for dinner, Johnny had made a reservation at a restaurant, marking the first time in a long while that the group had gathered for a meal together. Mark and Haechan were often busy with Dream's activities or their individual schedules, so moments like these were rare and precious.
it's late at night, and some of the members had indulged a bit too much, getting tipsy. luckily, Mark and Haechan were able to held their liquor well, allowing them to keep an eye on Daeun, who's now fixated on a slice of cake topped with strawberries.
half-sober but still sharp enough, Haechan fed her small bites of the dessert, chuckling each time she clapped her little hands in delight. "good girl," he said, ruffling her hair softly while having some cake himself to sober up.
meanwhile, Jungwoo and Taeyong were on the verge of passing out, their heads drooping as they mumbled incoherent phrases. Taeyong gave Daeun a weak wave from across the table, but his heavy eyelids betrayed his exhaustion.
"Haechan appa? uncle Tyong... sick?" Daeun asked, puzzled by Taeyong's sluggish wave. sensing the situation, Jaehyun stood up from his corner and gently picked her up from her chair, deciding it's time to remove her from the rowdy environment.
he gave her a few affectionate kisses on her rosy cheeks before they quietly exited the restaurant, heading toward the car after he bought some bread for her breakfast.
during the drive back to the dorm, Daeun snuggled into Jaehyun's shoulder, sleepily mumbling about counting sheep. by the time they arrived, she'd fallen asleep on his lap, clutching his shirt as she drifted off.
inside, the night wound down as the members were exhausted from their dinner outing, slowly made their way to their rooms. Mark and Haechan were the last to head to bed, leaning down to give Daeun a goodnight kiss as she slept soundly on Jaehyun's lap.
"goodnight, little one," Mark whispered, brushing a stray hair from her forehead.
"sleep tight, okay?" Haechan added, giving her head a gentle pat before heading to his room.
Jaehyun, left with Daeun, carried her to his room, settling her down gently as he stroked her hair. watching her peaceful face, he felt a deep sense of affection wash over him. despite the exhaustion, moments like these reminded him why family—especially little Daeun—was everything.
the next morning, she woke up alone in Jaehyun's bed, confused and sniffling softly as she called out for Mark. "appa... appa? appa, where are you?" she mumbled, her big eyes brimming with tears as she searched the room.
Jaehyun, who's in the bathroom applying moisturizer, quickly heard her soft calls. he rushed out to find her sitting up, staring blankly, looking lost.
"good morning, cutie. come here, let uncle Yuno see," he said, grinning as she scoot toward him. he scooped her up and waddled her over to the bathroom, gently washing her face. "let's freshen up," he cooed, splashing cool water on her face before drying her with a soft towel.
Daeun giggled, fully waking up as she clung to Jaehyun's hand. together, they made their way down the hallway in search of Mark. quietly, they approached his room, where she creaked open the door to see him still fast asleep.
"appa, wake up," she whispered softly, poking his arm.
Mark stirred, his voice groggy. "mm..baby...should we sleep some more?" he murmured, pulling her close and spooning her, hoping she'd join him for a bit longer.
she snuggled into him, her eyes growing heavy once again. they lay there for about half an hour before finally getting up to meet the rest of the members.
downstairs, Haechan was already at the dining table, cutting fruits for Daeun to eat in the car later while Doyoung served breakfast for the two.
"good? really? that's a relief" he chuckled, watching her eagerly eat the toast and scrambled eggs he had specially made for her.
-
on their way to meet the Dreamies, Daeun was fully engrossed in a Korean kids' channel that Mark had pulled up on YouTube for her.
"the chair is red," the video instructed.
"the chair is red," she repeated, her little voice following along with the screen.
"the coat is thick," the video continued.
"-is thick," she echoed, her pronunciation still needing a bit of help. both Mark and Haechan patiently guided her through the tricky words, helping her get it right. she giggled when she nailed it, feeling proud of herself.
just as they arrived at the Dreamies' place, her excitement bubbled over. "babaaaa!" she shrieked loudly from the hallway, spotting Renjun standing at the door with his arms wide open. her tiny legs carried her as fast as they could toward him.
Renjun crouched down, catching her in a warm embrace. "did you miss me?" he asked with a big smile.
they'd only been apart for a few days, but it felt like forever to Daeun, who'd spent time with her 127 uncles. though fun, nothing compared to being with her Dreamie appas. she buried her face in Renjun's shoulder, letting out a contented sigh as the rest of the members gathered around, equally thrilled to see her.
