Handle My Kids With Care

Epilogue 2

"I'd take it from you," Hyunjin abruptly stated, and everyone turned to look at him, stopping from eating their food.

"Take what?"

"I'd take Dad's insomnia so I can finally stay awake for things." Hyunjin added, and Chan stared at his son.

"Who said anything about me having insomnia?"

"It's pretty obvious. Plus we've heard you walking around at night." Chan sighed, upset at himself for letting his kids find a weakness.

"I'd trade your fear of heights for my fear of water. It would be so much easier and predictable to avoid than oh shoot, it's raining and the weatherman lied." Felix joined in, and Seungmin gasped.

"I'll trade your bad knee for my useless legs. At least then I could walk again." The second youngest actually couldn't really remember how it all had happened, or what walking felt like since he had been so young. But he knew it was something he missed some days.

"M-Minnie." Jeongin spoke out, but his family members knew what he was trying to say. The problem with aphasia is your brain thinks you're speaking all the words you had formed, and you don't realize you weren't until someone points it out.

"You'd trade with me?" Jeongin nodded, opting to sign out the explanation.

"At least that way people could at least understand me." Seungmin reached under the table to grab the youngest's hand, squeezing it tightly in his own.

"If Hyunjin has my insomnia, I'd take the narcolepsy so I could actually sleep for once." Chan joined in, and Hyunjin snickered.

"Yeah, you'd sleep alright."

"Lix's water fear. I deal with fire all the time and the contrast amuses me." The twelve year old added, glancing over at his oldest hyung.

"Which would leave me with Jeongin's aphasia." Minho pointed out, not wanting to say that he wouldn't want to even consider trading places with his younger brother, but tried to find a positive.

"I know you don't want it. No one does." The maknae signed, and Minho's mind was now determined to find some sort of reason for him to say he'd trade.

"It wouldn't be awful. No one would suspect me for anything and I'd be the silent stalker." He gave his younger brother a quick smile across the table, and Hyunjin narrowed his eyes at Changbin.

"You've been quiet."

"Not much for me to say. There's nothing for me to trade off here. Not that anything's really getting exchanged." He leaned back in his chair, trying to make himself as small as possible. Even though he already was the smallest.

"How have you made it all these years without some sort of physical or mental trauma? Seriously." Jisung asked, and Chan sighed at his kid's antics.

"I wouldn't say I really have, though. I mean, we've all lost mom. That sucked. And I've had to deal with all of you and take care of you." He pointed out, and Felix leaned his head on his shoulder.

"Ah come on. You know you love us." Changbin sighed, but he couldn't stop the smile from forming on his lips.

"Yeah, yeah." The dinner table fell silent again as they all resumed eating, but Chan couldn't keep his mind off of what the boys had just done. They knew thinking of the possibilities of trading with each other was impossible, but it seemed like Hyunjin had been thinking of it for a while.

"You know, this is why I always told people to handle you all with care."

"Ah yes. Like the label on the boxes that says fragile, handle with care."