Minho glared at Chan, holding his newest brother in his arms and not looking at all happy about it. Chan could feel Minho's eyes on the back of his head. Maybe it had not been such a good idea to leave Hyunjjin alone with Minho.
"Hey Min, why don't you give me the baby back now?" Chan offered, holding his arms out for the little one. Hyunjin was still wide awake and refusing to sleep so Chan was a little worried that he would start crying and then Minho really wouldn't give the baby back.
"No" Minho held Hyunjin tighter, squeezing him a little too much. Chan panicked and took Hyunjin back, resulting in a complete meltdown. Minho did not stop crying until he was at the table with Hyunjin in his arms again. Chan just sighed; he was going to be extremely hard to keep those two apart. He was glad that Minho seemed to be attached to his baby brother but there was going to be a point when they would have to be apart from each other, especially when Minho started school in the fall. Chan suddenly paused with that thought. Minho was starting school in a few weeks. Changbin wouldn't be far behind either, only a year.
"When do I start school?" Minho looked up. He was more than excited to start school, not knowing what that would mean. He had no idea that meant he would no longer be at home and with his brothers all day. Chan had not had the heart to tell him.
"In a few weeks" Chan answered, serving out some beef cabbage soup. Minho grabbed his chopsticks, pulling them apart. Chan watched him. When had his baby gotten so big? Minho used to not be able to figure out how to even pull chopsticks apart and now he was using them? Chan was fine.
"I can't wait to make friends" Minho hummed, not at all aware that he was ripping Chan's heart to pieces with each word.
"I'm sure you will" Chan responded absently, thoughts filling his mind. It felt like just yesterday that he was finding out he had a son in the first place and now Minho was just a few months away from turning four.
"I want to go to school too!" Changbin stated, unwilling to be outdone. Minho ignored him and started eating.
"You will soon enough Binnie" Chan promised him, making his own bowl of soup and grabbing some baby food for Hyunjin, setting it in front of the one-year-old. Hyunjin just stared at it.
"Come on, Jinnie. You have to eat" Chan picked up the spoon and tried to feed Hyunjin but he was ignored. Hyunjin continued to stare at the globs of baby food with disgust. Changbin had the bright idea of reaching over and eating some of the food on his own, looking at Hyunjin and making a small hum of contentment. Hyunjin watched him and then opened his mouth, waiting to be fed. Chan laughed a little, giving in to the little prince. It crossed his mind that Hyunjin wasn't actually his son, but it didn't matter. Hyunjin was Changbin and Minho's brother and that was all that mattered.
"What do you boys want to do today?" Chan asked, looking mostly at the older two since Hyunjin was not talking yet.
"Go to the park?" Changbin suggested. Minho didn't seem satisfied with that answer but he was not going to turn his little brother down, so he stayed quiet. Chan agreed that the park was fine so that was where they went after lunch. He made sure to get Hyunjin all bundled up, there was beginning to be a small chill in the air and checked that Minho and Changbin had their thinner coats on just in case. Hyunjin stayed cuddled up beside Chan while the older two played, at one point he did sit down on the ground in front of Chan and tear little leaves apart to make pictures. Chan was not sure what any of them were meant to be but Hyunjin wasn't hurting anyone by doing that so he let the one-year-old be.
"HYUNGIE STABBED HIMSELF!" Changbin screamed. Chan swooped Hyunjin up into his arms and went to investigate. Minho had, in fact, stabbed himself. With a wooden chip.
"How'd that happen buddy?" Chan wondered, carrying Minho while pushing the stroller home. Changbin had climbed onto the back of it, keeping Hyunjin company while Chan walked them home.
"I was just seeing if it was sharp" Minho shrugged, looking at the small cut on his hand. To him it seemed big, but it was really on the size of a pin. Still, it was producing a lot of blood and pain.
"Well, let's get you cleaned up when we get home" Chan unlocked the front door and went inside, getting Hyunjin out of the stroller and in the playpen that Chan had bought when Minho was Hyunjin's age. Changbin somehow ended up climbing in with Hyunjin and occupied his only dongsaeng while Chan carried Minho to the kitchen to get cleaned up. The rest of the day was calm, until Chan tried to get the three boys to sleep and both Minho and Changbin refused to be separated from their youngest brother. Chan was sure that he was done with kids. He had three wonderful boys.
What more could he possibly need?
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Minho-3. Almost 4
Changbin. 3
Hyunjin. 1
