Blog

It was Jin’s day off.  Normally he would be happy to have a day off, but it was summer, so all the boys were home.  Not that he didn’t love his boys, they just could be a rowdy bunch sometimes.  Thankfully his father had offered to take Namjoon and the younger twins to the museum today, so Jin only had to take care of Hobi and Kookie today.

Jin set Kookie on the living room floor, fixing him with his bunny and his shape cube.  Hobi was sitting on the couch re-watching all the Avengers movies.

“Hobi, keep an eye on Kookie.  I need to go get Tae and Jimin up.”

“Ok.”

When Jin got to the toddler’s room, he found Jimin wide awake and going through his clothes to find an outfit for the day.  Tae was still sound asleep on their makeshift king-sized bed.  It was actually two twin-sized beds shoved together, but it worked.

“Tae, it’s time to get up.” Jin shook Tae gently.  A groan was all he got in response as Tae burrowed himself deeper into the covers.

“C’mon, Tae.  You need to get up.  Grandpa Yoonie is picking you guys up to take you to the museum in an hour.”

“Nuu…wan’ sleep…”

Jin sighed.  He supposed he’d deal with Tae in a minute.  He needed to get Jimin out of his diaper and help him get dressed, anyways.

Once Jimin was completely changed and had his shoes on, Jin tried to wake Tae again.  Tae simply swatted at Jin’s hand every time he shook him.  Jin concluded that Tae must not be feeling well if he was giving this much of a fight in getting up.  He loved museums.  And despite being a deep sleeper, he was never this hard to wake up.

Jin scooped Tae out of the bed.  Even if he was staying home, he needed his diaper changed.  Tae fussed a bit, but willingly leaned his head on Jin’s shoulder as Jin took him to the changing table.

Once Tae’s diaper had been changed, Jin slipped his hand onto Tae’s tummy.  He definitely felt warm.  Jin felt Tae’s forehead.  But it might have been because he had been squished up against his pillow and mattress all night.  Jin pulled the ear thermometer out and stuck it in Tae’s ear.

“No…Appa…” Tae whined, clearly not liking the sensation of the thermometer in his ear.

“Shh, it’s ok.  I just need to take your temperature, Tae-Tae.”

Tae pouted but put up no fight.  When the thermometer beeped, Jin pulled it out of Tae’s ear.  102.  Oh, yeah.  He definitely had a fever.  Jin sighed.

“Looks like you’re staying home today.”

Jin scooped Tae off the table.

“Wan’ blankie…” Tae sniffed, burying his face in Jin’s neck.

Jin headed back to the bed, pulling Tae’s blanket off of it.  He handed it to Tae, helping him drape it over his shoulders.

“Do you want your paci too?”

Tae nodded.  Jin fished the pacifier out of the covers and slipped it into Tae’s awaiting mouth.  Then he headed out to the living room to check on the other boys, Tae still tucked into his shoulder.  Namjoon was now up and in the kitchen helping Jimin make toast, and Hobi was sitting on the floor playing with Kookie.  Kookie looked up when they entered the room.  He grinned, effectively making his top lip disappear.  Then he pushed himself off the ground and waddled over to Jin, holding his arms up.

“Up!  Up!”

Jin smiled and bent down a bit to scoop up the small boy.  As soon as Kookie was in Jin’s arms, he leaned over to Tae.

“Tae-Tae sleep?” Kookie asked, his eyes wide.

“Tae-Tae doesn’t feel good, baby.  He’s tired.”

“Ohhh.” Kookie looked up at Jin with wide eyes.  Then he blabbered some incoherent nonsense, clearly trying to say something but not knowing how to say it quite yet.  Then he glanced back over at Tae.  He reached out and pulled Tae’s pacifier from his mouth, making Tae start crying.  Kookie looked up at Jin, his tiny mouth forming a pout.  He was clearly distressed about making his brother upset but didn’t know how to fix it.

“Kookie, that’s Tae-Tae’s pacifier.  Can you give it back to him, please?”

Kookie reached out towards Tae again, this time trying to put the pacifier back in his mouth.  Eventually the pacifier made its way into Tae’s mouth, silencing the small boy as he started to suck on it again.

“Good boy, Kookie.” Jin kissed Kookie on the forehead, making him grin again.

It was then that Jin realized that Jimin was standing at his feet.

“Why Tae-Tae crying?” Jimin asked, his eyes wide.

“Tae-Tae isn’t feeling good and Kookie took his pacifier from him.”

“Oh.” Jimin pouted. “So Tae-Tae not go to museum with us?”

“No, Tae-Tae isn’t going to the museum with you.  I’m sorry, baby.”

“Jimin!  Your toast is ready!” Namjoon exclaimed from the kitchen.  Jimin waddled back to the kitchen to get his toast upon hearing that.  Jin was glad Namjoon was taking care of Jimin’s breakfast.  It made the morning slightly easier on his part.

“Kookie, can you go play with Hobi while Appa gets breakfast ready?”

Kookie looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded. “Down!  Down!”

Jin set Kookie down, watching as he waddled back to Hobi.  Then Jin headed out to the kitchen.  Namjoon looked up from his bowl of cereal.

“Is Tae not feeling well?”

Jin shook his head. “He has a fever.”

Namjoon frowned. “Man!  He was really looking forward to today.”

Jin glanced down at Tae and then back up at Namjoon. “Please don’t remind him about it.  I don’t want him throwing a fit later because he didn’t get to go.”

Namjoon nodded. “Ok, Appa.”

Jin turned his attention back to Tae. “Do you want some peanut butter toast, Tae?”

Tae nodded his head slowly, sniffing as his tears dried.

“All right.”

Jin single-handedly pulled the bread out, popping a piece into the toaster.  Then he grabbed a banana from the counter and pulled out a knife.  He quickly cut it up and put it on a plastic plate for Kookie.  Then he took it out to him.

“Kookie, you want a banana?”

“Oh?  Nana?” Kookie grinned and wandered over to the table where Jin had put the banana.  He grabbed a piece and shoved it into his mouth, giggling.  He held a piece up to Jin. “Nana!”

“Yep, eat your banana, Kookie.  Then you can play with Hobi again, ok?”

“O…k!”

Jin smiled and took Tae back to the kitchen where his toast now waited in the toaster.  Jin pulled it out and took the peanut butter jar from the cabinet before spreading peanut butter on Tae’s toast.  Then he returned the jar to the cabinet and finally sat at the table.

“Ok, bub.  Do you want a bite of toast?”

Tae nodded, sitting up a bit and pulling his pacifier from his mouth.  Jin picked up the piece of toast and held it up to Tae’s mouth.  Tae took a cautious bite and chewed it slowly before swallowing it.  He repeated this process a few more times before settling back against Jin and sticking his pacifier back in mouth.

“You full?”

Tae nodded.

“All right.” Jin picked up the plate and stood up, adjusting Tae on his hip before heading over to the trashcan to dump the remainder of the toast.  He put the plate on the counter and headed out to the living room.  Jimin had finished his toast a few minutes before and was sitting on the floor attempting to help Kookie put the shaped blocks into his shape cube.

Jin was about to settle himself on the couch when he heard a soft knock at the door.  He knew it was his dad just from how quiet it was.  He went to answer the door.  Yoongi stepped into the house a moment later.

“Tae isn’t feeling well today, so he won’t be coming with you guys,” Jin informed Yoongi nearly the second he was in the house.  Yoongi frowned.

“All right.  I guess we’ll just have to bring him back a souvenir.” He touched Tae’s cheek briefly. “Feel better, baby.”

Tae only reacted slightly to the touch, shifting a bit before settling against Jin’s shoulder again.

“Jimin!  Namjoon!  Are you two ready to go?”

Jimin was at his feet almost immediately, holding up his stuffed elephant to Jin. “Mr. Phanta is ready to go too!” Then he looked down at the stuffed animal in his hand and made a trumpeting sound with his lips. “Mr. Phanta cited to go to museum!”

Yoongi scooped Jimin up suddenly. “Mr. Phanta is excited to go to the museum, but are you?”

“Yeah!” Jimin exclaimed, grinning.

A moment later, Namjoon materialized at the door, his bag in hand. “I’m ready to go now!”

“Ok, let’s go then.  The sooner we get to the museum, the better.” Yoongi smiled.  Then he turned around and headed out the door, Namjoon trailing behind them.

“Bye, boys!” Jin called after them. “Say bye, Tae-Tae.”

“Bye-bye,” Tae mumbled, Namjoon’s goodbye drowning it out.

A moment later Jin was plopped on the couch, Tae cuddled up in his lap.  Kookie waddled over to them, holding up a purple, cube-shaped block.

“Is scare!” He exclaimed, grinning excitedly.

“Yes, it’s a square, Kookie.  Good job.”

Kookie seemed content with that response, waddling back to the shape cube and squatting down, babbling to himself as he tried to shove the cube through the triangle-shaped hole.

“Appa…wan’ sleep…” Tae mumbled into Jin’s chest.

“Do you want to go snuggle in my room?”

Tae nodded.  Jin stood up, securing his arms under Tae so he didn’t drop him.

“Hobi, we’ll be in my room, ok?”

“Ok.”

Jin headed out to the kitchen to get Tae’s sippy cup.  He filled it up and then headed back to his room, setting the sippy cup on the nightstand.  Then he slipped into bed and settled Tae on his chest as he pulled the blankets over them.  Tae cuddled into his chest, contentedly sucking on his pacifier as he slowly fell asleep.

“Sweet dreams, Tae-Tae.”

——————–

“Appa!  Appa!”

Jin roused slightly as Kookie stood next to his bed calling his name.

“Hmm…what is it, baby?”

“Trigle!” Kookie held up a green triangle-shaped block.

“Yes, yes.  It’s a triangle.  Good, Kookie.”

Kookie smiled.  Jin glanced up at the nightstand where Tae’s empty sippy cup sat.  He’d woken up a half an hour before, parched, and downed the entire thing.  Then he had passed out again.

“Kookie,” Jin pulled the cup off the nightstand and held it out to the tiny tot. “Can you take this out to Seokie and ask him to fill it with more water?”

“Yeah!” Kookie took the cup from Jin, waddling back to the door excited to be on a mission.  He returned a few minutes later, the sippy cup now filled.

“Have wawa!” Kookie exclaimed, holding the cup out to Jin.

Jin accepted the cup. “Thank you, baby.”

“Welcome!” Then he was waddling out the door again, leaving the room silent.

A few minutes later, Tae awoke.  It wasn’t pleasant, though.  He woke up whining.

“Need diaper change, Appa.”

Yep.  This was what happened when you drank a whole cup of water right before sleeping.  Jin climbed out of bed, picking up Tae’s pacifier from where it had fallen out of his mouth.  He slipped it back into Tae’s mouth as they headed down the hall to his room.  Moments later, Tae was in a new diaper.  Jin decided he should check Tae’s temperature again.  And Tae was whining again as Jin stuck the thermometer in his ear.

“Don’ like it!”

“Baby, I need to check your temperature.  It’ll be over in a minute.”

Tae grumbled, kicking his legs slightly out of restlessness.  A moment later the thermometer was out of his ear.

“Thank goodness, it’s gone down.” It was only 100 this time.

Jin sat Tae up on the table.

“Do you want some pants?”

Tae nodded. “Wan’ Pororo pajamas!”

Jin smiled. “All right.  I’ll go find them.  Stay here.”

It took him only a minute to find them, and he was back at the changing table tugging the shirt Tae was currently wearing over his head.  Once it was off, Jin slipped his into his Pororo pajamas.  Then he scooped him up off the table.

“Can have tiger?”

Jin went and gathered Tae’s stuffed tiger off the bed, delivering it into his outstretched arms.

“Ok.  Sleep time now.” Tae buried his face in Jin’s neck again, making Jin chuckle.

“You want to go back to bed?”

Tae nodded, his hair brushing Jin’s chin slightly.  But Jin made his way out to the living room first.

“Ok, Kookie, it’s nap time.”

“Oh?” Kookie looked up at Jin with wide eyes. “No, no.  Not nap.”

“Yes, nap.  It’s nap time.  You can play later.”

“Nuuuuuu.  Play!”

“Kookie…”

Kookie’s bottom lip quivered, right before he burst into tears.  Jin sighed and bent down to collect the crying Kookie in his empty arm.  He asked Hobi to clean up the toys before he watched anything on the TV.  Then Jin headed to his room, one tired boy and one crying boy in his arms.  He set Tae in the bed, pulling the covers over him before he changed Kookie and found his pacifier.  Once he had calmed Kookie down, the two of them slipped into bed with Tae, who was already sound asleep.  He pulled Tae up into his left side as he tucked Kookie into his right.

“Time to sleep, Kookie.  See?  Tae-Tae is already asleep.” Jin whispered into Kookie’s hair. “We need to be quiet and go to sleep so we don’t wake him up, ok?”

“Ok…” Kookie whispered around his pacifier, his eyes fluttering shut.

Jin smiled. “Sweet dreams, baby.”