multi stan ｡.★.*｡･ﾟ.littles ･ﾟ｡.★.*｡oneshots :]

6. tag, you're it 💜💙💫

   Sans the weak trickle of moonlight through half-drawn curtains, it was pitch black, and it should've been dead quiet, because it was late. Far too late for floorboards to be creaking at the top of the stairs, followed by a muffled, dramatic gasp-giggle hybrid.

    Soobin groaned. Beomgyu.

    The rustle of sheets across the room told him Yeonjun was awake, and he'd heard it too. Croaky and thick with drowsiness, his voice cropped up: "Nose goes."

   "How are we supposed to know who's touching their nose right now?" Soobin could barely see his own hand in front of his face.

    Yeonjun's reply was nothing but a series of incoherent grumbles as he slid out of bed and hobbled to the door.

   Soobin's cheeks puffed in slight traces of a serene, closed-eye smile as he realized he'd won this time— he didn't have to part with his comfortable bed and the perfect spot between the pillows that he'd nestled himself into. He drifted off again totally at peace, not even staying awake long enough to hear Yeonjun return and crawl back into bed.

   When he did wake up, it was to the irritating sensation of Yeonjun's finger prodding his belly. Still midnight black in the room. Too late. Or too early. Groggily, he pushed the intruding hand away.

   "Tag, you're it," Yeonjun joked, but his voice was nowhere near gleeful; just drained and exasperated. "He's not listening. You take him, Mr. Leader. I'm going back to bed."

   Soobin let out a guttural groan and peeled himself out of his blankets. His body felt stiff as a board as he followed his ears downstairs— he must be getting old. How Beomgyu was currently running around the kitchen (and now, upon seeing Soobin, ducking behind the counter to hide in a giggly heap), Soobin had no clue. It was four in the godforsaken morning. They had a long, long day tomorrow (today) that would be starting much sooner than Soobin wanted to know, and a sleep-deprived Beomgyu was a regressed Beomgyu— not to mention a grumpy, regressed Beomgyu— and they just couldn't have that tomorrow; Beomgyu needed to work.

   Halting at the end of the counter with crossed arms, Soobin put on his stern, commanding voice. "Choi Beomgyu," he thundered.

   A childishly loud, sharp inhale nearly echoed back to him; he didn't even have to see Beomgyu's face to know he was grinning behind his hands which were pressed to his mouth to keep himself quiet, as if his hiding spot hadn't already been revealed.

   "To. Bed."

   Beomgyu's small frame suddenly rose from the shadow surrounding the other end of the counter. His lips quivered with a barely-contained grin.

 Soobin knew the two words the little was about to say.  He cut them off before they began: "I absolutely will not be chasing you." Soobin watched Beomgyu's shoulders droop instantly. "Go straight to bed if you want any chance of going to the park this week."

   He knew how to work that boy like... well... he was too tired to think of a simile at the moment. All he could manage was to follow Beomgyu slowly up the stairs and into his room, where he tucked him in and told him goodnight, then to get himself tucked back into bed as well.

    And he almost fell asleep again when his bedroom door opened. He drowsily threw himself up to see, in dim hallway light, a bed-haired figure shuffle in. "Hyungs. Gyu's in my room begging me and Kai to play with him," Taehyun slurred. "Told him to go to bed, but he won't listen."

   Soobin glanced across the room hopefully— it was Yeonjun's turn, now. But Yeonjun was sprawled out on his sheets, lifeless. If Soobin listened hard enough he could hear gentle snores. "Ugh," he grunted. He got up again, trading places with Taehyun (who threw himself carelessly into a heap onto Soobin's bed).

   He walked across the hallway and into the maknae room, grumbling under his breath, "Who ever thought it would be a good idea to give that kid his own room?" And when he got there, he was met with Kai's half-asleep complaints about Beomgyu repeatedly 'tagging' him meshing with devious giggles from the little crouching at the bedside.

    Without a word, he hooked an arm around Beomgyu's torso and hoisted him into his arms, then over his shoulder. Beomgyu's giggles came to an abrupt end, and Kai breathed a sigh of relief, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

   Once again walking down the hallway with a squirmy Beomgyu over his shoulder, he passed Taehyun, who was on the way back to his room after hearing that the offender had been caught. Soobin didn't bother taking Beomgyu back to his own bedroom, convinced he'd be out of bed and waking everyone up for the nth time that night in minutes (if they were lucky) Instead, he brought Beomgyu straight to the room he shared with Yeonjun, and leaned forward to plop him onto the bed.

    As the boy started to fuss, Soobin took him by the shoulders and shushed him before he could wake Yeonjun. "You. Have. Too. Much. Energy."

   The problem was Beomgyu loved to run around and get his exercise— but only on his own time. Which often tended to be late at night, past his bedtime. The only way to get him to burn his energy on command was to take him to a park, which wasn't always convenient. And it left them with nights like this. With Beomgyu seated on the foot of Soobin's bed, hyped up to the point that he was practically vibrating, as if he'd had ten cups of coffee.

   With a quick glance to his phone, Soobin found that their precious few remaining hours of sleep had been shortened to one. Whispering for Yeonjun's sake, he began pleading, "Listen, Gyu, you will have time to play tomorrow. All of your hyungs will play tag with you." Soobin grimaced even as he said it, knowing they'd all be bone tired after they day they'd have— especially since they hadn't been allowed the privilege of sleeping well tonight. "But only if you settle down and let us try to get the one hour of sleep we have left."

   Soobin heard the huffy sound of Beomgyu's pout. But he also heard him mumble, "'kay."

   With a sigh of relief much like the one he'd heard from Kai a moment ago, he ruffled Beomgyu's hair and patted his hip to send him scrambling for the other side of the bed to get under the blankets.

   Soobin got comfortable beside him and even let Beomgyu use his arm as a pillow, seeing the feeling in his arm as a sacrifice he'd have to make for just a little more sweet sleep.

   After several quiet minutes, in which the little didn't stir one bit, Soobin was about to burst into frustrated, exhausted tears when he felt Beomgyu sit up and carefully try to sneak out from around him. He caught Beomgyu by the wrist and grunted, "If you get out of bed one more time I swear—"

   "Mama!" Beomgyu whined, tugging away from Soobin. It made Soobin's grip loosen enough for him to slip away. He didn't usually use that name.

   Across the room, Yeonjun came to in a snap, sitting up abruptly mid-snore.

   Little Beomgyu typically called Yeonjun 'hyungie' or 'Junnie hyung', but from time to time, typically when he felt especially young or upset, it'd be 'mama'. And it made Yeonjun blush when he said it around the others, but Soobin knew he secretly liked it.

    "Mm... What's the matter, bub?" came Yeonjun's croaky reply.

    There were sheets rustling, then feet shuffling, and then suddenly Soobin's bed was invaded as the two boys, led by Beomgyu, crawled over him and laid down. With three to a twin-sized bed, it was a tight fit, so naturally they all ended up on their sides in a Soo-Gyu-Jun sandwich. But with Soobin's chest at his back, and Yeonjun's arm draped over him and his other hand patting his head, within minutes, Beomgyu was finally out.