hyunjin was stressed.
it was about a week before the boys would be coming back with their new album, i am: you, and it's just been non stop practicing for all the members. of course, their break would be soon, but right now everyone was trying their best to perfect anything wrong while they had the chance.
the brunette never thought once about the fuzzy feeling in the back of his head that morning; he just shook it off as that aforementioned stress.
what he did take into consideration, though, was how during dance practice, his feet betrayed him. it was almost like they didn't want to listen.
chan obviously noticed this. he was the leader. while being so close to promotions, every little detail stood out to the producer, including the countless times hyunjin has messed up.
combing his fingers through his hair, chan sternly looked at the taller boy. "hyunjin,' he started off, clearly annoyed, " i don't know what's going on, but you need to get it together. promotions are literally a week away. we can't afford to fuck up because of footwork problems on your behalf."
everyone went silent, only sounds heard being the pants of the members from dancing so much into the late afternoon.
hyunjin, shocked and scared, stood in place with his eyes wide. the boy was clearly on the brink of tears as he was getting yelled at.
he was always a sensitive kid. a crybaby, perhaps. but no one had ever seen him cry of such a minimal mistake.
being too stressed for his own good, chan didn't catch on.
"seriously, hyunjin! it's not only today, but yesterday as well. and even the day before! what the hell is up with you?" he shouted, the australian's anger taking him over in the blink of an eye.
just from that, the teens lips wobbled and a single tear slipped down his cheek, followed by many more quickly.
"chan, that's enough. go calm down," woojin stepped in, his voice cold and rigorous.
the leader justed huffed and stormed out of the room, shortly followed by everyone else because they didn't want to get caught up in whatever was happening.
the prince-like boy was sobbing at this point, already backing himself up against a mirror and repeatedly slipping words between each cry.
woojin made his way over to the boy, his heart breaking with every step as he walked carefully and slowly so he wouldn't startle the younger.
"hyunjin," he spoke. his voice was gentle, hyunjin hearing his name being coated in sugary sweet honey coming from his hyung.
"jinnie sorry," he sobbed, nails digging into his palms and eyes wide and teary, "jinnie no mean to mess up. am sorry."
albeit a little confused from hyunjin's words, woojin wrapped his arms around the dancer's waist and stroked his hair, something he knew calmed the boy after knowing him for years.
"angel, you did nothing wrong. it's okay. you're just a little tired and stressed. we all are."
"b-but hyungie mwad and yelleds at jinnie," he cried out, sobs slowly dying down from just the presence of the older man.
"oh jinnie, sweetheart, he's not mad at you. channie has been just as stressed and he never meant to snap at you."
woojin never failed to make a member feel at peace, to feel like they were okay and loved. it was his secret power as the oldest member, apparently. even when jisung broke down crying a couple nights ago because, "everything is just too much, hyung," woojin being in the same room helped the rapper calm down. a secret power indeed.
"appa, jinnie sleepy," hyunjin sniffed, nose runny and face red from crying so much in a short period of time.
the nickname that slipped from the younger's lips startled the male, but he let it slide. they would talk about this in the morning, even though woojin already had a hint as to what was going on.
"let's go back to the dorms, jinnie. you can rest on my back while we walk," woojin whispered to the fragile kid, momentarily pulling away so hyunjin could clamber onto his back.
as soons as his head fell onto woojin's shoulder, his whole body seemed to become lax. woojin had to use most of his strength to hold the taller up.
when he walked out of the practice room, minho and changbin shot up from the floor where they sat waiting, the other members further down the hall helping chan calm down.
"is he okay?" the couple asked simultaneously, fingers intertwined and eyes blown in worry. the members were always overprotective of their jinnie because the boy was too sweet and sensitive for his own good.
"he's fine, just tired. we're going back to the dorms if you need anything. and tell chan he's not allowed to come back until he's calmed down." while speaking quietly, woojin's voice was still just as stern as before. he sounded more worried than angry, and it calmed the younger's hearts just a little.
the oldest heard a small "we will," from changbin as he walked out the back with hyunjin, taking all the shortcuts away from the public eye he knew before making it to the dorms and laying down on his own bed to sleep with the boy in his arms.
when hyunjin woke up from his nap he was more than embarrassed. he clearly knew what the fuzzy cloud in the back of his head was this morning. he knew he was close to slipping and that chan-hyung's yells made it happen. what he didn't know was how he actually got here.
hyunjin never remembers much when he comes out of headspace, only bits and pieces of it. what he did remember, though, made his face light up in a rosey pink hue, his cheeks aflamed with the color. it didn't help that he realized his thumb was comfortably in his mouth and woojin's eyes were open and watching him.
god, he wished a hole would open up and swallow him whole.
"you know," woojin began to speak as the younger took his thumb out of his mouth, "jinnie, are you a regressor?"
hyunjin was shocked. how did woojin even know what that was? how did woojin even find out?
the older practically read his mind.
"if you're wondering how i know, it's because one of the other members is as well. i won't say who, he'll come to us when he wants to," woojin told him.
the dancer was more than happy to hear that. he'd always been alone when in headspace and hopefully his small side would be able to meet the other regressor in their team.
"it- it doesn't weird you out all?" he whispered out, face still a little red. "i even.. called you appa, woojinnie."
hyunjin had a small pout dancing upon his plump lips and woojin light poked them, much like changbin would do when the younger was alone with him and minho.
"it doesn't weird me out at all. in fact, i think it's a bit cute," he reassured, "and hey, if you feel like you're going to slip into headspace, can you come to me? you and i both know it's not safe for you to be alone."
"i promise i will, hyung."
and he never broke that promise
♡
hyunjin trusted woojin with all his heart.
so, when the boy woke up from a nightmare and he just felt so small and scared, his mind practically gravitated him to woojin's shared room with three other members.
his headspace didn't even let him care about the other three when he walked in and crawled into the bed, tiny sniffles leaving the boy as he tried to be a little quiet.
"a-appa," he tried to wake the other and to his success, it woojin.
woojin woke up with a stur and although it was dark and his head was sleepily foggy, the fog cleared up when he saw the younger boy next to him with tears prickling the corners of his eyes.
"hey, angel, it's okay. appa's here, you don't need to worry."
obviously, the commotion woke up the rest of the members and felix reached over from his bed to turn on the lights.
"woojin-hyung, what's going on?" felix asked, his voice a little more deeper from just waking up.
"it's nothing lix, go back to-"
"jinnie? bwear?" the members heard from the bottom bunk next to felix.
minho woke up and from being just as stressed and sleepy; apparently he woke up feeling little as well.
hyunjin was too scared from the nightmare to even notice as woojin softly whispered sweet nothings in his ear.
they were sitting up now, hyunjin's body folded oddly comfortably into woojin's lap with his head tucked under the older's chin. woojin's large hand ran up and down his back as he tried to calm the boy down.
minho made his way over with a soft cry. he never liked seeing tears from others, seeing as it made him cry as well.
"jinnie okay?" he spoke, his voice high pitched and sleep slurred.
they were all so sleepy, so hyunjin's only response was a lazy nod. he never even noticed that the other had regressed like him.
"felix, can you text changbin to come get baby minnie while jinnie and i go to the living room?" woojin asked as he stood up, hyunjin's legs wrapping around his torso almost immediately. woojin was his rock, his anchor that grounded him and he didn't ever want to let go.
♡
woojin spent most of his night coaxing baby hyunjin to sleep. all that it took was a trip to the boy's room, the male finding underneath his bed a minimal amount of age regression items tucked away in a small bookbag.
the bear, that hyunjin was currently holding, was his childhood stuffie that always helped him sleep. accompanied by the light blue and transparent pacifier, plus woojin's hold, the boy was out like a light.
except now, a couple hours later with majority of the boys still asleep, the dancer was sitting on the floor next to the couch with his knees pulled to his chest, paci in his mouth and teddy bear safely in his arms.
when he woke up not too long ago, it was a struggle to escape the grasp of the older without waking him up.
woojin's hold was strong, but hyunjin was lucky that he was a deep sleeper because even out of headspace, hyunjin was as clumsy as one could be.
all the little one wanted to do was spend time with all of his members, but he knew the guilt would eat him alive if he woke everyone up.
they were all stressed from comebacks; the least he could do was let them get a decent amount of sleep.
so, sitting on the floor, hyunjin's eyes glued themselves to the television screen before him. his favorite show, paw patrol, softly played throughout the dorms in the background as he happily sucked on his paci and played with the stuffed teddy who was named simply bear.
what the little never heard was the soft padding of socked feet making their way into the room.
minho woke up not too long ago, and he was feeling just as small as his friend.
the older had woken up in changbin's bed, his regular sleepwear now being a baby pink skirt over his boxers and one of binnie's larger hoodies. why he enjoyed wearing feminine clothing? that would be a story for another time.
hearing a small "jinnie?", the younger of the two perked up and happily squealed around his pacifier and shot up from his spot on the floor, running over to the other with bear in his hands and tackling him in the largest hug he's ever given.
minho nor hyunjin had ever been around someone like them. they've never been around another age regressor. the two were absolutely ecstatic.
all morning they watched paw patrol together and colored, woojin waking up an hour or so after minnie and making sure they stayed safe.
it was hard watching two littles on his own, but woojin would savor this moment for his life.
both boys were just as, if not, more clingy than they were out of headspace.
call him selfish, but spending alone time with them while the other members were asleep would be his favorite thing.
soon, all the members had woken up and were greeted by little minnie and jinnie.
it took a lot of explaining to those who were not aware, but shortly after every had accepted the dancer's. who could resist hyunjin and minho's puppy eyes anyways?
♡
"woojin?"
"yes, jinnie?"
"thankyou," hyunjin quickly mumbled, his fingers playing with the hem of the large pink sweater that completely engulfed his entire form.
with soft eyes and a strong hold, woojin pulled the younger closer to cuddle him the best he could.
"i couldn't hear you, angel. speak up for me, please," he spoke, words just as soft as his features; as his everything.
"thank you for taking care of me, appa," hyunjin finally spoke up, nuzzling his face further into the older's neck and leaving a gentle kiss on the skin, his eyes watering just a little.
while it may be nothing important to anything, hyunjin had always been alone. he'd always been scared and finally someone took time out of their day to appreciate the little prince. someone finally displayed their genuine love and affection towards him because of how he acted and not looked.
"well now why are you crying?" woojin smiled and pulled the boy away, sitting up and hyunjin being placed on his lap.
"appa take carwe jinnie," he hiccuped and clung to his bear, his appa bear.
"appa did take care of you, baby, and he always will. but please don't cry," he said, words laced with a saccharine sweet melody, "angels don't cry."
softly nodding, hyunjin's cries slowly died down and the two laid back, drifting off to sleep after sharing quiet i love you's.