Chapter Text
Youngchan stabbed in the pincode to their apartment and pushed open the door, already preparing to slip off his shoes.
The sight Youngchan was met with though was—
Look, Youngchan had seen Hyunwoo in a lot of situations.
He’d seen Hyunwoo throw his poop at his father when they were toddlers, just barely old enough to remember yet it still somehow managed to become a core memory.
He’d seen Hyunwoo fail to jump over a puddle in middle school, falling over backward and into said puddle because his bag was too big.
He’d watched the kid piss his pants in primary after refusing to take a bathroom break... Which was pathetically reminiscent of the time during a night out where the line for the bathroom was too long and they couldn’t make it outside in time for him to just whip his dick out and instead, similarly, to their time as children, he ended up pissing his pants.
Sit with that. He pissed his pants, as an adult.
Maybe it was just as bad to say that he was still his best friend. What did that say about him.
Just the other day he’d seen him lick his phone instead of the ice cream that he was eating.
He’d even seen him freak out so hard over a cockroach that he fell over and gave himself a black eye—The point Youngchan was trying to make was that he’d seen Hyunwoo do a lot of stupid and absurd shit.
The one he walked in on though?
Youngchan stared wide eyed at the image of Hyunwoo; a baby hanging loosely in his hands and stuck out as far away from him as possible. A visibly perplexed expression plastered across his face until it snapped towards Youngchan, posture immediately relaxing.
“Oh my god, it’s happened—”
“—Oh thank god,” Hyunwoo had said at the same time, followed by a, “Wait, what?
“I knew this day would come you irresponsible bastard.”
“What?! No! It’s yours!”
“Mine?!” Youngchan screeched.
“As in, it has your blood.”
“Oh fuck, that scared me… Wait, that means—”
“Nope, not that either. It was your cousin, Minho. The little shit said no one else was free.”
“Oh, okay,” Youngchan breathed out in relief.
“Shouldn’t you be able to know what your niece? Looks like.”
“I’ve never met this kid, I didn’t even know Minho had a kid. Oh my god, aunty is going to kill him. And then me. And then you.”
“Okay, why am I included.”
“We’re accomplices. Shit, seriously, what the hell was that kid thinking?” Youngchan sighed but quickly made his way towards Hyunwoo, “Give her to me you look like you have no clue what you’re doing,” and swiftly took the babbling baby out of his grasp.
“I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Shut up, did Minho leave a diaper bag for us or anything?”
Hyunwoo stared at him cluelessly.
“Nothing?”
“He said he just found out and he’ll be back after the weekend.”
“After the weekend?!” The kid in his arms slapped a wet palm to his face and Youngchan nodded in agreement.
She was right, he was too loud.
“What was he thinking?” He yelled in a whisper.
Hyunwoo tried not to laugh. “Pft—uh, I really couldn’t tell you. He was just in and out… Kinda like—”
“—No, shut up, don’t.” Youngchan heaved out a sigh, bouncing the baby in his arms. “What’s her name? How old is she at least?” He asked, looking down at the girl who had begun to make grabby hands, reaching out to Hyunwoo. Youngchan walked towards him obligingly.
It had Hyunwoo gaze at her wonderingly, finger reaching back out for the child in his arms to grip at.
“Oh.” He blinked at her. “Yoona, it’s Yoona.”
Youngchan looked at his friend in amusement. It reminded him of when he’d first met his baby siblings, the same awe as when his little brother and sister gripped at his small finger with their even tinier hands. They’d been disgusting and adorable and so, so small and shortly thereafter, stuffed his finger into their mouths. But in the privacy of his own thoughts, he could admit he’d already fallen for them at that point.
The baby babbled up at them, the other hand smacking his chest light with tiny curled fists until suddenly her face started to twist and then she spat up, straight onto his chest. Youngchan's face blanched, turning to Hyunwoo blandly. “Don’t.” He told him sternly but pointlessly, quickly following up with, “We need to go shopping. Did he give us a car seat?”
It was no use, Hyunwoo was already laughing, ruffling the kid’s dusting of hair.
Still bouncing Yoona soothingly, he rolled his eyes, using the little bib around Yoona’s neck to dab at her mouth and then at his own shirt, with most of the grossness having gone on him. “Here,” he said, shoving the kid into Hyunwoo’s face.
Hyunwoo stared back at him awkwardly.
“Not so funny now, is it?”
And then, more indulgently, he helped gently place the girl into his arm, his own going around Hyunwoo to position him appropriately. It was as a tangle of limbs as he tried not to get any of Yoona's upchuck on Hyunwoo and still make sure she was settled properly in Hyunwoo's awkward hold. He was almost impressed at how stiff Hyunwoo had been the entire time.
Youngchan hand slid under Hyunwoo’s arm, readjusting here and there as he showed him how to properly hold the baby. Finally, His hand trailed up Hyunwoo’s, guiding it so it would support Yoona’s head, his fingers spread between Hyunwoo’s own, their joined hands brushing Yoona’s feathering of hair.
“She can’t hold her head up by herself,” he whispered by way of explanation, “you have to help.” He leant in his voice even gentler by Hyunwoo’s ear, not wanting to disturb the quiet reverence that fluttered across Hyunwoo’s face as he watched his niece.
Youngchan carefully slipped away and left Yoona to Hyunwoo, quickly going to find a shirt to change into and an old handkerchief or bandana to replace her soiled bib for the time being.
Returning, he saw Hyunwoo had sat down, tickling the girl in spots that made her laugh delightfully.
For a moment, Youngchan allowed himself to simply watch the unexpected scene. His friend, finally a little more comfortable with a child in his arms and said child looking up at him with an equally adoring expression.
Youngchan didn't notice that same smile crossing his own face.
Finally having taken in his fair share of the scene, he spoke up
“Okay you two, let’s get some shopping done. Let’s just take the train in and then get some shi– stuff to help Minho out.”
The train ride, albeit short, was a hassle.
He couldn’t figure out who had a harder time: Hyunwoo, who was standing, left with keeping them from being squished even with the seat Youngchan was offered; he, who had to keep Yoona entertained and stop her from crying; or, more fairly, little Yoona who was overwhelmed by the noise and bustle of the train ride.
Even if it was midday when they got on, it was still the weekend and there were many people who were all happily out and about making the most of the clear, sunny weather they were given.
Hyunwoo had been forced close, their knees pressing against each other. Yoona had kept reaching out to Hyunwoo every time she sniffled or cried and so Hyunwoo had been left keeping his hand down for her to grip while Youngchan was forced to shuffle in even closer. With how many people there had been on the train, Youngchan, worried, kept a tight grip on Hyunwoo’s pants to help prevent him from falling towards them.
By the time the trio had managed to escape the station, they were all exhausted. “How the hell did our parents do this? How did your parents do this three times?”
“I was the baby sitter. They got a bit of a break with me around. Arguably it might just be that I got used to being lost when I was young, you know what… They didn’t manage. After a certain point, I got handed the twins and then it was the three of us getting lost. You’d think they would have figured it out by then… Eventually I learnt to find my parents… Maybe it was my parents getting lost.” Youngchan responded before returning to coo at Yoona comfortingly, patting her back as she wormed her head against his chest.
He turned to Hyunwoo to check if he’d seen how cute she’d been but was met with a pitying expression on his face. Youngchan rolled his eyes. “Anyways, let’s grab some nappies and baby food for her first, I’m sure the poor kid is hungry. We can go to a convenience store and heat up her food before getting more stuff and just take a taxi back. Why did we even bother with the train?”
“Hey that was your idea,” but began leading the way anyway.
Yoona, as though sensing his distance, reared back and reached out to Hyunwoo.
Seeing this, Youngchan reached out with her, his longer arm reaching her target with ease. His hand tugged at Hyunwoo’s sleeve, pulling him closer, sliding down to grip his wrist, “Slow down, walk with us.”
With Hyunwoo now in reach, Yoona made grabby hands at him and Youngchan couldn’t help but smile at her cuteness and the two of them looked up at Hyunwoo with matching imploring expressions on their faces.
“Gah,” Hyunwoo clutched at his chest, “she’s so cute.” A look that was a mix of both an uncomfortable grimace and an endeared smile went along with the gesture.
Youngchan laughed and using the hand still gripped at his wrist, guided them to come to a stop on the side of the footpath, Hyunwoo unexpectedly obedient. With them now stopped, handing over Yoona was a much easier task but required verbally commanding how Hyunwoo should hold out his arms for Yoona to be placed into. Once the very squirmy Yoona was placed into the arms of an equally squirmy Hyunwoo, he shook his head disbelievingly at the hassle it had managed to be.
“You got her?” He asked, still obviously unimpressed.
“Uhh, yeah.”
“The exact same as Tangy.”
Suddenly his expression cleared and suddenly Yoona was dangling facing forward, Hyunwoo’s arms wrapped around her like a teddy bear. “Okay. Not that. I don’t know how the fuck you came to that conclusion— hold her like when you need to make an escape but like, not on your shoulders.”
“Oh.”
Hyunwoo adjusted her until her head was resting on his shoulder, face tucked into the crook of his neck and his arms sat under her, holding her weight. Youngchan nodded in approval and Yoona made pleased little cooing sounds.
Youngchan led their walk at a smooth pace, speaking gently to Yoona pointing out buildings and objects and her eyes tracked the movements; the things he pointed out, the people that rushed past them and the cars that whizzed past them.
Before long they were at the department store, heading straight to the supermarket within it. Youngchan pulled out a trolley with a baby seat and gestured to Hyunwoo, who looked at him in confusion. He rolled his eyes but indulgently explained and before long a giggly Yoona was sitting within.
“You push.”
“Yes, sir.” Hyunwoo replied almost teasingly and the irritation it sparked momentarily made him feel bad. He looked to Hyunwoo apologetically and the man beside him had furrowed his eyebrows at his expression, shaking his head reassuringly.
The unexpected babysitting had made Youngchan stressed by the lack of preparation and while Yoona had been mercifully patient, he couldn’t help but be concerned at his lack of knowledge.
How long had it been since she ate?
Should he change her diaper already?
He did check it before they left but it had been a while since?
How long was she with Hyunwoo before he got home?
“Hyunwoo, how long ago did Minho drop Yoona off?”
He asked as he grabbed things off the shelf, checking the packaging before dropping it into their trolley.
“Oh, maybe like five minutes before you got home?”
“Okay, it’s been at least an hour since then. We’ll feed her after we’re done in here.”
“Sounds good… Hey, look, it’s okay, we got this. I know there’s a lot we don't know but let’s do what we can and once she’s put to sleep, we can call Minho or your mum?”
“Mum’s on a 14 hour flight. I don’t want to call your mum and stress her out. I’m sorry. I know how to do this, I just got worried because I don't know when she last got fed and how old she is. That sort of thing matters when we’re getting her food. Her nappy should almost be full by now and—”
Hyunwoo’s hand reached out, gripping Youngchan’s arm and pulled them to a stop, palm settling warmly. “Hey, I don’t usually see you like this. Look at Yoona,” Hyunwoo gestured to the smiling baby with them, “she’s happy and safe. We got this.”
Youngchan exhaled in one full breath, head tipping forward to rest on Hyunwoo’s shoulder. Hyunwoo chuckled at the action, the hand on his shoulder moving to give Youngchan’s brown curls a reassuring ruffle.
Youngchan tilted his head to the side to peek up at Hyunwoo with his smile mostly hidden into his shoulder.
“When did you get so reliable, huh? Has our Hyunwoo really grown up?”
“Shut up,” his fingers settled into Youngchan’s hair, gently scratching at his scalp.
Youngchan huffed out a breath before reluctantly pulling back, Hyunwoo’s hand falling away.
“You’re right though, we got this. Thanks. I don’t know why I suddenly got all worked up.”
“Didn’t you just come back from your talk with the university.”
Youngchan’s smile dropped. “Fuck you dude,” and started walking away.
Hyunwoo burst into laughter, hurrying to catch up with him and Yoona’s little laughter followed after him. His arm fell across Youngchan’s shoulders, bringing the man in close to his and indulgently listened to him complain.
“Hyunwoo you’re paying.”
“What the hell?”
“Can’t you see me handling the bagging, help me out and get the bill. Make sure to grab a receipt so you can get reimbursed by that idiot.”
Any response Hyunwoo could have given was cut off by Yoona, suddenly bursting into tears. Luckily for Youngchan, he’d just put the last of his bags away and immediately pulled the girl out the trolley carrier, holding her close to his chest as he checked her nappy. The poor thing had soiled herself and Youngchan felt the need to hurry to get her changed. He cooed in her ear as he searched for the nappies that he knew he should’ve placed on their own, whispering little reassurances until she calmed down momentarily.
Hyunwoo in the background hurriedly paid and wriggled his fingers in her face as she hung over Youngchan’s shoulder, trying to keep her distracted as well.
Just as Youngchan had found the bag, an older woman had approached, coming up to them with surety and like she was about to drop some insane words of wisdom.
Youngchan thought he was quite unlucky before she even spoke.
“Hello sweetie,” her voice sang out, capturing Yoona’s attention immediately, her little cries turning into tired sniffles. “Aren’t you just the cutest,” she smiled at the girl. “Your dads are trying their best for you aren’t they.”
“Uh.”
“That’s–”
“I’m happy you two are able to be true and honest, I know it’s hard but just know, I’m rooting for you. Parenting is hard enough as it is and you two are doing a wonderful job. I saw you in the baby aisle awhile ago and I’m really glad you have each other. That’s the most important part, make sure to rely on each other and be patient and kind. What you’re doing isn’t easy but it is fulfilling.”
She smiled at them, gave Yoona’s check a gentle squeeze, nodded to them encouragingly and left.
Youngchan and Hyunwoo stood staring out blankly in the middle of the exit in shock.
“That aunty didn’t imply what I think she did, did she?”
Yoona smacked a hand to Youngchan’s chest and brought him back to his senses.
“You know what Hyunwoo, I really don’t care. I need to change Yoona’s nappy and it was just nice that that lady thought we were doing a good job. Wait here.”
Youngchan huffed, grabbing a nappy and wipes, making his way to the baby station, ignoring Hyunwoo’s pathetic expression that followed after them.
When Youngchan returned with a now settled Yoona, Hyunwoo was nowhere to be found. For a second he felt himself getting annoyed but quickly calmed down and checked his phone.
Hyunwoo left him a text telling him to go to the convenience store, ‘the one to your right,’ he’d added in the text below. Youngchan walked towards the location, stepping through the automatic doors.
Youngchan and Yoona scanned the store, their eyes quickly landing on a figure that looked deep in thought with the tin in his hand. Youngchan made his way towards him, a smile forming on his face as he noticed the hot water and baby bottle out.
“Hyunwoo,” Youngchan called out gently, feeling instantly relaxed and pleased with his efforts.
His friend looked up at him and deflated in relief, “Youngchan.”
“Thanks,” Youngchan gestured with a nod towards the items he had out and held out Yoona for Hyunwoo to take.
“You too.” He said back and took Yoona into his hold with ease
Youngchan smiled at him and stepped in to take over making the baby formula. “Did you get out any powder?”
“No, just heated up some water, I was reading the directions.”
“Okay.”
Youngchan uncapped the lid from the baby bottle and used it as a measuring cup, his mother’s voice instructing him in his mind. In the background he could hear Yoona starting to get more and more fussy, irritation and frustration coating her expression, much to Hyunwoo’s building distress.
“Just talk to her Hyunwoo,” he instructed gently, “bounce her a little and reassure her. I won’t be too much longer.”
Hyunwoo mumbled an agreement and haltingly began speaking to her, before long coming a step closer to him and explaining to her everything Youngchan was doing.
Youngchan chuckled, “What are you doing? It’s like that tiktok trend, my childless best friend narrates my dad vlog.”
Hyunwoo huffed out a laugh and Yoona remained blessedly distracted for the time being.
Luckily it didn’t take too long for Youngchan to finish making Yoona’s food.
He poured the majority of the baby food into the insulated water bottle he had brought along and poured the remainder into Yoona’s bottle. He poured a smidge into the cap and dipped his pinky finger to check the temperature and poured some more of the bottled water that Hyunwoo had bought into the baby bottle before closing it up and shaking it once more. Youngchan checked the temperature once more and, satisfied, he turned to Hyunwoo and Yoona with a reassuring smile.
Yoona had, in the meantime, started to make frustrated little sniffles again and both of them looked relieved when Youngchan had faced them.
“Hungry aren’t you princess?”
“Yes.” Hyunwoo answered sincerely.
Youngchan blanched, “I meant the princess here,” he gestured to the cute baby, “not you. I didn’t realise you liked being called princess.”
“Wait.”
Youngchan laughed, “Look sweetheart, uncle Hyunwoo is just as hungry as you are, c’mon, here you go.” Youngchan gestured for Hyunwoo to sit down on the little stool and dragged one closer to him as well for Youngchan to sit on, before bringing the bottle to Yoona’s awaiting mouth.
The girl was quick to clasp on, her own tiny hands coming up and landing on his, trying to hold the bottle herself. Youngchan smiled down at her, endeared by the sight.
“She‘s so cute,” Hyunwoo whispered.
“She really is,” Youngchan whispered back.
The two watched adoringly until the girl had enough and was pushing the bottle away, leaving only a tiny bit remaining that Youngchan wished she finished, but nodded in reluctance.
“Alright princess, shall we get some food?” Youngchan asked as he took the bottle back and tucked it away into the bag they had bought to keep Yoona’s things.
“Hyunwoo?” He repeated, as he stood.
“Huh?” Hyunwoo looked up. “Me? I’m princess?”
“Yes! Why wouldn’t you be?”
“Ugh shut up, I was just hungry.”
“That’s why I asked.”
“You’re the worst,” but he was already getting up, one hand tucked under Yoona’s bum to steady himself and then placed her into the baby seat on the trolley, adjusting until she didn’t look uncomfortable. “Good job,” Youngchan praised, before walking to the front and taking a hold of the trolley and directing them towards the food court.
“Afterwards, we should shop for some baby clothes and toys–that’s probably the only good part about shopping for kids.”
“Right.”
“What do you wanna eat princess?”
“For fu–gosh’s sake.”
“You can’t possibly think I’d let that go,” Youngchan said, turning back momentarily.
“Maybe you can find it in you somewhere.”
Youngchan made a thoughtful show of a hum before retorting quickly, “Hm, no.”
Hyunwoo huffed and grumbled, occasionally reaching out to Yoona who was slowly but steadily slowing down, her noises of interest becoming more of jumbled mumble. Both Hyunwoo and Youngchan noted her exhaustion and let out matching sounds of defeat.
“Should we just quickly grab some McD*nald’s and get going?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, you happy to wait here while I grab the food or do you want me to?”
“I’ll chill with Yoona, thanks.”
Youngchan rolled his eyes but nodded, reaching the counter and ordering their usual, returning to the pair in short time.
Hyunwoo had splayed out into a chair by the time he’d returned and was poking at Yoona’s cheek occasionally making the girl burst into giggles with each poke. He rolled his eyes, endeared but a little disappointed by how easy she was to please.
“Yoona, it’s important to play hard to get as well, that way you can get more out of people,” Youngchan told her wisely as he joined them.
“Oi, the hell are you teaching her?”
“Important life lessons, Yuri would be telling her the same.”
“Now you can’t possibly think Yuri is a good influence on a baby.”
Youngchan narrowed his eyes but reluctantly allowed it, agreeing that she was probably better to save for when Yoona was a teenager.
“Anyways, let’s be quick about this.”
Before long, Youngchan finished his own wrap, plopping the rubbish onto their tray and took a sip of Hyunwoo’s coke.
Too occupied with eating, Hyunwoo made only an obligatory level of protest before Youngchan was already wiping his mouth clean and turning to Yoona.
His eyes scanned her over and noticed the drool pooling at her chin and dabbed at Yoona’s mouth with her bib, before facing Hyunwoo once more. Hyunwoo took his final bite, stuffing the burger into his mouth with the tips of his fingers just as Youngchan grabbed the remaining napkin, dabbing at Hyunwoo’s mouth as well, the man offering his face up to him to make the gesture easier.
“Thank you,” he said around a mouthful. Youngchan rolled his eyes and pulled Hyunwoo’s hand out and used the clean section of the napkin to wipe at his fingers as well. He tossed the used napkin onto their tray and grabbed the burger wrapping with it, gathering their rubbish, casually making his way to dispose of it.
When he returned, he was met with the perplexing sight of a pretty pair of women standing before Hyunwoo with adoring expressions towards Yoona and…dare he say it, flirty eyes at Hyunwoo.
Youngchan took determined steps towards them, intent on interrupting the scene.
‘How dare Hyunwoo pull that kinda shit using Yoona.’
“It must be hard looking after her all by yourself,” the girl with short hair said in an overly sweet tone, putting her hand onto Hyunwoo’s shoulder.
“Yeah, we wouldn’t mind lending you a hand,” the other one leant in closer, voice dropping slightly.
“Oh, no–”
“–Am I interrupting," Youngchan cut in with a blunt demand.
The two women stared at him in surprise, suddenly looking between the three of them.
Yoona had let out a happy giggle and reached out to him, Youngchan indulgently letting her grip his finger.
“Oh, Youngchan, this is Kim Sunhye and Park Nari, they wanted to say hi to little Yoona.” Hyunwoo told him with an obviously clueless smile.
Youngchan deflated all at once and heaved a defeated sigh. ‘Oh, right,’ he remembered, ‘Hyunwoo’s an oblivious idiot.’
“Godammit, Hyunwoo,” he mumbled and just grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him up onto his feet. Hyunwoo awkwardly stumbled to get the trolley into his hold once more, tossing an apologetic look the ladies’ way.
“We appreciate the offer,” Youngchan told them with a bland smile, “but we’ll be okay,” and pushed at Hyunwoo to get a move on.
“Oi, what’s your deal?”
“Shut up Hyunwoo. I can’t leave you alone for even a second.”
“What did I do?”
“It’s always the cute ones,” he heard one of the girls say.
“For what it’s worth, we didn’t know!”
“What are they talking about?”
Youngchan just pushed Hyunwoo onwards, not wanting to give the comments too much thought himself.
“Okay, this one?” Hyunwoo held up a matching green gingham set with patches of strawberries on it and then, “or this one?” he asked, holding up a brown gingham dress with a cute white collar thing with embroidery on it.
Youngchan leant over the handles and hung his head, heaving a sigh. Yoona, was blessedly asleep and he was just relieved that they’d managed to get everything else they needed before going to get her clothes considering the amount of time they’d now been stuck here.
“The brown one, she can wear any of her shoes with it.”
“But the green one is so cute, she’d be the prettiest at her, I don’t know, daycare.”
“What daycare Hyunwoo? We don’t know if they even take her to one.”
“You just don’t get it Youngchan.”
“Also, what’s with you and gingham?”
“Is that what that’s called? It’s cute.”
Youngchan rolled his eyes and sighed, “Just get them both.”
Hyunwoo stared at him blankly for a moment before laughing, “Thanks honey.”
“Yeah, yeah, princess.”
Hyunwoo scowled.
“You can get one more outfit and then we should get going, look at how much we’ve got. At least we have a baby seat now and won’t have to worry about catching the train.”
“You’re such a nag.”
“We’re not made of money, Hyunwoo. Did you forget what being poor was like?”
Hyunwoo’s excited expression faded and a hollowed out one took its place. It was almost sad enough that Youngchan felt a tiny bit bad.
“Too soon.”
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever, point stands dumbass, one more and then we have to get going. Yoona should be sleeping restfully at home. Not this half doze thing the poor baby’s doing.”
Hyunwoo, a little chastised, nodded in agreement and hurried his steps to browse through the remaining clothes.
Youngchan followed a few steps behind, leaning on the trolley as he went and watched Hyunwoo with a small, amused smile. Surprised, yet not, by his enthusiasm for this.
He should’ve figured with how much Hyunwoo secretly liked to spoil Tangy.
“Excuse me, I just wanted to say you guys make the cutest little family–”
“Oh no, we’re not–”
“No look, I totally understand. You’re both really admirable and I wish you the best. My partner and I have been going through the whole works and it’s been this long process that feels like it’s going nowhere. It’s just nice to see another couple like us.”
Youngchan closed his mouth with a pursed, grimace-cross-smile.
He couldn’t quite break it to the woman when she worded it like that.
“Um, thank you… I wish you both the best, okay. Don’t give up, it’s hard work but I think you'll make lovely parents, I’m sure.” Youngchan offered hesitantly.
The woman smiled brighter and began to pull out her phone and Youngchan suddenly felt his panic grow.
“Youngchan! What about this one?” Hyunwoo shook the dress in his hand pointedly.
Relieved, he turned to the woman with an apologetic smile to go with his words, “Sorry, duty calls,” and quickly made his way to Hyunwoo before she could ask for anything.
“Nice save,” Youngchan said, stepping in close to Hyunwoo, taking an unexpected momentary reprieve with their closeness.
Hyunwoo stared at him in mild surprise, an expression that felt like he was on the verge of rubbing together the two brain cells he had to form a thought.
“Show me?” Youngchan cut in.
“Huh? Oh yeah, um what about this one?” He pulled out a white and pink frilly set that felt as soft as it looked.
Youngchan nodded in approval, smiled at him pleased, “That’s cute and a little casual and seems soft enough for her too. I like it, good job.”
“Well… good.”
Youngchan raised an eyebrow and Hyunwoo huffed, “Let’s go. I guess we have enough clothes for her,” and began tugging the end of their trolley.
Youngchan almost missed the dusting of red on the tips of his ear and wondered what had gotten Hyunwoo flustered.
He shook his head smiling but kept quiet and followed along.
With the way Hyunwoo was moving, it would seem like he was the one that had been telling them that they needed to hurry.
it was just as they were finishing up checking out that Yoona woke up, full blown crying. Panicked, Hyunwoo looked to him for direction. Youngchan, in the middle of paying for their things, looked between everything in stupor before finally speaking.
“Uh check her nappy.”
Hyunwoo took her out of the baby seat and checked, “She’s fine”
“Um,” Youngchan faced the cashier, an older man with a bland face, “sorry, just give me a moment.”
“Take your time.”
Youngchan adjusted his phone and got his paywave ready, he closed his eyes in an effort to run through what could be bothering Yoona, “Find her bottle and see if she wants some food,” and finished handing over their final item.
He heard the distant rifling of things under the sounds of Yoona cries that were only growing louder.
“She doesn’t want it!” Hyunwoo told him, his voice growing more and more distressed.
Youngchan could feel his own stress rising in response to their panic.
“Okay okay, just hold her close. Oh right, my bad, my bad. I forgot to burp her after feeding, try to– try to burp her.”
“How do I do that?” The sound Hyunwoo made was close to a wail that Youngchan couldn’t but let out an disbelieving huff of a laugh and forced himself to relax.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Youngchan turned to Hyunwoo reassuringly and held his hand out for him to pass Yoona over. Hyunwoo couldn’t hand her off quick enough and Youngchan gave a moment to give him a soothing smile as well before he continued to reassure Yoona with soft little hushes and ‘it’s okay’s’.
“Is she okay?” Hyunwoo asked with worry.
“She will be, take my phone and pay,” and began bouncing lightly. “Wait before that, there’s a bib in my back packet, grab it out.”
Hyunwoo quickly reached behind him before he could continue, hand stroking over his ass in search. Youngchan pursed his lips, gritting his teeth, he bit out, “Not that one. If you just gave a minute to finish talking you little–”
“Ugh gross!”
“I should be saying that!” Hyunwoo reached behind and into the other pocket and pulled it out, holding it out to him with the tips of his fingers. “You’re such a dick, hang it over my shoulder asshole. Pay for the stuff.”
Hyunwoo draped the bib over his shoulder and Youngchan rubbed Yoona’s back soothingly, paying half a mind to the conversation between Hyunwoo and the cashier.
“You’re doing great. The first time parent gig is pretty rough.”
At the words, Yoona let out a burp and vomited a little spurt onto the bib. He felt his soul leave his body.
“Do we seriously look old enough to be parents?!” Hyunwoo exclaimed hysterically.
“Jeez, relax kid!” The man said gruffly, “You were buying all this crap so I thought–“
Youngchan, suddenly offended, “Hey! Don’t talk to him like that.”
Hyunwoo had been stressed enough as is, Youngchan now had upchuck over him and he just lost a stupid amount of money.
The old man stared at the pair disbelievingly, Yoona’s cries having come to a simmer as she turned to face the man as well.
“Jesus, fucking kids these days.”
“Don’t swear in front of her! What is your problem old man?!”
“Get outta here!”
Hyunwoo and Youngchan stared at the man a moment longer, looking every bit offended.
“Customer service these days is something else.” The two of them shook their heads walking away and Yoona stuck out a finger in what could be seen as wagging if you tilted your head to the right and imagined very hard.
“Oi, get me her nappy bag, there should be a plastic bag I can put this bib away. Book us a taxi too, make yourself useful, jeez Hyunwoo.”
“Can’t you ever speak nicely to me.”
“Can’t you ever not do anything without me having to ask you?!”
Their argument continued and faded into the distance, the cashier left staring after them with a hand to his neck, red-faced and a vein at his forehead looking like it was about to burst.