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“Albie, this is the colour of blue,” Yunmin offers out a pencil to the boy sitting opposite him, “it’s the colour of the sky, yes? And it’s the colour of the walls in my bedroom. I like blue, it’s my favourite.”
The smaller of the two pups blinks, his mind still far too young to properly comprehend the words being spoken to him.
Yunmin puts the blue pencil down in order to pick up another one. “This one is purple,” he says, “this one is Minnie’s favourite colour. It’s, um, it’s the colour of some grapes. I eat grapes for my snack sometimes, but I guess you’re probably too small for them.”
Albie tilts his head to the side, confused.
”This next one,” Yunmin swaps the pencils over, “is green! Green is the colour of leaves but not when it’s Minnie’s birthday. Those leaves are orange. Grass is also green! And, uh, my tray at school is green! I put all my work in there.”
The younger boy hums, his entire face falling into an expression of pure concentration.
”My next pencil is pink,” he says, “people sometimes colour hearts in pink. Flamingo’s at the zoo are pink, do you know what those are?”
Albie doesn’t say anything.
”You’re a bit confusing, you know?”
No response.
”You’re too little for a lot of things, huh?”
Again, no reply.
Yunmin puts his pencil down. He gets another. “This colour is red,” he informs him, “red can be a bit of a scary colour.”
Albie pouts, and Yunmin just giggles quietly.
”You’re so cute, my Albie!”
Albie smiles and claps his two small hands together. Yunmin puts his pencil down so he can do the same thing. The two boys are sat opposite each other with scattered drawing supplies on the small coffee table between them.
When Albie stops clapping, so does Yunmin.
Yunmin collects yet another pencil. “This is yellow. It is the colour of the sun, I think. My lunch box for my school is yellow! I- I don’t like school all that much.”
The smaller version of Jongho frowns deeply, sensing the sudden sadness of the other boy.
”It is just quite boring when we have to learn stuff,” he says, “and some of the other pups in my class are not very nice to me like at all.”
Albie sets his hands on to the table.
”You can’t tell my Daddy and Papa, okay? I have not told them yet. They will get sad if they find out pups are mean to me. I don’t like it when they get sad. I do not think I’m going to tell them at all, actually.”
Clumsily picking up a pencil of his own, Albie is now seemingly uninterested in this conversation topic. He doesn’t know how serious what he has just been told actually is. He’s simply too young to understand.
”That pencil you’re holding is the colour brown,” the older tells the younger, “some bears are brown and so is chocolate.”
Albie brings the pencil towards his mouth, pulling it away immediately when Yunmin gasps softly.
”You can’t eat that! It’s not a snack.”
The quietest frustrated huff followed by a very small, “oh.”
Yunmin adjusts himself to be resting on his knees. He points to the piece of paper in front of Albie. “You draw on this, yeah?”
Albie’s eyebrows knit together, he is confused once more.
“Like this,” Yunmin picks a green pencil up and starts drawing the thin stem of a flower. He then retrieves an orange pencil and does the petals, “see?”
Scratching the left side of his head with his free left hand, Albie watches rather intently as the flower art gradually comes together. He asks, “draw?”
”Yes,” Yunmin nods, “we are drawing on some paper. “This,” he picks up his paper, “is called paper.”
”Pap- pap-”
Yunmin grins happily as he places his sheet of paper down. He puts a lot of emphasis on the two separate syllables as he speaks, “paper.”
”Pap-”
His eyes are shining with excitement at the idea of being able to teach his friend a new word.
Albie says happily, shooting his little arms upward as if cheering, “Papa!”
Yunmin sighs, shoulders deflating. “Close enough, I guess.”
Albie giggles and then starts drawing random shapes of all different sizes on to his piece of paper. Yunmin watches on with a rather fond glint in his eyes. Out of all the pack pups, aside from his own big brother, Albie is definitely is favourite. Yunmin rolls his set of shoulders back and then relaxes them. He starts to draw again too.
Ditching his brown pencil for a pink one, Albie sticks the tip of his tongue out in concentration. This art piece needs to be perfect. It’s for someone he loves a lot.
He glances at Yunmin’s drawing and tries his best to copy the flower image, but he cannot see so good upside down and his motor skills aren’t as strong as the five-year-old’s yet… Albie is barely two!
He hums quietly to himself as he changes his pencil yet again. Yunmin is drawing clouds in the sky and so Albie does the same but with a green colouring pencil instead of grey. He’s pretty happy with how it turns out.
Yunmin looks up, “what are you drawing, Albie?”
The smaller pup grins as he places his pencil down and picks the paper up. He spins it around in order to proudly show it off.
”That looks really, really good! Well done!”
Appreciating the honest praise, Albie does somewhat of a little dance where he’s sitting. His body sways to the left and right a few times. He then stops and thrusts the piece of paper outwards.
Not understanding, Yunmin just keeps smiling, “it’s so good!”
Albie frowns a little.
”I really like the green clouds. Wouldn’t it be cool if clouds were actually green?”
Albie whines softly, shaking his head.
”Oh,” Yunmin’s sparkle fades, “y-you do not want green clouds?”
The younger pup whines again. His big, brown eyes are full of sorrow. It’s a little frustrating that people can’t understand what he wants sometimes.
”I don’t know what you mean, Albie.”
So Albie shakes the piece of paper. He moves on to his knees so he can lean even further over the coffee table.
”Oh,” Yunmin points to himself, a realisation settling over him, “is it for me?”
Albie smiles brightly and nods, pleased to have been finally understood. Yunmin takes the piece of paper from him very carefully.
”It looks even better all the way up close! I will ask Daddy or Papa to put it up in my room!”
Albie cheers, “Papa!”
”No, silly,” Yunmin giggles as he shakes his head, “my Daddy or Papa. Not yours.”
Albie giggles and Yunmin’s laughter grows louder. Their mixed happiness melts the hearts of the four adults in the kitchen close by. The other three pups, the Choi-Kang twins and Minho, are playing upstairs.
”You’re so funny, Albie!”
Albie claps his hands together.
Yunmin puts the piece of paper down beside his own. “My drawing is for you too,” he says, “I just need to finish, okay?”
Albie hums and rubs at his eyes with tightly balled fists. Yunmin starts drawing again. Albie then settles himself back to sit with his legs out in front of him. He looks at his sock-covered toes and smiles softly as he begins wiggling his tiny feet.
Yunmin finishes up his drawing, having added a little house with two stick figures outside of it. “That’s me and you in a house,” he shows the younger boy the paper, “when we’re both bigger, maybe me, you, and Hajoon can all live together? We can all draw all day long that way!”
Another small hum. Something is beginning to feel wrong, but he doesn’t know what it is.
”We can live in a little house like the one you live in now,” Yunmin says, “we can even have really pretty flowers in the garden! But- but I might miss Minnie, Daddy, and Papa. Maybe, um, maybe we wait until we’re a lot bigger, okay?”
Yunmin is very attached to both of his parents, but more often than not to just Mingi. Wherever it is he goes, Yunmin is bound to soon follow.
Albie’s eyes fall closed, his head lulling forward, but he flinches and wakes himself up again.
”Albie,” Yunmin frowns at the smaller boy, “you look a bit funny. Are you okay?”
His vision is suddenly very blurry. His face is wet.
”Oh, no,” Yunmin abandons all drawing equipment, “don’t cry, Albie.”
Albie sniffles and rubs at his eyes again.
”Are you sleepy? Is it nap time?”
Albie’s bottom lip wobbles.
”Should I get Uncle Sangie?”
Albie doesn’t know who this Uncle Sangie is. To him, that’s simply Papa. Albie reaches over the table and whines.
”What do you need?”
A soft cry.
”Oh, yeah, you’re too little to tell me. I’ll get Sangie.”
Albie shakes his head as Yunmin stands up. He does not want to be left alone.
”I’ll come right back, promise!”
But Albie doesn’t understand any of what is currently being said to him. His face contorts and more silent tears spill. Yunmin doesn’t want to leave the boy by himself, and he could call for Yeosang, but another idea enters his mind instead.
He moves around the coffee table, and he offers out both of his hands. Albie blinks at him before taking them into his own ones. Yunmin helps the boy into a standing position. He lets go of the boy’s left hand in order to carefully guide him over to the sofa.
”You can sit with me,” Yunmin pulls himself up on to the sofa, sitting so that his back is resting against the back of the furniture piece. He leans forward for a second to assist Albie in climbing up too.
Albie immediately settles himself on to Yunmin’s lap, the older giggling quietly while he does so. Albie’s knees are resting either side of Yunmin’s hips, he’s facing him and their gazes are connected.
Yunmin asks, “comfy?”
Albie chews on three of his left fingertips and leans down to rest his head against Yunmin’s left shoulder. His forehead rests against the left side of the older pup’s neck. Their chests are connected.
Humming small, Yunmin begins to rub small circles on to the smaller pup’s back. This is how his Daddy and Papa would help him sleep when he was a tiny bit younger. Either that, or they’d rub his head or caress along his cheekbone.
”You can go to sleep if you would like,” Yunmin tells him, not knowing that Albie’s eyes are already very nearly closed, “I don’t mind. I bet you go sleep after lunch at home, huh? Naps are nice, I still have them too sometimes.”
Albie’s hand falls from his mouth and instead his damp fingertips curl around the fabric of the jumper Yunmin is wearing.
”I wonder what you dream about,” Yunmin says, “I bet it’s cool, whatever it is.”
Albie’s breathing evens out, his mind floating away in the safe hold of his friend.
”Is it dragons? Dragons are cool. Maybe Princesses and Princes too? That’s what I dream about a lot. My Daddy calls my Papa ‘Princess’, did you know that?”
Heavy eyes falling closed, Albie takes his last proper, conscious breath.
”I like dreaming about superhero’s,” Yunmin says, “I once saw a Spider in my room and asked it to make me like Spider-Man,” a pout appears on his face, “he just ran away from me, though.”
Now completely fast asleep against Yunmin’s chest, Albie snuggles impossibly closer to him.
”I should’ve put the television on or something like that,” the mini version of Mingi huffs, “but maybe I can just have a dream too? But like one where I’m awake?”
No response, obviously.
”Maybe, uh, maybe I can dream about the house we were talking about earlier?”
Albie continues to sleep contently.
There’s some light movement from just beyond the entrance of the lounge, and Yunmin slows down his movements against Albie’s back greatly as he turns to find the source of it.
Yeosang is coming towards them, and there is a fond glint in his eyes. “Hey, sweetheart,” he says gently, “would you like me to take him from you so that you can keep drawing?”
Yunmin, after having decided that day dreaming isn’t what he wants to do, shakes his head the best he is able to with the smaller pups face buried in his neck. “No, thank you.”
”Are you sure?”
”Yeah,” Yunmin nods, “he’s my baby, so I will cuddle him.”
Yeosang chuckles softly, his heart warm. “He’s your baby?”
A nod. “He’s cute, Uncle Sangie. He’s very cute. He looks like Uncle Jongie but Aera and Aiden look like you. They’re cute too.”
Yeosang crouches down, resting his folded arms on the sofa. “You think so?”
”Yeah,” the boy nods, “he’s my most favourite after my Minnie. You can’t tell anyone, okay?”
”Promise.”
”Good,” Yunmin hums, “how long does Albie sleep for?”
”A while,” Yeosang tells him, “he likes to dream, you see.”
“Okay.”
Yunmin brings his right hand up and he caresses the side of Albie’s head with his thumb.
”You’re very good with him, Yunnie.”
”I try really hard!”
”And you are doing amazingly! Albie is always very excited to come and see you.”
”Am I his favourite after Aera and Aiden?”
”I believe so, yes.”
Yunmin smiles, Yeosang is reminded immediately of Mingi. He leans over and places a kiss to Yunmin’s forehead, and then he places one to Albie’s head too.
”If you want to take a break, just tell me, okay?”
”I will, Uncle Sangie.”
Yeosang smiles at him, “you’re such a good boy.”
“Thanks!”
The Omega leaves the room, knowing his little boy is safe with Yunmin. Himself, Jongho, Mingi, and Yunho will be coming into the lounge soon anyway.
Yunmin wraps his arms around Albie, tight enough to keep him safe but loose enough to not harm him. He sings softly to him, not knowing what else to do. It’s a song called ‘You Are My Sunshine’, his Daddy and Papa sing it to him all the time.
Half-way into the second chorus, his own eyes begin to feel a little heavy. The warmth of Albie’s sleeping body against his own is making his mind melt with new-found exhaustion. His words move into further quiet, the world around him starts to get a little bit blurry.
He didn’t sleep very well last night, he remembers that it was about three or so in the morning when he rushed into his parent’s bedroom and slotted himself between them.
He mumbles the last lyrics softly as his head lulls to the left, his cheek coming to rest on top of Albie’s head. He looks at the coffee table in front of him for a few seconds before he melts into the sofa and falls asleep too.
Yeosang wanders in with a tea in his hand, and he smiles. Jongho stands at his side, smiling too. Mingi and Yunho enter as well.
”He’s his baby,” Yeosang whispers to them, “that’s what Yunmin told me.”
Yunho raises his eyebrows, “he did?”
”Yeah,” Yeosang chuckles, “he was quite adamant about holding him while he slept.”
”We can keep an eye on them both,” Jongho says, “I mean there’s no need to separate them. They seem comfortable.”
Mingi’s gaze is full of adoration. Yunmin talks about Albie a lot, both he and Yunho are more than aware of this fact.
Yeosang suggests to all of them, “maybe we should lie them down? I don’t want Yunnie’s back to start hurting.”
“That’s a good idea,” Mingi agrees and he looks over at Yunho.
Yunho, without needing to be verbally asked, already knows what his Omega wishes him to do. He moves towards the other sofa and collects one of the pillows from it. He brings it to the sofa the pups are on and props it against the arm of the furniture item.
“Jongie, my love-”
”I know, angel, I’m going.”
Yeosang smiles, a soft blush spreading across the centre of his face. Jongho steps forward to assist.
Yunho, crouched down in front of the sofa, says, ”I think the best idea is for you to take Albie so we can lie Yunnie down. We’ll put Albie down next to him afterwards?”
”Alright,” Jongho nods, already reaching for his pup. It’s surprisingly difficult to get Albie out of Yunmin’s hold. Eventually, the older pup lets go but there’s a dissatisfied frown on his face.
Yunmin’s eyes open slowly, and he whines unhappily.
”It’s okay, honey,” Yunho tells him softly.
The pups question makes Mingi’s heart melt, ”where is my baby?”
”He’s with Uncle Jongie-”
”B-but mine-”
“Yunmin-”
”W-want my b-baby back.”
”You can give him a cuddle in a minute, okay? We just need to get you to lie down all comfy.”
Yunmin sniffles and rubs tiredly at both his eyes with trembling balled fists. Yunho leans forward to place a kiss to the centre of his forehead. Yunmin flops down to the side as Yunho pulls back, and then he turns to lie on his back. He shuffles up the sofa and places his head on to the pillow.
His arms move upward in the direction of Jongho for a split second before falling down to his sides again. “Uncle J-Jongie,” he pleas, “my baby back now?”
Jongho asks, “where would you like him to go?”
Yunmin sleepily pats his left shoulder. “Head back here.”
”Are you sure?”
Yunmin nods.
Jongho turns towards his mate, and Yeosang nods. The youngest of the pack suddenly lifts his head off Jongho’s shoulder, looking around the room they’re in more than once, all confused.
“Hey, my darling,” Yeosang says gently to him, but Albie just looks away from his Papa. He scans around the room and then he finally looks down.
He reaches for Yunmin straight away, wanting to be in his arms again, making grabby hands at him. He’s whining. “Y-” the boy sniffles, “Y-”
Nobody in the room speaks, all stunned by what the pup is very obviously trying to do. Yunmin, despite how sleepy he is, feels bubbling excitement within him.
”Yu-” he sniffles and tries again while increasing the speed of his grabby hands, “Yun!”
Mingi and Yeosang’s hearts explode, Yunho stares at the two-year-old is disbelief and Jongho just looks so proud of the boy who looks so much like him.
And Yunmin? Well he’s over the moon happy. His two eyes are shining and his smile is so incredibly bright. “Yun! That’s me, he said my name!”
“He did,” Mingi smiles with a nod of his head. He can’t quite believe that one of Albie’s first ever words is Yunmin’s name, he finds it so incredibly precious.
”He said my name, Daddy,” Yunmin turns to Yunho, “did you hear him?!”
”I did hear him,” Yunho chuckles in amazement as he turns to the younger of his and Mingi’s children, “how amazing is that?”
Sleepiness all forgotten, Yunmin sits himself up, ”it’s super amazing!”
Albie, blissfully unaware of what he has just done, is still reaching for the other boy. “Yun!”
Shrieking happily, Yunmin moves off of the sofa and he jumps up and down excitedly. “He did it again, he did it again!” He then stops and holds the pups two hands in his own, “you are so smart, Albie!”
Albie tilts his head to the side, uncertain as to what’s going on.
”Can you say it again?! What’s my name?!”
Albie blinks.
”You can do it, I know you can!”
The smaller pup looks at Jongho and then back at Yunmin. “Yun!”
Yunmin claps and, also having forgotten about his tiredness, Albie grins and copies the action.
The five-year-old declares, ”this is the bestest day ever!”
Albie reaches for him again. “Yun!”
”I think he might have just found his new favourite word,” Yeosang is smiling.
Yunmin crawls back on to the sofa and lies down on his back. His head is against the pillow and he opens his arms. Jongho places the younger pup on to the older pup’s chest. Albie giggles quietly as he cuddles against his friend, the right side of his head back on the taller’s left shoulder.
Wrapping two his arms around the smaller, Yunmin whispers a declaration of, “I love you, Albie.”
”Yun,” the other boy whispers in response, recurling his fingertips into the other’s jumper, “Yun, Yun.”
”That’s right,” the older nods, his heart warm, “I’m Yun.”
Albie buries his face into Yunmin’s neck with a quiet giggle. Yunmin cuddles him impossibly closer. Mingi takes his phone from his pocket and snaps a photo of the both of them, he makes a mental note to send it over later on.
Now that he’s lying down again and the excitement is mostly over, Albie feels quite sleepy once more. He hums slowly and is very quickly lulled back into a sleep when Yunmin’s thumb caresses along the left side of his jawline.
Three of the four adults within the front room settle themselves on to the free sofa’s. Yunho chooses to sit on the floor between Mingi’s legs. He’s sat where Yunmin had been drawing earlier. They begin talking, too loud for Yunmin’s liking.
Albie stirs a little against his chest, and so the older pup frowns and looks over at the adults. He coughs lightly to get their attention. It works because they all look at him.
“You all have to shush now, please, okay? My baby is asleep.”
Yeosang, and Jongho, Yunho, and Mingi all raise their eyebrows at the same time. They were whispering, after all.
Yunmin blinks, looking between all of them with an expression of pure, confused innocence on his face. “What? I said ‘please’.”