Little: Shota
Caregivers: P1Harmony
No one's POV.:
Shota had secretly been a little for a while already and although he had the reputation of being the weird kid, he had no desire to tell his group for the fear they would think less of him. He already felt like the odd one out, so rather not alienate himself further. What the members didn't know was that he had actually been little in their presence a handful of times already but had always managed to play it off well. Since he sometimes stopped communicating verbally, it was easy for his little-self to just go even quieter than usual and maybe a tiny bit clingier towards Keeho. The boy loved how his hyung played along with all of his shenanigans and remained patient despite the growing frustration over not understanding what he wanted. If Shota ever fantasized about having a caregiver, he'd most definitely wish for someone like Keeho but that was all it ever was, a fantasy.
The group had just completed their most recent comeback and although Shota was physically exhausted from not getting close to enough sleep and dancing like there was no tomorrow, the mental exhaustion hit much harder. He was no stranger to the occasional bouts of homesickness but for some reason, it was so much worse this time. This time, Shota felt like he couldn't breathe, like he was lost in a world he didn't know and didn't belong in. A world so big for someone so small. That realization made him feel so incredibly tiny, he barely even noticed how he slipped into his headspace as he lay awake completely overwhelmed.
Jongseob woke up to quiet, heartbroken sobs and worriedly got out of bed. Remembering that Shota had been really quiet the evening before, the maknae was convinced something had been wrong with his friend all day and now that everyone was asleep, the other didn't need to hold it together anymore. Jongseob slowly made his way over in the dark and laid down alongside Shota, hugging the older tight. Sometimes words weren't all that necessary because the two understood each other on a different level.
A sad smile tugged at Jongseob's lips when Shota rolled over and buried his face in his chest. Running his fingers through the other's hair, the maknae whispered: "Do you want to talk about it? We could go to the living room and have some twin-time." The little gave sad sniffle. Those were too many Korean words at once. He didn't know what Jongseob wanted from him, so he only cuddled closer, clutching the other's t-shirt to keep him from pulling away. Realizing that it apparently wasn't the right time for words, the maknae held Shota closer and promised: "I'm here."
At some point, both of them must've fallen asleep again because when Jongseob woke up, he found Shota curled up with his thumb between his lips. There were dried tear tracks on his cheeks and his eyelids were swollen but for now he seemed peaceful. Why was he suckling on his thumb though? As far as Jongseob was concerned, Shota had never done that before, so what had happened the previous night?
"Good morning", Taeyang yawed when he realized the maknae was awake too. Jongseob smiled at the oldest, whispering: "Shota's still asleep, so I can't really get up." Cooing, Taeyang got out of bed and finally got a look at the sleeping boy's face. "Cute", he chuckled, "Didn't know he sucked his thumb though." – "Yeah, first time I noticed it too", Jongseob hummed, petting Shota's hair, "He was really upset last night. We cuddled because I woke up to him crying. I don't know why though because he wouldn't talk to me and when I woke up, he was like this, so I don't know if it has something to do with that." Frowning, Taeyang took in the puffy face and whispered: "Maybe he's exhausted from the comeback, so it's a good thing we have some time off to just rest and recuperate."
While the oldest got up, Jongseob didn't really want to leave Shota alone, so he decided to stay for more cuddles while the other slept in. Hopefully he'd feel a little better when he woke up. Little did the maknae know that although Shota felt better, he still felt just as small as he had felt the previous night.
Shota whined softly when he woke up, sluggishly removing his thumb from his lips. "Good morning, sleepy head", Jongseob whispered, tucking the other's hair out of his face, "Are you feeling okay?" Sitting up, Shota tilted his head and looked at him with big innocent eyes. His eyes felt sore and he tiredly rubbed at them with his fists before pouting at Jongseob. "Do you want to go wash your face? You might feel more like yourself if you do", the maknae hummed, his heart aching at the sight of the dried tear tracks. Still not getting a reply, he got out of bed and held his hand out for Shota to take. The little was still mostly clueless as to what his friend wanted but took his hand and waddled along.
As they passed the other bedroom though, Shota stopped and didn't take another step when Jongseob tugged on his hand. Maybe it was because he had slipped younger than usual or because he was too tired to worry about the consequences but no matter the reason, he really wanted Keeho right now. The maknae gave him a questioning look, so Shota pointed at the door. When Jongseob nodded, giving him permission to go ahead, the little slowly opened the door and glanced inside. His eyes welled up with tears when he realized Keeho's bed was empty, the leader nowhere to be seen. Surprised at the reaction, Jongseob placed a hand on Shota's back and whispered: "Were you looking for Keeho-hyung? Should we check the living room?" The only response was a soft hiccup as the first tears spilled down the little's cheeks, so he quickly pulled the other to the living room.
Keeho had been sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone when Shota threw himself at him. Though surprised, he wrapped his arms around the younger and looked up at Jongseob, wondering: "Good morning, guys. What's this about?" – "No idea, hyung", the maknae muttered, "He was acting weird since last night. I think he was looking for you and started to cry when you weren't in bed like he thought you were." Squeezing Shota in a hug, Keeho hummed: "You okay? What do you need?" With a quiet sob, the little buried his face in Keeho's shoulder, his hands gripping the leader's shirt tightly.
"You said he was acting weird... Weird how?", Keeho asked worriedly, seeing as he wouldn't get a reply from Shota himself. Jongseob made eye contact with Taeyang, who sat on the other side of the couch. Neither of them wanted to bring up the boy's thumb sucking, afraid of embarrassing him. They didn't have to though as Shota had already started to suckle on the collar of Keeho's shirt. The leader's eyes widened when he noticed and he carefully pulled away. Cupping his dongsaeng's face, he brushed away the little's tears and asked slowly: "How old are you, Shota?" The boy needed a moment, mulling the words over in his head to make sure he had understood them correctly. Eventually, Shota held up two fingers, giving a soft sniffle as he waited for the others' reactions.
"Good job", Keeho praised, ruffling the little's head, "Were you scared?" After a moment of hesitation Shota nodded before cuddling back into his hyung's embrace. Looking up, Keeho noticed the others' confusion and explained: "As I just realized, Shota's a little. He regresses into a younger mindset. I don't know his reasons but I had a friend in high school who slipped to deal with anxiety and stress, that's why I know what it is. Shota feels quite young right now, only two years old, so we should treat him accordingly and talk about it once he comes out of his headspace." – "Well, that explains why he was sucking his thumb last night", Taeyang noted, unsure of what to do with his new-found knowledge. He was glad that Keeho seemed unfazed though, so the leader would hopefully be able to handle the situation.
When Jiung and Intak joined them, Keeho gave a more detailed explanation, so they'd all be able to care for Shota, who seemed to have permanently attached himself to the leader's side. Problems arose when Keeho had to use the bathroom and his dongsaeng didn't want to let go of him but Jongseob had adjusted to their situation pretty quick and opened his arms for his friend. Shota shyly crawled into the maknae's lap and hid his face from the rest of the group. The attention made him uncomfortable. Why were they all looking at him? "Do you want me to take him? Keeho and I already had breakfast, so why don't the three of you eat something, while we figure out what the baby can eat?", Taeyang offered, stroking Shota's back. The little whined softly when he was passed from Jongseob to Taeyang but the oldest shushed him, tracing shapes on his back.
Jiung, Intak and Jongseob had just started to eat when Keeho returned with a warm washcloth, humming: "Shota, hey. Can hyung clean your face? Your eyes are all sticky, hm? Can you look at hyung please?" Though Shota couldn't understand the meaning of the leader's words, he liked the voice and looked up at him. Lightly grabbing the little's chin, Keeho cleaned the boy's puffy eyes and wiped the tear tracks off his cheeks. "There, all clean", the leader smiled, pinching Shota's cheek.
"I laid out some food in the kitchen", Jiung announced when he returned after his breakfast, "Figured we can just have him pick something out if he can't communicate what he wanted to eat." – "Good idea", Keeho agreed, watching the other approach Shota. Offering the younger his hand, Jiung smiled: "Are you hungry?" When the boy looked at him confused, he repeated: "Hungry?" Shota nodded and made grabby hands at him. Though a bit nervous, Jiung picked the younger up and carried him to the kitchen, where he placed him onto the counter. They had fruits and veggies lined up on the counter, along with cereal and toast, so Shota would have enough options.
It didn't go as planned though as the boy only sat there, looking at Jiung expectantly. The older instructed him to pick something but it didn't seem Shota understood. Jongseob was usually best at guessing what Shota wanted or was trying to say but he wasn't there right now, having gone back to their shared room to fetch a plushie they could entertain the little with. Having turned his head to look over his shoulder at the other members for help, Jiung startled when his dongsaeng squealed: "Tato!" – "Oh my god, did the baby just talk?", Keeho called from the living room. Having spotted a potato amongst the veggies, Shota had picked it right up. When Jiung looked back at him, the little had sunken his teeth into the raw potato, wrinkling his face in disgust. "No, baby!", the older gasped, "We still need to cook it." Keeho was just making his way over to them when a potato whizzed past his head. A bit shaken the leader walked up to Shota, who was sticking his tongue out, still disgusted by the starchy taste.
"Ah ah, we don't throw stuff", Keeho scolded, as he stood between Shota's legs. The younger pouted at him, feeling betrayed that his food had tasted nothing like he had been expecting. Quickly putting away the remaining food, so the little wouldn't mess with it, Jiung requested: "Can you keep him busy for a bit? I'll make some mashed potatoes." – "Yeah, we got him", Keeho smiled, picking his dongsaeng up, "Thank you, Jiung." Carrying Shota back to the living room, the leader announced: "Here's a bored baby potato."
Jongseob was quick to hand Shota his plushie and smiled, when the little snuggled it to his chest. Now that he grew more comfortable with the members, not having to fear how they might react to his little-side, Shota became more vocal. He didn't speak, not confident in his language skills and still struggling to understand when the members spoke too fast but he started to make noises. A lot of them. It was quite endearing how he interacted, babbling, whining, squealing and giggling. He could communicate even if it wasn't exactly how one would expect, he could still convey what he felt and his excitement was obvious when Jiung eventually joined them, carrying a steaming bowl of mashed potatoes. They had a hard time keeping Shota still as they waited for the food to cool down enough, Jiung blowing on it in hopes of cooling it faster. Keeho held the boy in his lap, arms wrapped around his waist, so he wouldn't fall off as he tried to reach for the food in Jiung's hands. Taeyang and Jongseob sat on either side of their leader, holding Shota's hands because he had tried to reach his hand into the bowl of mashed potatoes. Laughing at the other's struggle, Intak disappeared to the bathroom and fetched a towel to cover Shota's lap with, so he wouldn't make a complete mess of his clothes while being fed.
Sure, their first day of caring for their regressed member was a little chaotic but all in all, Keeho was satisfied with how his group handled it, especially considering that none of the others had known what littlespace was in the first place. They were kind of used to odd forms of communication, which might have made it a little easier. They did love their baby potato though, his little quirks only making him cuter.