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“What is going on here?” Minho’s voice cut through Jisung’s wailing.
He peeked his head out from his protective ball. “Daddy!”
“Dada made Jiji cry,” Felix said, his voice muffled around his thumb. His other hand was rubbing over Jisung’s back in an attempted soothing gesture.
Chan sighed and grumbled something teasing that may have been, “You little tattle tale.”
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Felix hummed happily to himself all the way from Minho and Jisung’s apartment to the car. He had started singing when Chan set him in his seat and buckled him in.
“Did you have a good time with Jiji?” Chan asked when he was behind the wheel.
In the rearview mirror, he could see Felix nod repeatedly. He stopped singing long enough to say, “Yeah, we picked out things for Santa.”
“Oh?” Christmas was still more than a month away, but they’d started buying presents for Felix and Jisung both months earlier. Going a little overboard? Probably, but they couldn’t help but spoil the two littles. It was what they deserved. “Anything special you wanna tell me about?”
Felix shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips. “No, dada, it’s for santa.”
“Right, of course.” He’d have to text Minho and ask to borrow that magazine. It couldn’t hurt to look.
When they got home, Chan helped Felix get unbuckled. Before he could get out, he asked, “Do you want to put your shoes on and walk, or do you want me to carry you?”
Felix sighed. “Carry, dada.” The duh went unspoken.
Chan picked up him and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Of course. Anything for my princess.”
Felix beamed.
Changbin didn’t look up when they walked in, head bent over his laptop. Chan pressed a finger to his lips. Felix covered his mouth with his hands, trying to conceal his giggles. Before they could make it more than a few steps, Changbin spoke.
“Hey! I was just about to text you and ask if I needed to start dinner. Is–” Changbin’s voice trailed off as he looked up and saw them, eyes widening fractionally as he took in Felix’s clearly regressed state.
They locked eyes. Everything okay? Changbin’s eyes asked.
Chan nodded once. I’ll tell you later.
“Papa!” Felix screeched, wiggling until Chan set him down. Once on his own two legs, he ran over to Changbin, tackling him to the best of his ability. Changbin barely moved, Chan noted, but it was a valiant effort.
“Hi, princess. Did you and Jiji have lots of fun?”
“Dada made Jiji cry!”
Changbin’s eyes shot to him, and Chan sighed, throwing his head back. “I didn’t do it on purpose!”
Felix giggled.
“Is Jiji okay?”
Felix nodded very seriously. “He took care of me.”
“Did you say thank you?”
He nodded again. “Maybe I can color him a picture?”
“I think that’s a great idea, pumpkin,” Chan said. “Why don’t you go pick out a coloring book?”
They both watched him waddle down the hall, and then Changbin turned to him. He set his laptop down — up high away from potential little hands knocking it over.
“What happened?” he asked.
Chan shrugged. “Not sure exactly. It looked like they found a toy magazine and just–”
“Slipped?”
Chan nodded.
Changbin sighed. “Well, they both needed it.”
“I know, but they were alone, Binnie. Any number of things could have happened. One of them could have gotten hurt!”
“I know,” Changbin soothed, walking over to fold Chan into his arms.“But they didn’t. They’re both okay, yeah? We’ll figure something out so this doesn’t happen again.”
Chan sighed, relaxing into the hug and letting his forehead fall on Changbin’s shoulder. “It just scared me. I asked Jisung why he didn’t call one of us, which I know I shouldn’t have done while he was little, but I panicked.”
“Understandable.”
Chan huffed, and Changbin laughed.
“You just want me to tell you you’re being unreasonable.”
“Yes,” Chan agreed easily.
Changbin snorted. “Not going to happen.”
He huffed.
“I found one! Dada okay?”
They pulled away from each other. “Dada’s okay, princess,” Chan assured.
While Felix got settled at the coffee table, Changbin asked, “Do you wanna cook while I watch Lixi or do you want me to cook?”
Chan debated for a moment. “I’ll cook, but I need Lixi snuggles later.”
Changbin’s smile was gentle. “Of course.”
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When dinner was ready, Chan went on the hunt for Changbin and Felix. They’d disappeared from the living room a while ago, and the apartment was quiet, almost suspiciously so. Before Chan could make it down the hallway towards the bedrooms, he heard a loud, unhappy screech.
“No, papa, I don’t wanna!” Felix was saying as Chan rounded the corner into their room. Felix was laid out on the large bed, naked from the waist down and trying to crawl away from Changbin.
“I know, princess, but it’s just for tonight.”
It didn’t take long for Chan to catch on to what was happening. On the bed next to where Felix was trying to wiggle away was a diaper and tube of rash cream.
“I’m a big boy,” Felix cried.
Chan stepped into the room. “Even big boys wear diapers sometimes,” he said. “Even Jiji. We bought you some special ones, just like him. Wanna see?”
Felix paused his squirming, looking back over his shoulder. “Special?”
Changbin nodded, holding up the diaper so Felix could see the Disney princesses printed on the front.
“Oh.” Felix’s voice was soft. He blinked watery eyes up at them. “O’tay.”
While Felix let himself be rolled over onto his back so his diaper could be put on, Chan pulled out one of his pacifiers from the nightstand. Felix opened his mouth for it happily.
“Do you just want a bottle tonight, pumpkin?” Chan asked, aware of how much more Felix seemed to be regressing.
He nodded in response, gurgling around the pacifier.
Chan made Felix a bottle of warm milk and honey while Changbin got him ready for bed, knowing he’d probably pass out shortly after eating.
In the living room, Chan held his arms out. “I’ll take him. You go eat.” Felix had on a pink Sailor Moon onesie. “Look at you, princess,” he cooed. “All cozy. Ready for your bottle?”
Instead of responding, Felix just spit out his pacifier and opened his mouth, eagerly awaiting his dinner. Chan laughed quietly.
Predictably, he was out like a light before he even finished. Chan ate his own food one handed before carrying Felix to their room. He laid him right in the middle so he’d have Chan and Changbin on either side of him.
After they both got ready and settled into bed, Chan sighed, exhausted.
Changbin hummed agreeably. “Good?” he asked.
“Yeah. Tired, but good.” He was quiet for a moment. “I know you said they both needed to regress, but I think I needed it, too. Taking care of him helps me unwind.”
Changbin reached across Felix to take his hand. “Me, too.”
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