LITTLE BY LITTLE ☆ SVT AGERE

2.0

Seungcheol knew agreeing to come to Magnolia with Jeonghan would be a mistake.

It's not like he has anything against the home or any of the regressors who live there— in fact, he's grateful places like Magnolia with caregivers like Minghao and Seungkwan exist at all. The whole place is lovely, too. Even with only two (dedicated, overworked) employees looking after a full house, it's still clean, colorful, and cheerful.

No, the problem isn't the home. It's Seungcheol himself.

He doesn't know why he agreed to accompany Jeonghan. He'd just been so worked up over getting close with his favorite littles that Seungcheol had felt bad for him.

And just like anyone else, Seungcheol has dreams.

He's always imagined himself starting a family, and now that he's all grown up with a big-boy job and a place of his own, he's begun to consider whether a little could be a part of that.

And now that he's sitting in a room with them, he doesn't know what to do with himself.

Seungkwan is watching amusedly from the door while Seungcheol sits himself in the middle of the room on the floor like an idiot. Jeonghan is completely absorbed in Joshua and Seokmin's puzzle, but the brown-haired regressor with a tablet sitting in the corner appears wholly uninterested in Seungcheol.

Meanwhile, the duo sitting against the wall throw him untrusting looks.

A small part of him desperately wants to change those looks. One of them glares at him with so much judgement it makes him squirm. He has a large frame and long legs, but he looks small hunched in on himself. His dark hair is a little long on the sides. He's quite handsome too, but right now his face is scrunched up in a pout that's too cute to be truly intimidating.

Still, Seungcheol can sense his protectiveness over the other little rolling off him in waves. Said little is evidently smaller next to him. He peers at Seungcheol with wide eyes through a pair of round, wire frame glasses. A blue pacifier sits between his lips; he's clearly the mentally younger one between them.

At first, Seungcheol tries not to pay them much mind, assuming they don't want to talk to him at all. He fiddles with his fingers for a few minutes, remembering what Seungkwan said about letting the littles come to him.

The caregiver finally steps into the room, going first to the boy with the tablet to check on him before making his way to the duo. Seungcheol tries not to watch too closely, but he can see the younger regressor nod at his caregiver's words. Seungkwan strokes his cheek with the back of his hand before stepping away again.

He sits down next to Seungcheol.

"They're a bit shy," he admits. "And quite attached at the hip. If one doesn't want to approach, then the other won't either."

"Are they siblings?"

"In the headspace sense, yes. They've just been together so long that it turned out that way."

Seungcheol hums. It explains the protectiveness and the judgement despite their curiosity towards Seungcheol.

Just as Seungcheol is thinking of waiting for Jeonghan in the lobby, he feels a tug on his sweatshirt.

He turns around and finds the young regressor from before, pacifier still square in his mouth. He fiddles nervously with Seungcheol's shirt, fingers shaking as he does. His companion is still sitting in the corner, evidently worried for him but not wanting to leave his place of safety yet.

Seungcheol glances back at Seungkwan for guidance, but he just motions for him to talk to the boy.

"Hello," Seungcheol decides to greet him. When the boy just stares at him, he adds hesitantly, "What's your name?"