothing wrong with it and I'm sure any of us would say the same thing.”
Gunwook thought about it for a while. He knew he could trust his hyungs. He could trust them more than he trusted himself even, but a part of him was scared. He didn't enjoy the idea of being too vulnerable in front of them. Thankfully, they assured him that everything would be okay.
One hour later, they had researched the topic and discussed Gunwook's boundaries about it. Jiwoong also let him know that he had helped him get changed earlier. Gunwook blushed heavily but assured them that if he needed it, it was okay for them two to help him.
“We only have one more thing to discuss,” Gyuvin reminded them. “Are you okay with us telling the others about this? Seeing that you haven't even attempted to leave your room since we started talking about this, I don't think so.” Gyuvin had noticed for a while now how Gunwook kept asking questions he should already know the answer to, only to stay in the room.
Gunwook looked down at his hands. “For now… I think I'll be okay with only you two knowing about it. It's not like I don't trust the others. It's just… It's a little embarrassing to tell and I would rather at least do this trial experience with only you two.”
"That's okay! We will do that, then.” Jiwoong assured him.
~
After their lengthy conversation with Gunwook about what he preferred to do about his current situation , the three boys went downstairs to finally meet the other members.
Once he saw the others in the kitchen, Gunwook apologized for his unusual behavior, assuring them he was completely fine and was upset because he was tired after their intense dance practice. Not a complete lie but also not the entire truth, just enough for the members to stop being worried about him while he figured it out all the little space things with his two other hyungs. Luckily, his ever-so-kind members understood the situation and assured him they weren't mad. They would think of everything that happened that day as a misunderstanding.
Later that night, Gunwook and Gyuvin went to sleep, tired from all the things that had happened during the day.
Gunwook was putting on a sleeping shirt when Gyuvin noticed he was quieter than usual. By now, Gunwook should be asking him what movie they would watch, just to later complain that he can’t choose and make Gyuvin choose one for himself, especially if the next day had nothing important to do. “Gunwook?” Gyuvin called his name. Maybe he was slipping into little space and he hadn't noticed, but Gunwook lifted his head, letting him know he was still him. “Are you okay, love?” Gyuvin approached him slowly, not wanting to startle him, but again Gunwook didn't answer. “Are you feeling little?” Gunwook shrugged his shoulders at that, seemingly confused about what was going on.
Gyuvin sighed, not knowing what to do, so he just hugged Gunwook from his waist. The younger leaned into the hug, appreciating the warmth that exuded Gyuvin's body, and sighed back. “I'm not feeling little, Gyub.” Gunwook finally answered and hugged his boyfriend tighter.
“What is it then?” Gyuvin pulled back from the hug a bit to hold Gunwook’s cheek lovingly. Gunwook shook his head, eyes shining under the dim light of the room. “I don't know,” Gunwook answered quietly.
Gyuvin smiled fondly, all of this probably took the most of Gunwook, so he understood he was probably still feeling confused. “Do you want us to cuddle in bed until we fall asleep?” Gyuvin offered this time.
Gunwok appreciated how patient his boyfriend was with him, even more so today than on other days. Then, he nodded his head, a slight smile drawing on his face. Gyuvin smiled back and guided him to bed, covering both of them with the fluffy covers. He hugged Gunwook by his waist, keeping him close. Gunwook rested his face in the oldest chest, finding comfort in the proximity of their bodies.
“Thank you, Gyub.” An almost imperceptible whisper came out of the younger's mouth. Gyuvin looked down to see his face, a bit taken aback. “What for, baby?” His large hands rested on Gunwook's face, drawing circles on his cheeks. Gunwook hesitated before answering, looking down, not able to face him. “Just… for everything, really.” This time, Gunwook smiled at him, still hesitant, but Gyuvin knew what he meant. No other words were necessary.
“You know I'll always be there for you, Gunwook,” said Gyuvin, reassuring him. “Always…” Gunwook repeated, letting the sleepiness finally take over him.
Gyuvin smiled at the sight fondly, kissing Gunwook's forehead. “Always,” Gyuvin repeated before falling asleep too.