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Tae popped his little head up over the edge of the island as Jin decorated a small cake.  He was holding himself up as his feet clung to the side of the island.

“What makin’, Appa?”

“I’m making a cake for Kookie’s birthday, baby.”

“Oh?  Birfday?” Tae asked.

Jin chuckled at his pronunciation. “Yep.  Kookie is turning one today.”

“Ohhhhh.  Have eat cake tonight?”

“That’s right, we’re gonna eat cake tonight.”

Tae giggled and dropped down to the ground.  Then he ran out of the kitchen.  He returned a few moments later with Jimin on his heels.  This time two little heads popped up to greet Jin.

“Havin’ cake?” Jimin asked.

“Not yet, baby.  We’re eating it in an hour.”

“Oh.”

“Why don’t you two go play with your brothers?”

“Ok!” Tae exclaimed, climbing down once again.  Jimin followed suit and ran after him.

All was silent in the kitchen for a few minutes as Jin continued to decorate.  He wasn’t quite sure why he was putting so much effort into a birthday cake for someone who didn’t even know it was his birthday.

Then Kookie came crawling into the kitchen, the younger twins in tow.

“Kookie where going?” Tae asked as he attempted to pick the tiny boy up.

Kookie giggled and grabbed onto Jin’s leg, pulling himself up to stand.  He cooed happily and babbled incoherently for a few moments before Jin set the frosting bag down and picked him up.  Kookie giggled again and attempted to bend down to grab one of the frosting bags off the counter.  Jin pulled him back and chuckled.

“No, no, Kookie.”

Kookie pouted.  Jin smiled and booped his nose. “Weren’t your brothers supposed to be keeping an eye on the three of you?”

“Juju and Seokie play game!” Jimin exclaimed.

“Oh?” Jin followed the two small boys out to the living room, where Joonie and Hobi were seated on the couch.  Jin cleared his throat.  Joonie and Hobi both looked up at him.

“Didn’t I ask you to watch your brothers?” Jin glanced down at the floor. “And you need to help them clean too.  Grandpa Yoongi is supposed to be here in half an hour, and this floor is a disaster.  Turn off the Xbox.  You guys can play that after the little boys have gone to bed this evening.”

Surprisingly enough this earned Jin two polite responses of “yes, Appa” before the Xbox was turned off.

Once Jin was sure that the room was being cleaned up and the older twins weren’t going to start playing again, he headed back to the kitchen.

An hour later Kookie was seated in his highchair as Jin placed a small cake in front of him.  Jin didn’t even get any good pictures before Kookie had smashed his hand through the cake and smothered it all over his face.  He grinned up at Jin before shoving another fistful of cake into his mouth.

Tae popped his head up next to Kookie’s cake. “Is good, Kookie?”

Kookie giggled before throwing some cake in Tae’s face.  Tae simply swiped it off his face and put it in his mouth.

“Mmm!  Is good!”

“Can have cake now, Appa?” Jimin asked.

“Yes, we can have cake now.”

“Yay!” Jimin clapped and started dancing around the kitchen.

Soon enough, the cake was cut and Jin, Yoongi, and the two sets of twins were seated at the table eating while Kookie continued to toss cake around the room.

Eventually Jin had had enough of cake being thrown into his hair, so he took Kookie’s cake away.  Which resulted in the 1-year-old throwing a fit.  It was clearly bedtime.

Jin scooped Kookie up out of the highchair and took him to the bathroom to get him undressed.  Then he returned to the kitchen to get Tae and Jimin.

“Ok boys, it’s bath time.”

“No!  Don’t wanna bath!” Tae whined.

Jin sighed and scooped Tae up in his other arm. “Well you have to.  And then it’s bedtime.”

Jimin was already running down the hallway to the bathroom.  Jin followed him with his two cake-covered youngest children.  Once they were in the bathroom, Jin set Kookie next to the tub and tried to undress Tae.  Who put up a huge fight.  He kicked and screamed while Jin tried to take his shirt off.  And once that was off, he threw a fit about Jin taking his diaper off.  The pants had been easy enough.  But Tae did not want his diaper off.

Jin could tell Tae was very tired.  It was near the little boys’ bedtime and they’d had a long day after going to the zoo this morning.  Not to mention they’d missed nap time.

After Jin had wrestled Tae out of his diaper and gotten Kookie out of his, he bathed his three tired boys.  Then he dressed them all for bed.

“Appa…wanna cuddle tonight.” Tae sniffled as Jin tucked them into bed.  Kookie was sucking his pacifier and already half asleep on Jin’s shoulder.

Jin gently laid Kookie in the bed before laying down between the twins.  He had a feeling he’d spend the night here, but he didn’t mind.

And so they finished Kookie’s first birthday off by cuddling to sleep in the younger twins’ king-sized bed.