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Jin wasn’t sure how he’d ended up in this situation.  Hobi and Namjoon had come home from school a couple days ago begging Jin to let their friends stay the night tonight to celebrate the start of summer break.  Jin didn’t know how to deny them, so now he had five boys he didn’t know piled on his couch watching Avengers while he made multiple bowls of popcorn and Tae complained that he couldn’t watch Pororo.  Kookie kept trying to grab a piece of popcorn out of the bowl.  Jin had to keep a close eye on him while he made the popcorn so that he didn’t choke to death on a piece of popcorn.  Jimin was sitting at the table eating his jelly sandwich and squirting the excess jelly all over his plate as he took enormous bites.

“Appaaaa I wanna watch Pororooooo.” Tae informed Jin for the umpteenth time in the past ten minutes.

“Tae, I told you.  Once I’m done making the popcorn we can go to my bedroom and make a pillow fort and watch Pororo.”

Tae pouted. “Why Juju and Seok get TV?  Have own TV.”

“I know, but Juju and Seok have friends over so they get to use the TV in the living room right now.”

Tae’s lips stayed in a pout. “Can have popcorn?”

“Sure, baby.  Go get a bowl for me to put in, ok?”

Tae climbed down from his tall chair at the island and waddled over to the set of plastic drawers that held all their plastic dishes.  He pulled out a purple bowl and wandered over to Jin, holding up the bowl to him.  Jin took the bowl and filled it with popcorn before returning it to the tiny tot.

“Why don’t you go to my room and start gathering pillows for the pillow fort?  You can ask Minnie to help you when he’s done eating.” Jin suggested, grabbing Kookie’s hand to keep it out of the popcorn bowl.

Tae instantly brightened. “Ok!”

Tae quickly wandered out of the kitchen, stopping momentarily in the living room and glancing at the TV.  Jin heard Hobi tell Tae he wouldn’t like the movie and to continue to the bedroom.  Tae, thankfully, listened and continued to waddle down the hall to Jin’s room.

A few minutes later, Jin decided he had made enough popcorn for all of them and took a large bowl for himself and the little boys.  Kookie reached his tiny hand into the bowl again in another attempt to grab a piece of popcorn.  Once again, Jin pulled his hand back.

“Minnie, are you done with your sandwich?”

Jimin mumbled a yes around the large bite of sandwich in his mouth and held up his empty plate.  Jin chuckled.

“All right.  Put your plate on the counter and go wash your hands.  Tae is getting us pillows and blankets to build a blanket fort with.  Come to my bedroom when your hands are clean, ok?”

“Ok!” Was Jimin’s muffled response.

Jin headed back to his room after informing the boys gathered in his living room that there was more popcorn in the kitchen.  Tae was piling pillows and blankets on the bed.  Jin unstrapped Kookie and put him on the bed.

“Do we have enough pillows, Tae?”

“No…not find enough pillows.”

Kookie crawled over to the pile of pillows and grabbed at the pillow on the top.

“No, Kookie!  Don’t take pillows!”

Kookie looked up at Tae with wide eyes.  His lip wobbled before he burst into tears.  Tae’s eyes widened.

“No, no, Kookie, no cry!  I sorry!” Tears started to spill down Tae’s face.

Jin scooped Kookie up. “Kookie don’t cry, it’s ok.”

Kookie sniffled and buried his face in Jin’s chest, instantly calming down.  Jin held his arm out to Tae.  Tae crawled into his arm and snuggled into his shoulder.

“I sorry…”

“Don’t apologize, Tae.  You didn’t do anything wrong.  Kookie was just surprised.”

Jimin came running in a minute later. “Make blanket fort now!”

Jin smiled. “Close the door, baby.  Then we can make the fort and watch Pororo.”

Jimin turned around and pushed the door shut before climbing up the small staircase attached to the bed.  Jin had built it for the boys to be able to get up to the bed easily.

“Make pillow fort now?” Tae asked excitedly.

“Yes, we can make the pillow fort now.”

——————–

Jin had overseen Tae and Jimin making the pillow fort.  Then they all settled in it, Tae and Jimin cramming their hands into the popcorn bowl as Jin turned on Pororo.

An hour later, Jin slipped out of bed, setting a sleeping Kookie down on the bed in between the twins before heading out to the living room.

“All right, time to turn the TV off, boys.” Jin announced to the group of 10-year-olds congregated in his living room.  It was shocking how fast the TV was off a moment later. “You guys can stay up and talk if you want, but I want you all asleep by 1 am, ok?”

“Ok, Appa.” Hobi replied.

Once Jin had cleaned the kitchen a bit, he joined his younger boys back in bed.

“Time to go to sleep, you two.” Jin whispered to Tae and Jimin after he had situated himself back in bed and placed Kookie on his chest.

“Don’ wan’ sleep, Appa.” Tae mumbled softly into Jin’s arm.

“You’re sleepy, Tae.  It’s time to sleep.”

Tae was already half asleep, all thoughts of fighting to stay awake quickly fleeing.  Jin glanced over at Jimin.  He was fighting his sleep, blinking his eyes rapidly as he stared at the TV screen.  It wasn’t long before Tae was sound asleep, his breath coming out in little puffs of air.  Jimin was nodding off as well, his eyes closing for a few seconds every time he blinked.  Jin turned the TV off, deciding he would probably also be asleep by the time Jimin was asleep.  Slowly Jimin followed his brothers into dreamland, cuddling up into Jin’s side.  Jin smiled down at him.

“Goodnight, boys.  Sweet dreams.”