summary: When Minho’s toddler son shows up to the dorm dressed as Leebit for Halloween, the usually composed idol completely falls apart over how deeply and innocently his little boy loves him.
authors note: so sorry for not posting! i’ve been busy the past few weeks, but i am back and i’m going to be posting a lot more. enjoy~ 🫶🏻
🏷️: fluff, domestic.
Masterlist.
Halloween at the dorms was never quiet.
With eight grown men running around in various stages of costume disasters, fake blood smudged across expensive hoodies, and someone—definitely Han—screaming because Hyunjin had hidden plastic spiders in his shoes again, silence was impossible.
But Minho had expected chaos.
What he hadn’t expected was for his entire emotional stability to collapse the second his front door opened.
Because standing there, clutching your hand with tiny fingers, was his son.
Dressed as Leebit.
For a moment, Minho genuinely forgot how to breathe.
The little white bunny hoodie swallowed your son whole, oversized ears flopping sideways as he stared up at his father with wide, sparkling eyes. Tiny whiskers were drawn onto his cheeks in slightly crooked lines, and the fluffy tail attached to the back bounced when he shifted his weight excitedly.
And then—
“Appa!”
Minho made a sound that no one in the history of humanity had ever heard before.
Somewhere between a gasp, a wheeze, and his soul physically leaving his body.
Behind him, Changbin blinked. “Oh my god.”
“I think he died,” Felix whispered.
“No, seriously, look at his face,” Jeongin said, already laughing.
Minho couldn’t hear any of them.
Because his son was wearing his character. Tiny. Round-cheeked. Looking unbearably proud of himself.
“Surprise,” you said carefully, already grinning because you knew exactly what kind of reaction this would get.
Minho just stared.
Then he slowly crouched down in front of your son like he was approaching a wild animal.
“…Who are you?” he asked softly.
Your son giggled immediately, bouncing on his feet. “Leebit!”
“Leebit?” Minho echoed weakly.
A nod so aggressive the bunny ears flopped into his eyes.
Minho put a hand over his mouth.
“Oh, he’s gone,” Chan muttered from the kitchen.
“Someone catch him.”
Your son grabbed the edge of Minho’s sleeve. “Appa, look!” He turned around in a circle to show off the costume properly, tail bobbing. “Eomma made it!”
Minho looked at you with genuine betrayal.
“You did this to me on purpose.”
You laughed. “Maybe.”
He looked back at your son.
The tiny hoodie sleeves covered half his hands. His little sneakers squeaked against the floor when he moved. The face paint on his nose had smudged slightly from him rubbing at it in the car.
Minho felt his heart physically cave in on itself.
He reached out carefully, almost reverently, and tugged one floppy bunny ear between his fingers.
“…You’re so precious,” he whispered like it personally offended him.
Your son beamed.
That was apparently the final blow.
Minho grabbed him instantly, hauling him into his arms with a dramatic groan and burying his face into the tiny bunny hood.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god—”
Your son squealed loudly, kicking his feet. “Appa!”
“You can’t do this to me,” Minho mumbled into his shoulder. “You can’t just show up looking like this.”
“Hyung is literally shaking,” Jisung announced from the couch.
And he was.
Minho was actually trembling a little as he held him.
Because it wasn’t just the costume.
It was the way your son had clearly been excited all day. The way he kept patting the bunny ears proudly. The way he looked at Minho like he’d hung the moon itself.
Like dressing up as Leebit was the coolest thing imaginable because it belonged to his dad.
Minho was weak to a lot of things.
Cats.
You.
Late-night fried chicken.
But nothing—absolutely nothing—destroyed him faster than his son loving him openly.
“Take a picture of us,” Minho demanded suddenly.
Felix already had his phone out. “Way ahead of you.”
“No, wait.” Minho adjusted the bunny hood carefully around your son’s face. “Okay. Now.”
Another squeal escaped your son when Minho started nuzzling his cheeks aggressively.
“Too cute,” Minho muttered. “Actually criminal.”
“Appa, breathing is important,” Seungmin said dryly.
Minho ignored him completely.
Your son suddenly grabbed Minho’s cheeks with both hands.
“Appa where your ears?”
The room burst into laughter.
Minho blinked. “My ears?”
“You need bunny ears too.”
“Oh, he’s right,” Hyunjin said immediately. “Hold on.”
Within thirty seconds, someone had shoved a pair of white bunny ears onto Minho’s head. Your son looked absolutely delighted by this development.
“Same!” he shouted excitedly, pointing between them.
Minho looked like he might cry.
Actually cry.
Chan saw it first and started cackling. “He’s emotional!”
“I am not emotional.”
“You absolutely are.”
Minho tightened his hold on your son defensively. “He said we match.”
“That’s your breaking point?” Changbin laughed.
“Yes.”
Honestly, fair enough.
Your son leaned against Minho’s chest comfortably, playing with the bunny ears on his father’s head while Minho looked at him like he’d personally invented happiness.
And maybe it was ridiculous.
Maybe it was just a costume.
But Minho couldn’t stop thinking about how small he still was.
How one day those tiny hands wouldn’t reach for him automatically anymore.
How eventually Halloween costumes would become “embarrassing” and he’d stop asking his parents to match him.
The thought alone made Minho hold him tighter.
Your son noticed immediately.
“Appa?”
Minho kissed the top of the bunny hood softly. “Hmm?”
“You squishing me.”
“You’ll survive.”
“Noooo,” your son giggled dramatically.
“Too bad.”
“You’re obsessed with him,” you told Minho knowingly.
Minho looked at you blankly. “Obviously.”
And honestly?
It only got worse from there.
-
By the time the group actually went out for Halloween activities, Minho had fully transformed into one of those unbearable parents who wouldn’t stop showing people pictures of their kid.
Every five minutes:
“Look at him.”
“We know what he looks like, hyung.”
“But look again.”
The pictures got progressively more ridiculous too.
Your son sitting on Minho’s shoulders with bunny ears falling sideways.
Your son holding a tiny pumpkin bucket bigger than his torso.
Your son asleep against Minho’s chest while still wearing the costume.
Minho nearly cried at that one.
“He fell asleep mid-candy,” he whispered emotionally.
Seungmin looked exhausted. “Please stop narrating your feelings.”
“No.”
Outside, Seoul buzzed with Halloween energy. Kids in costumes ran around excitedly while decorated storefronts glowed orange and purple in the evening dark.
Your son, however, only cared about one thing.
“Pudding.”
“Ah,” Minho nodded seriously. “A man of culture.”
Tiny fingers wrapped around Minho’s hand as they walked down the street together, bunny ears bouncing with every step.
And Minho kept glancing down.
Just checking and making sure this was real. Because there was something so absurdly soft about your child waddling around dressed as a mini version of his dad’s character.
At one point, a STAY walking past recognized them.
Her eyes widened immediately.
“Oh my god—is he dressed as Leebit?”
Your son perked up proudly. “Yeah!”
Minho physically puffed up with pride beside him.
“He picked it himself,” Minho informed her immediately.
You snorted because that was technically not true.
Minho had absolutely influenced him by constantly giving him Leebit plushies.
Still, the STAY looked like she was about to melt too.
“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I know,” Minho replied without hesitation.
You stared at him. “You said that so fast.”
“Because it’s true.”
Your son tugged on Minho’s sleeve then pointed dramatically toward a decorated candy stand where they also sell puddings.
“Appa. Puddings.”
Minho gasped softly. “He even likes the same snacks as me.”
“Please calm down,” Jeongin said.
“No.”
Minho bought him the puddings immediately.
And then a candy bag.
And another.
“Minho,” you warned.
“He’s celebrating.”
“He’s three.”
“Exactly.”
Your son sat on Minho’s shoulders afterward happily eating his pudding while playing with the bunny ears on his father’s head again.
At some point, he leaned down and whispered loudly:
“Appa.”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
Minho stopped walking.
Completely.
Like someone had pressed pause on him.
Your son blinked innocently. “Appa?”
Minho looked genuinely emotional now.
Chan saw it and immediately lost it laughing again.
“Oh my god, he’s REALLY gone.”
Minho ignored him entirely.
Instead, he reached up carefully to squeeze your son’s tiny hand where it rested on his head.
“I love you too,” he said quietly.
Then after a beat:
“More than pudding.”
Your son gasped dramatically.
That apparently meant everything.
-
Back at the dorm later, things somehow became even more chaotic.
Because now the members had decided your son was the official mascot of the evening.
He was passed around between them constantly while still wearing the Leebit costume.
Felix fed him chocolate carefully.
Changbin let him sit on his shoulders.
Hyunjin kept fixing the bunny ears dramatically like a stylist on a runway shoot.
And Minho?
Minho hovered nearby the entire time like a possessive cat.
“That’s my kid,” he kept saying randomly.
“We know,” Seungmin replied for the fiftieth time.
“No but look at him.”
“We ARE looking at him.”
Your son eventually waddled over to where Minho sat on the couch and climbed directly into his lap with sleepy determination.
The sugar crash had officially arrived.
His tiny body curled automatically against Minho’s chest.
“Mmm sleepy.”
Minho’s entire face softened instantly.
The room quieted a little too because everyone knew this look on him.
The unbearably soft one.
The one reserved only around his family and cats.
He adjusted the bunny hood gently away from your son’s eyes.
“You had fun?”
A sleepy nod.
“Got lots of candy?”
Another nod.
Then, barely audible:
“Best Halloween.”
Minho looked destroyed by the statement.
Absolutely obliterated.
Your son’s eyelashes fluttered sleepily while he played absentmindedly with the zipper on Minho’s hoodie.
And Minho just watched him.
Like he couldn’t believe someone this precious existed.
“You’re staring again,” you murmured fondly from beside him.
“He’s cute.”
“I gathered.”
“No, but you don’t understand.”
You laughed quietly. “I think I do.”
Minho shook his head seriously. “He’s dressed as me.”
“As Leebit.”
“Same thing.”
That made you laugh harder.
But honestly? You understood.
Because Minho loved deeply.
Sometimes too deeply to explain properly. He wasn’t always loud about it. Wasn’t always openly affectionate in front of others. But when it came to the people he loved, he gave them every soft piece of himself without hesitation.
And your son had him wrapped around one tiny finger from the moment he was born.
Maybe even before that.
Your son shifted sleepily again before mumbling, “Appa bunny.”
Minho visibly melted.
“Oh no,” Jisung whispered. “He called him Appa Bunny.”
Minho closed his eyes briefly like he was trying not to combust.
“Yeah,” he whispered back to your son. “Appa bunny.”
That was it.
Hyunjin actually had to turn away because he couldn’t stop smiling.
“This is sickeningly cute.”
“Disgusting,” Seungmin agreed.
Chan pulled his phone out again. “I’m documenting this.”
“No pictures,” Minho said immediately.
Chan blinked. “You’ve taken literally four hundred tonight.”
“Those are different.”
“How?”
“Because I took them.”
“No logic whatsoever,” Changbin muttered.
Your son was almost fully asleep now, warm little body heavy against Minho’s chest.
The bunny ears drooped over his forehead.
Minho brushed them back carefully.
Then softer than anyone expected, he whispered:
“Thank you for loving things connected to me.”
The room went quiet.
Because yeah.
There it was.
The real reason Minho looked so emotional all night.
Your son didn’t care about fame. Didn’t care about popularity or performances or schedules.
He just loved his dad.
Enough to want to become a tiny version of something associated with him for Halloween.
And Minho—who often acted unaffected by everything—was devastatingly weak to that kind of love.
Your son stirred slightly at the sound of Minho’s voice.
Then, without opening his eyes, lifted one tiny hand and patted Minho’s cheek clumsily.
“I love Appa.”
Minho made the tiniest wounded sound.
“Oh he’s DONE done,” Felix whispered.
Minho looked genuinely close to tears now.
Not dramatic crying. Just that quiet, overwhelmed softness sitting visibly in his eyes.
He kissed your son’s forehead slowly.
“I love you more than anything.”
And he meant it with terrifying sincerity.
-
Getting your son out of the costume later that night turned into its own ordeal.
“Noooo,” he whined sleepily, clutching the bunny hoodie. “Wanna wear it.”
“You have to sleep, baby.”
“Leebit sleeps too.”
Minho immediately turned to you. “He’s right.”
You stared at him flatly. “Don’t encourage him.”
“But he made a valid point.”
“He’s stalling.”
Your son looked between both of you before deciding Minho was clearly the weaker parent.
“Appaaaa.”
Minho folded instantly.
You watched in disbelief. “Unbelievable.”
“He can wear it a little longer.”
“He’s covered in chocolate.”
“A little chocolate builds character.”
“That is not how parenting works.”
Minho hugged your son protectively. “You’ll never take us alive.”
Your son giggled deliriously.
Eventually, after much negotiation and promises that the costume would still exist tomorrow, your son finally allowed you to change him into pajamas.
Though not before insisting Minho wear the bunny ears one more time.
So now there sat Lee Minho—kpop idol, terrifyingly sharp dancer, intimidating sarcastic menace—
Wearing fluffy white bunny ears while tucking his son into bed. And somehow it suited him perfectly.
Your son looked so tiny under the blankets.
Still smelling faintly like candy and outside air.
Minho sat beside him carefully, brushing soft hair away from his forehead. “Did you have the best Halloween ever?” he asked quietly.
A sleepy nod.
“And next year?” your son mumbled. “You match me again?”
Minho’s expression cracked instantly.
“Of course I will.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Your son smiled sleepily.
Then reached for Minho’s hand beneath the blanket.
Minho went still immediately before curling his fingers carefully around the tiny hand holding his.
It hit him suddenly then.
How fast this was all going.
How one day his son wouldn’t need bedtime tucks-ins anymore.
Wouldn’t ask him to match costumes.
Wouldn’t reach for his hand automatically.
And the thought terrified him a little.
Because Minho loved fatherhood more than he’d ever expected to.
Loved every sleepy cuddle.
Every random “Appa look!”
He wanted to freeze moments like this permanently.
Your son blinked slowly up at him.
“Appa?”
“Hmm?”
“You happy?”
Minho smiled softly.
“So happy.”
That seemed to satisfy him.
Within minutes, your son was asleep completely.
One tiny fist still loosely wrapped around Minho’s finger.
Minho didn’t move for a long time.
Just sat there quietly in the dim light of the night lamp.
Looking at him.
Memorizing him.
Eventually, you leaned against the doorway softly.
“He asleep?”
Minho nodded without looking away.
“He was really excited about tonight,” you whispered.
“I could tell.”
“He kept saying he wanted to be like Appa Bunny.”
Minho physically melted at the sentence.
You noticed immediately and smiled knowingly.
“Oh, there it is.”
“He said that?”
“Mhm.”
Minho looked back at your sleeping son again with an expression so unbearably tender it made your chest ache.
Then quietly:
“I don’t deserve him.”
You walked over immediately. “Don’t say that.”
“He’s just…” Minho exhaled shakily. “He’s so good.”
You leaned your head against Minho’s shoulder gently.
And for a moment, neither of you spoke.
The room was peaceful now. Your son’s quiet breathing filled the silence.
Minho finally stood carefully, making sure not to wake him before pulling the blanket higher around his tiny body.
Then he leaned down and kissed his forehead again.
“So cute,” he whispered helplessly.
You laughed under your breath. “You’ve said that at least fifty times today.”
“Still true.”
He switched off the lamp afterward, and the two of you quietly left the room together.
But halfway down the hallway, Minho suddenly stopped walking.
“What?”
He looked at you seriously.
“I think this was the best day of my life.”
You burst into laughter instantly.
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m serious.”
“All because he wore a bunny costume?”
“He dressed as MY bunny.”
“That is not different.”
“It is to me.”
You shook your head fondly, reaching up to fix the bunny ears still sitting crookedly on his head.
“You’re completely whipped.”
Minho looked entirely unashamed.
“Yeah,” he admitted easily. “I am.”
And honestly?
Watching him completely melt over your son all day had made you fall in love with him all over again too.
Because beneath the teasing and sarcasm and dramatic complaints, Lee Minho loved with his whole heart.
Especially when it came to his child.
Especially when tiny hands reached for him like he was home.
Minho suddenly pulled out his phone again.
You groaned immediately. “More pictures?”
“I need to look at them again.”
“Minho.”
“He was tiny.”
“He still IS tiny.”
“But emotionally tiny.”
“That sentence made no sense.”
Minho ignored you, already smiling stupidly at another picture of your son in the Leebit costume.
Then quieter this time, almost to himself:
“I hope he still wants to match me when he’s older.”
Your heart softened instantly.
“He will,” you said gently.
Minho looked unconvinced.
“What if he thinks I’m embarrassing?”
You snorted. “You are embarrassing.”
“That’s not helpful.”
“But he’ll still love you.”
Minho looked down at the photo again.
His son’s gummy smile. The floppy bunny ears. The pure excitement in his eyes.
And something warm settled deep in his chest all over again.
Maybe one day things would change.
Maybe his son would grow taller and quieter and too cool for matching costumes.
But tonight?
Tonight, he had tiny bunny ears.
Sticky pudding and candy hands.
And a little boy who looked at him like he was the center of the universe.
That was enough. More than enough.
Minho smiled softly to himself before locking his phone.
Then he looked at you with complete seriousness.
“We’re saving that costume forever.”
You laughed. “Of course we are.”
“No, like forever forever.”
“I know.”
“And if he tries to throw it away someday, I’m stopping him.”
“That feels emotionally manipulative.”
“I don’t care.”
You shook your head fondly before taking his hand.
“Come on, Appa Bunny.”
Minho smiled happily at the nickname.
And as the two of you headed to bed, he glanced back toward your son’s room one last time with the kind of love that felt too big to fit inside a single person.
Genre: get together, meet cute, single mother, soft Minho
Summary: You never thought you'd be the parent who put their kid in front of the camera, but here you were, on set with Stray Kids, watching your son giggle as they re-enacted the three little pigs.
What's worse, is that your heart kept fluttering every time Minho looked at your son with soft eyes.
Word Count: 10.7k
A/N: thank you so much for all of the love on part 1!!! This part is, technically, the "conclusion" to the main story. They go on to live happily ever after from here onward <33 (and if you're curious, they do have a daughter together later hehe) BUT I will probably write little snippets here and there of these two as the muses strike me so <33
I can't believe this part ended up being basically the same length as part 1 asdfklafs (blame Bri fr she cursed me)
Hope you all enjoy! (Kija supremacy!!)
⁽ᵈᶦᵛᶦᵈᵉʳ ᵖᶦˣᵉˡ ᵃʳᵗ ᵇʸ ᵐᵉ⁾
(writing masterlist) | (part 1)
Minho stayed where he was, watching Y/N leave. Once her back disappeared out of the door, he let out a short, frustrated sigh.
“So…” Seungmin mused as he squatted down next to Minho, “was she married already, or..?”
Minho turned his head to squint his eyes at Seungmin. “No, she was single, why?”
Seungmin shrugged, though Minho recognized the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Just trying to figure out why you didn't ask her out.”
Minho lurched up to a seated position. “Yah! What are you talking about?”
Seungmin grinned at him. “Come on hyung, I'm not stupid. I know you're in paboracha, but I thought you were a bit smarter than this.”
Seungmin cackled, leaning back to avoid the playful shove Minho threw his way.
Minho huffed as he settled into a seated position. “I wasn't going to do that,” he replied softly but firmly.
“Why not?” Seungmin asked, curious and genuine, his earlier hint of teasing gone.
“She was paid to be here,” Minho reminded him, keeping his voice down. “I don't-” he licked his lips. “We're idols. Partially we were the ones signing her check. She was probably just being nice to me because she had to be.”
“Hyung,” Seungmin started, gently chiding, “I've seen plenty of people who act nice because they have to. You have, too. That wasn't how she was acting at all.”
Minho shifted so his knees were bent, resting his arms atop them. He glanced at the door for a moment and then sighed, looking back at Seungmin. “Still, putting her on the spot while she's here, among all the cameras…” he shook his head. “It's fine.”
Seungmin hummed. “I bet they have her phone number, you know, for her release papers and all.”
Minho squinted at him again. “And..?”
Seungmin shrugged. “I just think you were cute with Kija, and she seemed to like you, too. She wouldn't have just squatted beside you and chatted and giggled if she'd wanted to get out of here desperately.” He stood up, stretching slowly. “So you should text her.” He reached a hand down to help Minho up, his voice softening. “We don't get chances like this often, and you deserve someone like that in your life.”
Seungmin walked away before Minho could reply, leaving the older boy thinking about it as they slowly left the set.
The filming had been scheduled to last pretty much all day, so they had the rest of the day off afterwards to rest and recover. Normally Minho enjoyed this, using the time to cook a nice meal for dinner and catch up on some of his shows.
Now it just gave him time to think.
“God those kids were so cute today,” Han sighed, plopping down in the living room as Minho shuffled around the kitchen. “Can you believe Suho betrayed me for Hyunjin? Not that I really blame him- it was still adorable, but I'm offended!”
Minho snorted. “Kids can smell desperation Han-ah. You clearly repelled him.”
“Yah!” Han whined, offended. “I wasn't that desperate. We all wanted Suho's attention!”
Minho shrugged, smirking. “I don't know Hannie, I stepped back when I could tell he wanted space.”
Han huffed. “Yeah because you were hogging Kija all to yourself, so you didn't need another kid.”
Minho felt himself stutter for a moment, but he recovered quickly. “What can I say? Kids like me.”
Minho turned away, focusing on prepping the pan in front of him, so he couldn't see the smirk on Han's face.
He could feel it, though.
“Right, right, sure,” Han replied playfully. “You didn't have to be the one to grab him from his mom, though, and yet you did.”
Minho glared at the pan, as if it'd make the oil heat up faster. “He was comfortable with me, and we know the parents are blurred in the footage anyway. This way she didn't have to come out in front of the cameras.”
“Uh huh,” Han said, not sounding convinced. “Besides Suho, the other kids just walked out on their own. It's not like Kija was that shy.”
Han sighed when Minho didn't reply. “His mom was pretty cute, though, so I don't blame you-”
Minho's head whipped around, pointing the wooden spoon he was using at Han. “Tissues for dinner.”
Han laughed gleefully. “What? We've talked about people we find cute plenty of times, hyung. Am I wrong? Did you not find her cute?”
“Doesn't matter if I did,” Minho snapped, “it's not like we're going to see her again.”
Minho turned back to the food, checking on the meat before beginning to add the veggies into the pan. Han was quiet for a moment, the only sound in the apartment being the sizzling of the oil as the food slowly cooked.
“I mean… you probably could see her again,” Han finally said, the teasing edge gone from his tone. “I'm sure you could find a way to contact her.”
“You could find a way to contact her again, too, if you think she's so cute.” His tone came out as petulant, but he just glared at the veggies, stirring them aggressively.
He heard Han sigh, but he didn't turn to look at him. He heard the couch shift and socked feet shuffle against the floor, but he still didn't look.
Han gently nudged his side, leaning against the counter beside him. “First of all, I'm not the one who developed a crush on her.”
Minho huffed but he didn't reply. Instead, he kept glaring at the veggies as if they'd personally offended him.
“Second of all,” Han continued, undeterred by Minho's silence, “I think you should try to talk to her again.”
Minho glanced over at him. “Why?”
“Because,” Han drawled teasingly. Minho huffed, rolling his eyes and looking back at the food. “Sorry, hyung, I'm serious. Why not? Why not take a chance? I saw you guys flirting there when filming was over. And I don't know if you noticed, but she was watching you like the whole time we were filming.”
“She was watching her son,” Minho countered.
“Well yeah most of the time,” Han agreed, “but you should've seen her when you first came over to check on him after the dance session.”
Minho hesitated before glancing over at Han. “Yeah?”
Han lits up, nodding. “Yeah dude, she looked so soft. She definitely loved watching you with Kija.” He leaned in excitedly. “And when you brought him over after lunch? Oh my god.”
Minho hummed noncommittally, continuing to look at the food as he cooked. “What would I even say?”
“Well, if you do reach out to her I think being honest is the best bet?” Han suggested tentatively. “Like, it'd be weird to go through the trouble of getting her number just to say hi, but I think if you admit you're still thinking about her and you're curious if she'd like to go on a date, no pressure.”
“And what if that creeps her out?” Minho asked.
“You're a good person Minho, you apologize and promise not to bother her again, and then you can move on,” Han replied, shrugging. “But also, that'd be her loss.”
Minho's lips twitched in the hint of a smile. “I'll think about it.”
Han beamed, patting him on the shoulder. “Good! You really should. Now,” he peered over Minho's shoulder, “some of this is for me, right?”
Minho shoved Han back gently. “Get out of my kitchen.”
Han cackled as he backed away. “It's our kitchen hyung.”
“Not when I'm cooking it's not!” Minho called back.
Both Han and Seungmin's words danced around his head for the next two days. He could tell he was starting to talk himself into it, but now it was just a matter of who to ask to potentially get the information he needed.
He approached their manager about it shortly after a choreo session that evening.
Their manager looked up as Minho stepped into his office. “Hey Minho, everything okay?”
“Ah, yes, it is,” he assured as he paused by his desk. “I was wondering if you had copies of the release forms for the kids from the recent SKZ Code we did?”
Their manager gave him an appraising look. “I do… is there one in particular you're curious about?”
Oh god he was totally onto him.
“Y/L/N Kija's, actually,” he admitted, trying to suppress the blush he felt creeping up his face.
Their manager hummed, opening a drawer and flipping through some files. After a moment, he pulled something out and set it on the desk. Before Minho could grab it though, he gave him a look.
“You know the NDAs they signed only apply to the filming period, right?”
Minho blinked and nodded. “Yes.”
He looked at Minho for a while before nodding, letting go of the paper. “Alright, as long as we're clear.”
Minho tentatively grabbed the paper. “... Should I bring this back?”
Their manager shook his head, holding up a hand. “We've got copies. Just shred it when you're done.”
Minho huffed. He made it sound so shady. “Yeah, okay.” He stepped back to leave but paused, giving him a small bow. “Thank you.”
He smirked. “Good luck Minho.”
The blush flooded his cheeks, so he didn't reply. He just gave another nod before he stepped back out into the hallway.
The paper felt heavy in his hands as he walked through the building, heading to the garage. His bag was over his shoulder as he stared at the page in his hand.
The first page was mostly legal nonsense. The only information Y/N had added was her and Kija's names as well as a date and signature.
The second page, however, had what he was looking for.
He just wanted her number. He didn't care about the rest. He already felt a bit off finding her number this way, but…
It was worth a shot. The worst that could happen was her saying no.
Actually, the worst that could happen would be her calling him a creep and filing a restraining order-
Minho shook his head, knowing that was very unlikely and more of a stress thought than anything.
It'd be fine. He'd get his answer and he'd get to move on from there.
As he slipped into one of the company cars, beginning the journey back to the dorms, he got out his phone and added the phone number into his contacts. Once that was done, he folded up the paper and slipped it into his pocket so he could shred it later.
Now he just had to text her.
Just, write up a message. Something simple.
Easy peasy.
Which is why he was lying awake in bed that night, still staring at the blank text message screen on his phone.
Minho groaned, flopping his head onto his pillow. He needed to stop overthinking this. Unless he was a total ass, her answer wasn't going to change because he said “hi” instead of “hello.”
“Hi Y/N, this is Minho, from Stray Kids-”
No, it felt weird to mention that, like he was bragging or something.
“Hi Y/N, this is Minho. We met the other day on set. I apologize for reaching out like this, but I meant to ask you something on set before you left, and I changed my mind last minute.”
He sighed slowly. That was fine. He could do this.
“Would you, perhaps, want to grab dinner together sometime? No pressure if not! I promise I'll respect a no and won't bother you again.”
And now it was sent.
He resisted the urge to throw his phone across the room as his heartbeat stuttered in his chest.
She probably wouldn't even respond until morning. He just needed to forget about his phone and go to sleep.
Luckily, one of the skills he'd developed over the years as an idol was the ability to make himself sleep anytime he was able to. So, after a few minutes of some breathing exercises, his mind finally turned off for the night.
The next thing Minho was aware of was the persistent beeping of his alarm. He huffed, lying there for a moment before cracking his eyes open and fumbling for his phone to turn it off.
He hesitated for a moment as his brain woke up, remembering what he’d done last night. Minho peered at his phone, curious to see what notifications he’d gotten over night.
There were some emails, a few social media notifications, texts from his friends and the group chat…
But none from Y/N.
Minho shook his head and forced himself out of bed so he wouldn’t dwell on it. She had a job and a young son, she’d probably been asleep when he’d sent the first text and now she had to focus on getting herself and her son ready for the day. She didn’t have time to text him back yet.
So Minho went through his normal morning routine, resolutely not looking at his phone as he did it.
He said what he said, whatever she was going to reply he couldn’t influence anymore.
Minho hadn’t told anyone yet that he’d decided to text Y/N. He hadn’t talked with any of the other members about his “crush,” but since Seungmin and Han had both clearly figured it out, he wouldn’t be surprised if the rest knew, as well.
They just hadn’t approached him about it, which he appreciated.
But he didn’t want to tell anyone he’d texted her, not until he had an answer. He couldn’t answer their questions until his question was answered first.
His phone buzzed a few times throughout the day, which wasn’t unusual. What was unusual was the way his heart jumped each time he checked the notification.
None of them had been from her so far.
At lunch, Felix plopped down next to where he was hanging out in the dance studio.
“So whose text are you waiting on?” Felix asked simply.
Minho choked on his drink, coughing for a moment. Felix winced, patting his back sympathetically.
“Sorry,” he apologized, before turning back and taking a bite of his own food as he waited for Minho to answer.
Minho sighed as he finally caught his breath again. He debated telling Felix but he decided to just do it. “Do you remember Kija from the SKZ Code we recorded recently?”
Felix beamed. “Of course. God he was so adorable, and he loved you so much.” He put a hand on his heart.
Minho had to repress a smile at the comment. He liked that the others had noticed how much Kija had liked him. “I texted his mom.”
Felix’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Good for you. She seemed so sweet.” Felix grinned, nudging Minho’s side playfully. “And I saw the way you looked at her.”
Minho huffed, taking a bite of his food. He didn’t reply to Felix’s statement, but the blush dusting his cheeks was answer enough.
“I just hope she replies,” he admitted softly after a moment of silence as the two of them ate.
Felix’s expression softened. “I’m sure she will, hyung. I saw her smiling at you, too. Plus, you’re a catch.”
Minho snorted. “I don’t know about that.”
“You are!” Felix reassured him. “She's probably just busy right now with a normal job and, well, having a kid.”
Minho nodded in agreement, taking another bite of his food. Felix smiled at him, letting the conversation drop as he also focused on his lunch.
But then, Minho's phone buzzed.
Felix froze comically, a bite of food halfway to his mouth, and leaned over to try and catch a glimpse at Minho's phone screen. Minho snatched it up before the little gremlin could see, angling it away from Felix before unlocking it to check what it was.
He managed to keep his expression neutral only through years of experience as he saw who the text was from.
She'd replied.
“What is it? Is it from her?” Felix asked, continually trying to lean around the phone to catch a glimpse at the screen.
Minho held his leg out, using it to push the younger Aussie boy away as he read the text.
“Hey Minho!
I remember you :) It's hard to forget someone who was so kind to my son.”
A smile cracked through his poker face making Felix gasp. “It is her, isn't it?”
Minho just pushed him away again, making his friend laugh and protest as he went back to reading.
“I'll admit, I haven't really tried dating since Kija, so I'm a bit out of practice haha (assuming that's what you meant by dinner, and if not, ignore me!) But I'd be down to try. I'm sure your schedule is more busy than mine so just let me know when :)”
Minho quickly read the text one more time before pocketing his phone. He honestly hadn't thought of a time yet, too worried that she would just reject him outright, so he'd look at his schedule when he was done eating. Then he could get back to her.
He took another bite of his food, ignoring Felix, much to the blonde's chagrin.
“Come onnnn Minho, who was it?” He pleaded.
Minho took his time chewing his food, smirking as Felix melted further, begging for even a smidgen of information.
Finally, he swallowed his food and took a drink before looking slowly over at Felix.
“She texted me back.”
Felix beamed, instantly sitting up. “I knew it! What did she say?”
“Who did what say?” Hyunjin asked as he walked into the practice room.
Minho saw Felix open his mouth and immediately lurched over to clasp a hand over it. “Nothing,” he said firmly, glaring at Felix.
Hyunjin snorted. “Yeah, because that’s not suspicious.”
Minho stared at Felix for a moment longer before slowly removing his hand from the younger boy’s mouth. “Listen, I don’t want to jinx it by talking about it, okay?” He said, glancing between the two of them.
“Ugh that's so boring,” Hyunjin complained, making a face.
“Fine, I understand hyung,” Felix agreed.
“Thank you,” he said. “Now, finish up your food, we have practice to get to.”
Once their choreo session was over, Minho instantly started pulling up his schedule on his phone.
Would she want to bring Kija along? Did weekdays work better or worse for her? If she didn't bring Kija, did she need to get home by a certain time?
Wait, he could just ask her these questions.
“I would like it to be a date :) I have some availability across a few days, but I wasn't sure what works best for you with Kija involved.
I'd be happy for him to come along, if you'd like! If not, I know you probably need to work around him being watched by someone else. Do weekdays or weekends work better? Is a certain time of day easier?”
This time, she texted back much faster.
“Ah you're so thoughtful!
While I'd love to bring Kija along sometime in the future, I'd like to get to know you on my own a bit, too.
For weekdays, evenings work best! If it's a weekend, I just need heads up for anytime so I can make sure Kija's taken care of :)”
“I'd like to get to know you on my own a bit, too.”
Minho couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he read the reply. Okay, he could work with this.
Contact name: Y/N
Minho: I'm good with that :) Would Thursday evening work? I'm not sure what time you get off, so let me know a time!
Y/N: Depending on how far it is, anytime after 6:30 works!
Minho: If it's easier, I could pick you up from your place?
Minho: It's okay if you're not comfortable with that, though!
Y/N: Only if you want to! I trust you, and I'd appreciate it if you're okay with it.
Y/N: I don't exactly have a car haha and public transport is always a little busier in the evenings
Minho: I can pick you up, I don't mind at all.
Minho: I'll be at your place by 6:30 on Thursday then?
Y/N: 🥰 That sounds great
Y/N: I'll send you my address Thursday morning, if that's okay?
Minho: Of course.
Minho: See you then :)
Over the next three days leading up to the date, the two of them kept texting. During all of Minho's downtime, he was planning out their date. He got a reservation at a nice restaurant, but nothing too nice. He looked into flowers and set up a bouquet order to pick up the morning of. He also spent well over an hour agonizing over what outfit to wear.
He didn't want to over dress, but he wanted to show he was serious. He wanted to look nice without showing off. What was the line between casual and intentional?
Before he could pull his hair out, he called Jeongin over for a second opinion, knowing the youngest would at least be a minimal gossip about the date.
Luckily, Jisung was staying late at the studio that evening for a 3Racha thing, so he didn't question why Jeongin came over.
“So, what's this outfit for again hyung?” Jeongin asked as he took in the various pieces of clothing strewn around the room.
“I’m going on a date tomorrow night,” he admitted, keeping his tone level as if it wasn’t a big deal.
Jeongin grinned at him anyways. “And you haven’t told the guys yet?”
Minho huffed. “I will, after the date. I don’t need them pestering me about it.”
Jeongin smirks. “Alright, alright, I won’t tell them, either. Now, where exactly are you taking her?”
After explaining his plans for the evening, Jeongin narrowed it down to a nice sweater, a collared undershirt, some black jeans, and a nice pair of shoes.
“Thank you Ayen,” Minho said as he set the outfit aside. He wouldn't need to change into it until after work tomorrow anyway.
“Sure thing hyung,” Jeongin replied, smiling. “Just make sure I get to hear the date details first.”
“Fine,” he agreed, rolling his eyes fondly.
The next morning, Thursday, Minho was fully locked in. He needed everything to go smoothly so he had enough time to get ready for his date tonight and show up on time.
When Y/N texted him her address, he quickly planned out his route, figuring what time he'd need to leave to have time to grab the flowers along the way.
Luckily, his day went smoothly. He could tell that the other members noticed he was especially focused today, but none of them commented on it, thankfully.
The moment his last meeting was done, Minho beelined it for the parking garage.
As he sped walked into their shared dorm, Jisung was already home.
“Hey Minho- what's the rush?” Jisung called after him as he dipped into his room, shutting the door behind him.
Changing outfits didn't take long. After spritzing on some of his favorite cologne, he stepped into his bathroom to make his hair look more presentable.
Finally, he slipped on some earrings and a simple necklace before stepping back out into the common area.
Jisung looked over when he heard the door open, and his eyes widened. “You're headed back out?”
“I'm going on a date,” he said as he brought his shoes over to the door and slipped them on.
Jisung gasped. “I KNEW IT.”
Minho flashed a smirk at him. “I'll be back later. Don't wait up.”
He heard Jisung shout something behind him, but he just cackled as he left the dorm, shutting the door behind him.
All of the boys would know within the hour, he was certain of that, but that was fine. He's just mute the group chat until tonight.
The flower shop wasn't too far out of the way, though he would've travelled across the city if he had to. When he pulled up to the curb, he slipped on his lower face mask before heading inside to pick up his bouquet.
“Here you are,” the shopkeep said as they brought out the flowers.
Minho gently took them into his arms. “Ah, do you have any recommendations for keeping them from getting smushed while I'm driving?”
They smiled at him. “Absolutely.”
Which led to him buying a vase and situating it in a box so it was all more stable.
When he finally pulled up outside of Y/N's address, he shot her a text letting him know he was here (like she asked him to do). Then, he gently grabbed the flowers out of the vase and stepped out of the car to wait for her.
People passed by on the street as he stood there patiently. His lower face mask was still firmly in place, and most people didn't spare him a second glance. Those who did stared more at the flowers, but no one seemed to recognize him.
He hadn't been too worried. He was rarely recognized when he went out anyways.
A few minutes later, the door to the apartment complex opened. Minho perked up, standing up just a little straighter as a familiar figure stepped out.
She looked stunning.
As he took in her outfit, he made it to her face, eyes catching her gaze just as she looked up at him. She gave a small gasp as she walked over.
“Did you actually buy me flowers?” She asked, voice soft with amazement.
“Of course,” he replied simply. “I have a secure place for them in my car, too, so they’ll be safe during our date.”
She beamed, taking the flowers gently from him as she looked them over. “They’re so pretty. No one has ever brought me flowers for a date before.”
Well that’s ridiculous.
“That’s their loss,” Minho said simply. “You deserve flowers.”
A lovely blush dusted over her cheeks. “Thank you.”
“Would you like me to put them back in their vase for now?”
She nodded, holding them back out to him. “Yes, please.”
Minho smiled, gently grabbing the bouquet from her and securing it in the backseat once more.
The drive to the restaurant was comfortable. They talked a little bit but the silence never felt oppressive.
As they pulled up outside of the restaurant, Y/N gave a soft gasp.
“Minho, this place is expensive,” she chided softly.
He pulled the car into a parking space and looked at her.
“First of all, you're worth it,” he said simply, making her try to hide a smile. “Second, and I don't mean to come off as rude or bragging, but this isn't even the most expensive restaurant I considered for today. I have money to spare, and I'd like to spend it on this, on you. Is that okay?”
She nodded slowly. He nodded back and threw her a small smile before stepping out of the car.
He half jogged to make it around to the other side to open up Y/N's car door for her, reaching out a hand to help her out of the car before the two of them walked into the restaurant together.
“Reservation for Lee Minho,” he told the hostess as they stepped through the doors.
After checking her list, the hostess nodded and led them over to their table. It was tucked away in a more secluded part of the restaurant while still being by a window so they had a nice view.
“So, how long have you lived in Seoul?” Minho asked once their drink orders were placed.
“I came here for university, actually,” she replied. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Seoul had always appealed to me but… to be honest I did it more so to get away from my family. My parents and I aren't exactly on good terms, so I wanted a fresh start away from them. I've lived here ever since.”
He furrowed his brows sympathetically. “Has the escape been good at least? Do you like it here?”
She nodded, giving a small smile. “Honestly, I really do. Moving here is probably one of the best decisions I've ever made.”
“I'm glad to hear that,” he replied.
She tilted her head. “What about you? Are you from Seoul originally?”
He shakes his head. “No, but I didn't live too far. I was born near Gimpo-si.”
She nodded. “Do you have any siblings?”
“Ah, no, it's just me,” he laughed. “You?’
“I have my younger sister,” she replied. “She doesn't live here, but we're still really close. She makes sure to come visit every few months at least, especially now that Kija is here.”
Minho felt himself soften just a little at the mention of Kija. “How is Kija, by the way?”
Y/N instantly beamed at the mention of her son. “Oh he's doing great. Misoon, my neighbor, is watching him right now. I truly don't know what I'd do without her, but he loves going over to her place.” She laughed softly. “We were at the store the other day, actually, and he spotted a stuffed black cat kind of like the one he had on set? Anyway, he instantly picked it up and refused to let it go, so.”
She pulled out her phone and flipped it around to show him some pictures of Kija holding said stuffed cat.
God he was too adorable. It made Minho's heart ache.
Their small talk continued to flow as they ordered their food, and even after it arrived, too. He learned a lot about her, like what she did for a living, her favorite foods, what shows she watched, and what places she hoped to travel to someday.
He also got to see more pictures of Kija, which was something he'd never complain about.
Once the food was paid for, Minho drove her back to her place.
“I had a really nice time tonight Minho,” she said softly as the two of them sat in the car just outside of her building.
Minho smiled. “I did, too.” He glanced at the backseat where the bouquet of flowers still sat (fully intact). “Can I walk you back up to your place? To help carry the flowers, at least?”
She giggled. “Yeah, okay.”
The two of them got out of the car, Minho gently getting the vase and bouquet out of the box it was in before following Y/N inside.
Her apartment was up a few floors. The stairs weren't quite wide enough for the two of them to walk side by side, but Minho was content walking behind her.
As they stepped up onto another landing, Y/N walked towards one of the doors in the hallway instead of heading up another flight.
“I need to pick up Kija first,” she explained to him. “Misoon was already so kind watching him late for me, I don't want her to have to wait any longer.”
She gently knocked on the door as Minho came to stand beside her. After a moment, the door opened and a sweet, older lady peered out.
She had a sleepy Kija on her hip.
She smiled at the two of them, clearly noting the flowers Minho was holding. “Oh, now that's a good man, getting her flowers and walking her home.” She turned to look at Y/N, smiling. “I hope you had a nice time dear.”
Y/N smiled, blushing a bit. “I did ajumeoni. Thanks again for watching him this late.”
Misoon waved her off. “Aish, you know he's never trouble, your sweet little boy.”
Speaking of said little boy, Kija was slowly blinking his eyes open the longer they stood there. At first he was only looking at his mom, but then he seemed to realize Minho was there, too.
And his head popped up instantly.
“Ah!” He screeched excitedly, waving a hand at Minho.
Minho's eyes widened as he blinked rapidly. “He remembers me?”
Y/N looked at him with a fond smile. “Of course he does. Why wouldn't he?”
Minho's heart fluttered as Y/N took the very excited Kija from Misoon. His eyes were still on Minho as he patted his mom's cheek and babbled.
Y/N laughed and kissed Kija's cheek. “Come on Kiki, you can say hi to Minho once he sets the flowers down.”
Misoon bid them goodnight as the two of them stepped across the hall to presumably Y/N's door. As she unlocked it, she paused, glancing back at Minho sheepishly.
“I wasn't expecting company, so I'm sorry for the mess,” she said.
Minho snorted. “I've lived in a dorm with other boys for the past 8 years. I'm sure it's fine.”
She laughed. “That's fair.”
Her door opened into a living room and kitchen combo, with the kitchen being off to the side. Minho toed off his shoes by the door, taking in the array of children's toys strewn on the carpet before looking over at Y/N.
“Where would you like these?” He asked, gesturing to the flowers in his arms.
“On the table over there would be great,” she replied.
Kija whined in protest as Minho walked away, making his heart stutter.
“Give him two seconds Kiki,” Y/N soothed. “He doesn't even have the hands to hold you with right now.”
Oh if Kija came up to him right now, honestly Minho would just drop the flowers. He could buy new ones.
But Minho didn't drop the flowers. He set them diligently on the table like Y/N requested. Once he was certain they were stable, he turned around and squatted down.
Y/N laughed and immediately set Kija down, who instantly beelined for him, hands out as he ran into Minho's arms.
God he could melt on the spot.
Minho gently scooped him up, Kija settling into his arms happily. He started babbling again, patting Minho’s face and chest as he did.
Minho could’ve stood there all night just listening to him talk.
“Yeah, he definitely remembers you,” Y/N teased lightly, smiling fondly at the two of them. “He’s telling you what’s happened since he saw you last.”
“He’s a great storyteller,” Minho replied seriously. “If he doesn’t become a doctor, he could be an author, or maybe an actor.”
Y/N laughed at that, making Minho grin. Kija screeched, patting his face aggressively, making him look back at the toddler. “Oh, I’m sorry your highness, was I not giving you enough attention?”
“He never gets enough attention,” Y/N joked.
“Clearly not,” Minho agreed.
Kija babbled for a little bit longer before he suddenly let out a big yawn. He blinked slowly, rubbing a small fist over his eyes and grumbling.
“Hm, it is past your bedtime, isn’t it?” Minho noted fondly.
“Unfortunately,” Y/N replied softly. She stepped over and gently took the quickly crashing toddler from him. Kija immediately snuggled into her neck, eyes dropping shut. Y/N kissed the top of his head before looking back over at him. “Thanks again for the date tonight Minho. I had a really good time.”
“I did too,” he said. “Hopefully we can go on another one soon?”
She beamed. “I’d like that.”
Over the course of the next few days, you and Minho kept texting regularly. You sent him pictures of Kija anytime he was being cute (which was often) after he reassured you that he did, indeed, want to see pictures of Kija more often.
You were more than happy to oblige.
On Tuesday, you got a text from him asking about your next date.
Contact name: Minho
Minho: would you be open to taking Kija along on our next date?
Y/N: of course!
Y/N: only if you're sure you want him to come along
Minho: i do
Minho: does this coming weekend work for you then? I thought a day at the zoo could be fun
Minho: and it looks like the weather on Sunday will be really nice
Y/N: that'd be fun! Kija hasn't gotten to go to the zoo yet
Y/N: he's gonna love it :)
Minho: great :) what time works for me to pick you up?
Y/N: oh you don't have to do that! Kija still needs a car seat. We can just meet you at the zoo
He didn't respond right away, so you assumed he got busy at work, but the next buzz you got was a link from him.
Minho: [link]
Minho: is this the right size for him?
Y/N: Minho, you don't need to buy a carseat for him! He does just fine on the train
Minho: i want to
Minho: this one says its convertible, so it should last him a while as he gets older
Your heart fluttered at that statement, the casual way he was thinking of Kija's future.
Y/N: yes thats the right size, but really, we'll be ok!
Minho: already bought it, no take backs
You snorted at his response.
Y/N: well thats very sweet of you, thank you
Y/N: best of luck trying to install it later 🤭
Y/N: and anytime after 8am would be fine!
Minho: great, i'll be there at 8 then
By the time Saturday rolled around, you had prepared for everything. You had your baby bag full of snacks, sunscreen, a change of clothes, water, some of his favorite toys- You wanted today to be fun.
You had Kija dressed up in an adorable tiger t-shirt hoodie with matching tiger-themed shoes. He had on some comfy pants and a little sunhat, too.
Minho texted you that morning asking if he should come up to help with Kija, or if you'd rather he just wait downstairs.
Y/N: you can come up! Just buzz on my unit when you get here so i can let you in :)
And sure enough, at 7:58, the buzzer sounded by your door. You'd just finished dressing Kija and was double checking your bag.
You quickly went over to the door to buzz him in. “Come in!”
“Kija, your friend Minho's coming up,” you told your son, who stared at you curiously.
“Mah!” He said and you nodded, smiling.
“Are you gonna show him the new plushie you got?”
Kija immediately began to look around for his stuffed cat, toddling over to it once he spotted it.
Just in time for a soft knock at your door.
You flipped open the latch and quickly opened it. “Hey,” you greeted, “we're almost ready.”
Minho shrugged as he stepped inside. “We're not in a rush. Do you need help with anything?”
“I think we almost have it-” you started to say when an excited screech cut you off.
Kija, now proudly holding his black cat plush in one hand and his tiger in the other, had spotted Minho and was toddling determinedly over to him.
Minho's face lit up, quickly dropping into a crouch to catch the excited boy. “Hey Kija-ah, is that the new plushie your mom's been telling me about?”
With Kija now thoroughly distracted, you took a moment to clean up the remnants of breakfast and triple check that you had everything packed.
“Okay,” you said, slinging the bag over your shoulder, “I'm ready to go.”
Minho looked up at you. “Do you need any help with that?”
You shook your head as you slipped on your shoes. “As long as you have Kija, I'm good.”
Minho smiled, glancing back at Kija. “I think I can handle that.”
“So I'm guessing car seat wrangling went okay?” You joked as the two of you made your way down to Minho's car.
Minho huffed. “I may have had to look up a tutorial, but between me and Changbin, we finally got it in.” He paused. “I think.”
You laughed. “Yeah when we tried to install one in my sister's car, it was a nightmare. I'm sure you did great, though.”
You did end up double checking the car seat once you got down there. It looked secure. Minho even explained how it was convertible.
“Apparently you can even fit a baby carrier in it,” Minho said, “though he's obviously too big for that already.”
Kija had only been in car seats a handful of times in his life, considering you didn't own a car, so you weren’t 100% sure how he'd do.
He sat down without a fuss, though he complained a bit as you maneuvered his arms through the straps and buckles. Minho gave him back his plushies once you stepped away, and he was perfectly content.
The drive to the zoo wasn't bad. Minho played soft, upbeat music in the background and the two of you talked while checking in on Kija periodically. Your son was totally content, babbling randomly while shaking his toys happily.
The zoo was pleasantly abuzz as you circled the parking lot for a spot. Other families and couples were also arriving, ready for a fun day.
You glanced at Minho as he put the car into park. “Are you worried about being recognized?”
Minho shrugged. “Honestly, it doesn't happen too often for me, but I have a hat and a mask just in case.” He looked at you for a moment. “I'm not worried about being seen with you, if that's what you mean.”
You hadn't been thinking about that, but the way he so casually said it made you blush. “Oh.”
Minho smirked and patted your hand before slipping out of the car.
As Minho stepped around and started unbuckling Kija, you stepped out as well so you could grab the bag you'd packed. Kija was already giggling as Minho tickled his stomach before picking him up and putting him on his hip.
“You ready to see a tiger Kija?” Minho asked.
Kija held up his tiger plush excitedly. “H'angi?”
“Yes, you're gonna see a holangi,” Minho confirmed, smiling fondly as he adjusted Kija's hat so it sat properly on his head.
Minho made sure to stick by your side as you walked through the parking lot and over to the entrance. He shifted Kija onto one hip as he fished out his phone to scan the tickets he'd bought.
“Do you want to grab a map or get anything from the shops before we go further in?” Minho asked as you stepped inside of the main building.
“Let's grab a map,” you suggested and he nodded in agreement, the two of you heading over to the main information center.
Kija was starting to get restless. He was looking around at everything and he very much wanted down so he could explore further. Minho just shushed him gently, bouncing him in his arms to try and calm him.
“I know aegiya, but let's wait til we're outside where it's less crowded, okay?” He said calmly.
You rubbed Kija's back affectionately, and he grumbled once more but settled down a little.
“So,” you started, opening the map as you and Minho slowly walked towards the building exit into the rest of the zoo, “obviously we have to see the big cats, but I think he'd really like the underwater section as well with the dolphins and seals. Maybe we make a path like this?” You traced a route on the map.
“That sounds good,” Minho agreed.
Minho pushed open the door, holding it for you before setting Kija on his feet and grabbing his hand.
The three of you meandered around contentedly at the toddler's pace. Kija was wide eyed, looking around at everything. Occasionally he'd tuck himself in closer to you or Minho, a little overwhelmed at the crowds, but with the two of you on either side of him he seemed more confident than usual.
It made your heart warm, seeing him trust Minho so implicitly already.
The first animal exhibit you got to was the zebras and giraffes.
Minho instantly scooped up Kija, placing him on his shoulder and holding onto his legs as he pointed out the giraffes up above. Kija's head tilted back as he stared in open mouth awe, patting the top of Minho's head in excitement.
You whipped out your phone on instinct and then paused. “Do you mind if I take pictures? I promise I won't share any with your face online.”
Minho glanced at you. “Of course. I trust you.” He looked back up at Kija. “As long as you share them with me, too.”
You smiled. “Of course,” you parroted back before quickly snapping a few photos.
The next exhibit on your route was the gorillas. You managed to get a spot near the glass. Minho gently set Kija in front of him so he could stand on the ledge while you and Minho stood behind him.
Kija babbled, smacking the glass as he looked through at the gorillas.
A mother gorilla with a baby ended up coming over and looking at Kija curiously, making Kija laugh in excitement. The baby even came down and had a staring contest with Kija for a while, which you took dozens of pictures of.
The hippos were a bit of a bust, as they were hanging out far away from the viewing area, but after that were the lions and cheetahs.
Kija was elated.
“He really does like cats doesn't he?” Minho laughed as he watched Kija babble and fixate on the lions as they lounged near the fencing.
“He always has,” you agreed, smiling. “I don't blame him, honestly. I like cats, too.”
You glanced at Minho as you said that. He met your gaze and instantly blushed, smiling to himself and quickly looking back down at Kija.
You stayed at the lions and cheetahs for a while before finally continuing on to the camels, foxes, and alligators. Minho immediately snapped pictures of the foxes, laughing to himself.
“We always call Jeongin a fox,” he explained as he texted the picture to his friends.
“I do know a little bit about Stray Kids,” you joked.
Minho looked at you with a smirk. “Oh yeah?”
Your bravado faltered immediately. “Ah, I mean, I watched the survival show. I used to follow more kpop groups, but since Kija, I've become more of a passive fan.”
“Who was your bias?” He asked cheekily, sliding a little closer to you.
You looked at him for a moment before biting your lower lip and quickly glancing away. “Does it actually matter who-”
Minho cackled, making Kija look up and start giggling too. You couldn’t help but laugh along with them as you began to look for a place to pause for a snack for Kija.
“It was Seungmin by the way,” you said as you settled in on a bench and fed Kija some of his fruit snacks.
Minho smirked. “Sure it was.”
After a quick break, where both of you hydrated too, you were back on your way.
The tiger exhibit was next.
“Is this his first time seeing a tiger in real life?” Minho asked.
You nodded. “Yeah it is.”
“Want me to record his reaction?” He asked. “That way you can be in the video with him?”
“Oh,” you said softly. “Actually, yes, that’d be wonderful. Thank you.”
Minho just winked and gently took the bag from your shoulder before passing you Kija.
Kija looked at you curiously as you settled him onto your hip. “You ready to see some tigers, Kiki?”
Kija held up his plushie and you nodded, smiling. “Yes! Just like that but bigger.”
You walked around the corner, leaning forward slightly to try and spot the tiger. There was always a chance it was tucked away, not wanting to be seen currently. You’d be a little upset, but Kija wouldn’t know any different.
You felt hopeful, though, as you saw a few families crowded around near the viewing area.
The first thing you noticed was the long, striped tail as the tiger slowly stalked around its exhibit. You couldn’t help but feel excited, too, even if this moment was more for Kija than it was for you.
“Kija, look,” you said, tugging gently on his leg and pointing up ahead.
You managed to find a spot near the glass just as the tiger turned around and walked by again.
Kija immediately perked up. He started patting you excitedly with one hand, flailing around his plushie with the other. You smiled as you watched his reaction, happy to see him so enamored.
“‘Angi!” He declared proudly.
“That’s right,” you said. You squatted down so he was more level with the large cat. Its eyes were roaming over the crowd, tail swishing back and forth as it made lazy laps of the enclosure.
Kija squirmed in your arms, gaze still clearly fixated on the tiger. You smiled, putting him down in front of you on the ledge in front of the viewing glass. Immediately he put his hands against it, pushing his face closer as if it’d somehow let him see the tiger more clearly.
You could’ve stayed here all day, just watching Kija stare at the tiger with wide, innocent eyes. You weren’t even sure how much time had passed until someone squatted down beside you.
Minho looked out at the tiger, too, his knee brushing against yours. He glanced over at you, and then Kija, his expression fond. “I don't think I've been this excited about a tiger since I was a kid, too.”
You laughed softly. “They'll bring it out in you.” You leaned forward to kiss the back of Kija's head. “I swear he's given me a new lease on life. He's always reminding me how exciting everything in the world actually can be.” You glanced over at Minho, smiling. “I remember the first time he noticed the neon sign at the corner store near me. He stared at it like it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen.”
You ran your hand through Kija's hair absentmindedly. “He still loves staring out the window when we take the train. The scenery fascinates him every single time, even if it's the same as what he's seen before.” You paused, voice softening when you continued. “We take stuff like that for granted, ya know? We get so used to things we forget how genuinely interesting they are, just because they've become ‘normal’ for us.”
Minho hums softly. “I think we all need a reminder not to take things for granted sometimes." He glanced at Kija and then at you, giving a small smirk. “You're lucky yours came in such a cute package.”
You giggled at that. “Yeah,” you sighed fondly, “I am.”
You swore you saw Minho's tongue dart out, caressing his lower lip for just a moment before he looked away. “Guess that makes me lucky, too.”
The two of you sat there in comfortable silence, just watching Kija watch the tiger, until the tiger decided it was bored and finally walked out of sight. You gave it another minute before scooping Kija up, much to his dismay, and continuing your trek around the zoo.
Thankfully, when you made it to the exhibit, the red pandas, Kija quickly forgot about his tiger woes and giggled as the adorable mammals stumbled around.
The next stop on your route was the dolphin and sea lion building. Minho quickly bought tickets for the midday dolphin show. The three of you decided to grab some food from the concessions in the building before settling into your seats.
Kija decided that the fries and apple slices he was eating were way more exciting than the show, but you loved every second of it.
At one point you glanced over at Kija to check on him, only to see Minho watching you with an incredibly fond expression. You blushed, but he just shrugged.
“Those tickets were for you, too.”
Once the show was over, Minho scooped Kija up and the three of you headed further into the building to watch the animals swim around.
Now this part had Kija's interest. He stared into the deep blue tanks and squealed excitedly anytime something swam by.
With food in his stomach, a day of excitement under his belt, and his usual midday naptime long past, Kija's energy was waning quickly as you exited the building. His head had plonked onto Minho's shoulder a few minutes ago, and his blinks were slowly getting further apart.
Minho looked elated, fond, and slightly panicked all at the same time. “Is he- should we go back to the car?”
You laughed quietly at his panic. “No, he's fine. Like I said on set, he really can sleep anywhere.” You gestured to your bag. “If he gets fussy, though, I brought a blanket we can shade his eyes with.” You patted Minho's shoulder, smiling. “Just keep doing what you're doing.”
Minho nodded, bringing his other hand up to further support Kija, adjusting him so they were both comfortable.
You giggled again, fondly. “If he gets too heavy, let me know.”
“No, no,” Minho insisted, “I got him.”
The two of you continued along the route you'd planned, albeit at a much calmer pace. You still took in the sights, enjoying seeing the animals and chatting softly about the exhibits. Kija stayed soundly asleep the whole time, unphased by the people and animals moving all around him.
Since Kija was asleep, you decided to take a slight detour over to the butterfly house. This was also, coincidentally, near the kangaroo exhibit, which Minho was excited to snap a few pictures of.
“Chan?” You guessed with a laugh.
He nodded, grinning back. “Chan.”
Once he'd snapped his photos, the two of you walked over to the butterfly enclosure. Minho held open the first door for you, and the two of you stepped inside, waiting for it to close fully before opening the second.
The building was like a small greenhouse. Sunlight filtered in through the large windows. The air was temperate, slightly more humid than the outside. The room was overflowing with plants and flowers of all kinds.
And gently fluttering through the air were hundreds of colorful butterflies.
“Oh wow,” you whispered softly, involuntarily. You looked up, watching them fly around in awe.
“Have you ever been to a butterfly garden before?” Minho asked quietly as you slowly walked through the path.
You shook your head. “I don't think so, unless I went as a kid and can't remember.”
Minho looks up as a butterfly flies nearby. “I think the last time I went was a few years ago, when I came here with a few of the members on our day off.” He tilted his head to the side to look at you. “They look even prettier each time… I'll have to bring you again so you can see it, too.”
You smiled. “I'd like that.”
You took your time, walking through the butterfly garden slowly, so you could enjoy it for as long as possible.
Eventually, however, you made it to the exit.
“Wait,” Minho said, making you pause. You turned to face him as he slowly reached out a hand to something on top of your head.
As he pulled it back, a monarch butterfly was perched on his finger. He chuckled softly. “This little guy was trying to hitch a ride.”
“Aw man,” you laughed, “I was trying to sneak him home.”
Minho snorted, watching as the butterfly finally flew away. “Well you weren’t as subtle as you thought.”
“I'll try harder next time,” you teased, making Minho huff out a soft laugh.
You finally exited the building, sans butterfly. There wasn't much left on your route, so you simply enjoyed walking together until you made it back to the main entrance.
“I want to stop by the gift shop, if that's okay,” Minho said.
You nodded. “I don't mind. Do you need me to hold him?”
Minho glanced at Kija, who was still sound asleep, and shook his head. “I think I'm good for now.”
The gift shop was huge. Hanging from the ceiling were various birds and fish. The walls were decorated with drawings of trees and mountains. Kids ran around excitedly, holding up plushies and toys while older adults looked at the mugs, keychains, and other trinkets.
“Is there something you want to grab?” Minho asked, glancing at you.
“Oh, no, I'm okay. I don't need anything,” you reassured him, shaking your hands in front of you dismissively.
Minho stared at you for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Hm, why don't you go look around for a second?”
You narrowed your eyes back. “And what are you going to do?”
His face transformed into a smirk. “There's something I want to get for Kija, and you can't stop me.”
“And I don't get to see what it is?”
“You will, but go look around for a bit at least.” He winked. “I'll be back.”
Minho turned and walked away before you could say anything else. For a moment you thought about following him, but sighed and decided it couldn't hurt to look around for once.
You walked past the t-shirts and other novelty clothing first, not particularly interested in it. The next section was a wall of mugs, shot glasses, and plates. They had a wide range of designs on them from animals to the zoo's logo. You browsed through them casually before moving on to the trinket section.
At first you were drawn to some of the enamel pins and magnets displayed on the wall.
What caught your eye, though, was a section of glass figurines. In particular, two tigers, a mom and her cub, curled around each other.
You brought a hand up, gently holding it and turning it over so the light reflected through it. It was so pretty it made your heart twinge a bit at the thought of putting it down.
“Bring that to the register, too.”
You jumped, spooked by the sudden voice. Minho laughed behind you.
“Sorry, didn't mean to scare you,” he teased. “Now come on, bring that up to the register.”
You started to put it back on the shelf. “Minho, it's fine-”
“Ah, ah,” he pointed at you. “I will just grab it myself if you don't.”
You sighed fondly and picked it back up. That's when you realized, minus Kija, his hands were still empty. You tilted your head in confusion. “I thought you were getting something, too?”
“An employee came over and grabbed it for me,” he explained. “It's waiting at the register.”
You narrowed your eyes at him, but he just smirked, unrepentant. “Come on, let's get in line to check out.”
Turns out, the thing Minho had grabbed for Kija was a stuffed tiger that was bigger than him. You turned to look at him with wide eyes, already guesstimating how much the plushie likely cost.
“Minho-” you started to hiss, but he held a finger up to your lips.
“I don't care. I have money. I'm spending it on you two,” he said simply, raising an eyebrow at you. “Besides, he's gonna love it.”
“He's gonna freak out, is what he's gonna do,” you replied with a sigh.
Minho grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
You finally stepped up to pay, gently setting the glass figurine on the counter next to the large tiger plush. Minho swiped his card without a second glance, making sure your figurine was safely packaged up before he grabbed the bag.
“Wait,” you said, following as he walked out of the store, “at least let me carry that.”
“We're not far from the car, I got it,” he insisted, looking wholly unbothered by the weight of a toddler on one arm, and a giant bag on the other.
“You're ridiculous.”
He shrugged. “I work out for a reason.”
Kija stayed asleep even as you got him situated back in his car seat. You couldn't resist the urge to kiss the top of his head as you set down the diaper bag in the backseat right beside the large tiger.
“Man, he's really out,” Minho noted softly as you got buckled into the passenger seat.
You glanced back at Kija with a soft smile. “He'll probably wake up when we get home.”
“Good,” Minho nodded, “I want to see his reaction to the plushie.”
The ride home was quiet, but comfortably so. You were more exhausted from the day than you'd realized, honestly. With soft music playing through the car speakers, and the constant hum of traffic around you, it was hard to fight the pull of a quick doze, but somehow you managed.
As Minho pulled the car into park, Kija grumbled in the backseat. You smiled fondly, hiding a yawn behind your hand as you got out of the car.
Minho glanced at you over the car. “I'm surprised you didn't fall asleep.”
You waved a hand at him. “I can sleep later. I didn't want to be the date that fell asleep in the car.”
Minho shrugged. “I wouldn't have minded. Rest is important.” He said simply before opening the car door and smiling at Kija. “Hey Kija-ah, did you sleep good at least?”
Kija blinked sleepily at Minho, glancing over and seeing you across the backseat. He smiled and yawned, rubbing his eye with a tiny fist.
“Sounds like it was a good nap,” you replied, smiling.
Minho hummed in agreement, quickly undoing the buckles and laughing when Kija melted into his arms. “Still a little tired I see.”
“Just wait til we get upstairs,” you said, grabbing the bags and shutting the car door behind you.
As you ascended into your apartment building, Kija slowly woke up more. By the time you were up to your door, he was wide awake and itching to get down.
“Here,” you said as you stepped inside, toeing your shoes off, “let me get this placed in the living room so he can see it.”
Minho, after also stepping out of his shoes, shuffled over to the kitchen to distract Kija as you got the plushie ready.
Then, you stepped aside and got out your phone, recording the scene.
“Okay, you can bring him in.”
Minho stepped into the living room, Kija on his hip looking around the room with bright eyes.
“Look Kija,” Minho said, pointing at the rug. “What's that?”
It took Kija a moment to spot it, but you knew the instant he did. He flailed his little arms and let out an excited screech, immediately leaning out of Minho’s hold to try and be let down. Minho laughed as he adjusted his hold on the toddler, squatting down so he could safely be let go and beeline it for the tiger plush..
Minho stayed where he was, squatted and beaming as Kija ran over and grabbed the giant tiger plush’s face with both of his hands, his smaller tiger plus now lying on the ground next to it. Kija let out a shout and shook the tiger plush’s head to the best of his ability.
“Do you think he likes it?” Minho asked teasingly, glancing up at you. When he spotted the camera, he blushed a bit, but didn’t look away.
You giggled fondly. “I don’t know. It’s hard to say.”
Minho snorted, dropping his head for a moment before looking back up at Kija who was now trying to lay on top of the giant plush.
When you’d first become a mother, a part of you had worried that you’d never be able to find someone who cared about Kija as much as you did, and that would be a deal breaker. You wanted someone else in your life who recognized how important he was, someone you could trust to do what’s best for him if something ever happened to you.
You thought people wouldn’t want to because he “wasn’t theirs,” or that whatever kids you might have with them in the future would take more priority, and your heart couldn’t even bare the thought.
But now, here Minho was, smiling at your son like he held the stars in his hand.
… Maybe this could be good.
Maybe this is exactly what you'd been waiting for this whole time.
2:45a.m. | minho
established relationship. fluff. dad!minho.
pairing: minho x fem!reader
word count: 2.5k
summary: when a storm hits, minho makes sure your daughter is able to fall back asleep
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You’re not sure what wakes you first: the crack of thunder or the resulting cry.
Your entire body jolts, the room painted in a flash of white that disappears just as quickly as it came. The weather report had stated that there would be a storm, however ones this bad were uncommon, especially in Seoul.
Another cry. It crackles through the baby monitor on the nightstand at the same time it echoes off of the walls of the other room. You move to kick the covers off when an arm stops you, warm and heavy where it’s thrown over your waist. You instantly relax into the touch, sighing when the tip of a nose brushes against the shell of your ear.
“I got her,” Minho mumbles, his voice raspy with sleep.
“It’s okay. You have an early morning, I can do it.” You argue, but make no move to get up.
Minho doesn’t respond, instead he knocks a kiss to your temple and tightens the blanket around you once he’s out of bed. You hear the soft pads of his feet against the floor and crack one eye open just in time to see him slip out of the room, his voice floating into the hallway, ‘Uh oh, what happened to the princess?’
The way the crying stops almost immediately is proof enough that it was a good thing Minho went in place of you. Seola is a fussy baby; she cries loud and wants incessantly—more than the usual ten month old. She can’t go anywhere without her elephant binky and hates wearing hats, if she doesn’t like a food she’ll snap her lips shut and turn her head until her face is pressed into the back of the high chair, when she’s angry she shakes a tiny fist in your direction and pounds it against your arm. But perhaps the most difficult thing, the one that has you wanting to pull your hair out most of the time, is that sometimes the only way to calm her down is if Minho is the one to do it.
A part of you always knew that your baby would favor Minho, as funny as it sounds. When you first got pregnant, one of the things the two of you were most excited for was being able to feel the baby kicking. Minho sang to your belly every night after you first broke the news, even as you laughed and told him that he or she didn’t have ears yet.
“So?” he questioned, glaring at you from where he had his head pressed against the bare skin of your stomach.
“You also know you don’t have to lift my shirt up, right?”
“Yeah? Well then I can’t do this,” he’d said before blowing a raspberry straight onto your belly button. His laughter then quickly turned into a string of apologies as he came to the realization that the sound might have been too loud, his hand rubbing soothing circles along the lower part of your stomach while you watched with fond eyes.
Minho never missed a night. He made sure that he was always home before you went to bed when he could be, oftentimes fighting with his manager to be let out early or skip practice entirely, promising to show up early the next day and put in the work on his own time. On the nights where he couldn’t make it or the two of you were separated by distance that made him want to give it all up, he called and made you press the speaker into your gradually hardening baby bump.
You and Minho found out that you were having a girl on the day of the first snow. The two of you watched with tear-filled eyes as the ultrasound technician pointed to the monitor in excitement, her smile detectable even beneath the mask she had covering her face.
“Congratulations! It’s a girl!”
Minho called his mom first. Her shouts of joy were so loud that he had to hold the phone away from his ear, his smile the brightest that you’d ever seen. Pride. He was so proud of his little family that he thought his heart might burst.
You called your parents next, and Minho held the phone up so that the two of you could give them the news through the camera, his free hand squeezing yours tightly as you cried and told them that you couldn’t wait for them to come visit once the baby came.
The members were last, all seven of them piled on top of one another on the couch in the practice room, Hyunjin and Changbin fighting over the fact that ‘I can’t see, asshole!’ and ‘You’re tall enough just stand in the back!’
Finding out the gender of the baby made everything more real. Bows and dresses and frilly socks—every time Minho came back to the apartment he had a shopping bag hanging from his arm. He spent most of the time on his phone looking at baby things and stuff that was completely unnecessary.
“What about this?” he asked, pointing his phone down to where your head was resting in his lap.
“Minho,” you scolded, glancing up at him with furrowed eyebrows, “I am not buying a booger straw for the baby.”
“It’s not a booger straw—”
“That is one hundred percent a booger straw. You literally have to suck the boogers out of their nose. Can’t we just buy a nasal suction like normal people?”
“What if it’s not efficient enough? I hate when my nose is stuffy, what more our baby? She won’t even be able to communicate with us, I feel so bad for her.”
“Oh God,” you groaned, dramatically throwing an arm over your face as Minho continued to explain in thorough detail why a booger straw was a necessity in that very moment, even though your due date was still months away.
As time passed and your stomach grew, so did the nerves Minho had about not being present enough. With the nature of his career, it was hard for him to not feel like he wasn’t excessively absent most of the time. Stress took a toll on him, mentally and physically. It wore him thin until the circles under his eyes were the worst you’d ever seen and his mornings couldn’t start without a mandatory dosage of ibuprofen to dull the headache he had the minute he woke up.
Minho was doubtful. He had dreams that his daughter wouldn’t know who he was and that his moments with her would be spent through a phone call rather than with his arms wrapped around her tiny body. He felt like he had already failed a million times without ever even having the chance to prove himself.
On the night the baby kicked for the first time, Minho came home late.
Pregnancy fatigue had taken its toll on you that day. You’d remained in bed, too nauseated to move and aching throughout the entire expanse of your back. Minho worried the moment he woke up, but you’d urged him that you were okay and sent him on his way to the company, practically begging him to leave rather than to deal with another earful from his manager about absences. Luckily for you, his mom was able to come over, and you let her dote on you as well as cook and clean as much as she pleased.
You’d fallen asleep early, your stomach full of homemade food and blankets freshly washed, leaving Minho in a frazzled state because you hadn’t picked up his calls for his nightly belly-singing session. To top it all off, dance practice ran late because of a last minute formation change that needed to be perfected before the next day’s performance.
When he finally made it home, Minho booked it to the bedroom, dropping to his knees next to the bed to place his hands on your stomach as you slept peacefully on your side, your head tucked into the crook of your elbow.
Sometimes, unbeknownst to you, Minho would wake in the middle of the night and talk to your stomach, talk to the baby. It was a little self-indulgent, some alone time for him to speak all of his worries, fears, hopes, and dreams out into the world. That night, it was just them again. Just Minho and the baby.
“I’m home,” he’d said quietly, rubbing soft circles into the material of your shirt, “Daddy’s sorry he’s late. It’s snowing outside, so I couldn't drive too fast.” He waited a few seconds before starting to sing, his voice soft, quiet enough that he wouldn’t wake you up:
펄, 펄, 눈이 옵니다
peol, peol, the snow is falling
하늘에서 눈이 옵니다
the snow is falling from the sky
하늘 나라 선녀님들이
the heavenly seonyeos
송이 송이 하얀 솜을
the white cotton
자꾸 자꾸 뿌려 줍니다
it keeps sprinkling
Minho had moved forward once he was done, resting his cheek against your stomach as gently as possible. He let his eyes focus on the snow falling outside the window, the city covered in a thin blanket of white.
“You’re gonna need a name soon, huh?” he asked, lightly drumming his fingers against your belly. “We found out you were a girl on the first snow, did you know that? My little snow girl. My—wait. Seola means snow girl. That’s pretty, right? Do you like that?”
Minho, not expecting a response, nearly screamed when he felt the softest of thumps against the skin of your stomach, just beneath the palm of his hand.
“What—” Kick.
“B-Babe.” He said, louder this time, sitting up straight to stare at your stomach with wide eyes. You stirred awake, shifting slightly to crack an eye open.
“Minho? You’re home? What are you—”
“Has she been kicking?”
You shook your head, pushing yourself up to rest your back against the headboard. “No, of course not, I would’ve told you if she did. Why? Did something—” You were cut off by the strongest kick yet, your hand flying to your stomach.
“Seola.” Minho had said again, his voice cracking halfway through when another kick came before he could even finish speaking.
From that moment on, Minho knew in his heart that your daughter’s name was always meant to be Seola. He’d talk endlessly about how he would always treat the first snow of the year like a second birthday, and he’d always make it a point to say her name whenever he was talking or singing to your belly.
Much like now, with his back turned to you, Minho’s voice is still as gentle as ever.
“Sometimes when the air is angry it makes electricity,” he says, swaying back and forth as Seola rests her cheek against his shoulder. Her eyes are droopy, heavy with sleep as Minho talks to soothe her back to bed. “And then the lightning makes the air really really hot, and it goes boom.” He pats her back a few times, shushing her when she brings a fist up to her face to rub it angrily. He hums a soft melody, something nonsensical, quiet enough to lull her to sleep but also loud enough to overpower the sound of heavy rain hitting the window.
You watch as he lays her back in her crib, black hair fanned out around her head as he places a warm hand on her stomach to keep some added weight on her body until he’s certain she’s sleeping deeply.
“Oh look,” you say from the doorway, making him jump, “You bored her back to sleep.”
Minho laughs, light and airy, walking over to wrap his arms around you and rest his cheek against your head.
“Jealous that she likes my voice more?”
Minho’s voice, still deep with sleep, rumbles beneath his chest, right where you have your face pressed into it. You take a deep breath, inhaling him as best as you can, his cologne mixing with the smell of baby powder and Seola’s soap.
“No, I just wish you would come back to bed now and bore me to sleep too.”
A hand runs up and down your back, Minho’s adam's apple bobs when he swallows too hard. “I wouldn’t have to if you stayed there like I told you to.”
“I just wanted to check on you,” you sigh, “Also it’s nice to see the two of you together. I don’t get to see it a lot, y’know?”
Minho stills on his feet, and you pull back in time to catch the ghost of a frown on his face.
“Sorry,” he says quietly, “I know. I’m—fuck, I have to be gone tomorrow too.” He runs a hand through his hair, and you can practically see the guilt worming its way into his head.
Determined to stop the inevitable self-loathing, you bring your hands up to cup his face, your thumbs running gently along the corners of his mouth. He melts into the touch immediately, closing his eyes and exhaling out of his nose.
“That’s not what I meant. I just like to cherish the time we have when all three of us are together, that’s all. This isn’t a ‘you versus me’ thing, okay? This is me and you making do with what we have.”
“Yeah,” he nods, “Yeah I know. Me and you.”
“Always.” You smile, leaning up to press your lips together.
With the thunder no longer rumbling overhead and the rain lighter than it had been earlier, you and Minho deem it safe enough to retreat into your bedroom without running the risk of Seola being woken up again.
“Do you want me to explain the force of gravity?” He whispers, playful but weak where his fatigue is starting to seep into his bones.
You laugh and tuck your face into his neck, his arms tightening around you on instinct. When you don’t answer, he knows that he doesn’t have to speak for you to drift off to sleep; knows that no matter what you’ll always be at home tucked into his side, and eventually lets sleep overtake him too.
When morning hits the sky is cloudy and the room is painted in a pale gray. The spot next to you is cold, sheets still tousled from sleep where Minho had been. You frown, glancing at the baby monitor on the nightstand that’s oddly quiet. It’s not normal for you to wake without the sounds of Seola beating your internal clock to it.
Your confusion only grows when you step into the hallway, the sounds of light snoring drifting out from the nursery. When you breach the doorway, you stop short, your heart doubling in size at the sight before you.
Minho is there, slumped against the side of the crib, his head leaning on one of the slats of wood and his arm shoved through the gap, Seola’s hand wrapped tightly around his finger. He must’ve gotten worried at some point in the night, scared that the rain would wake her again.
You inch forward to kneel beside him, running a hand through his hair and smiling when the touch makes his nose twitch. Seola’s own does the same when she sleeps, a little mole on the tip of her right nostril, just like her dad has on his left nostril. A direct reflection of one another; of love in its purest form.
AS WE ALL KNOW...DAD SKZ HAS TAKEN OVER MY MIND AND I HAVE THOUGHTS....like Lino's babies ( kittens as he calls them) playing with cat toys
just imagine...
you and Lino are sitting on your couch with your cute little Bubby sat on the floor in front of you...but playing with Soonie, Doongi and Dori's toys. "Bub what are you doing, little one?" he couldn't help but ask, seeing your 9 month old baby giggling and fussing with a string toy. A string toy that you knew Soonie loved.
your baby couldn't talk, only able to babble out little squeals and giggles. Squealing, your baby looked at his dad with big brown feline eyes, ones that matched his dads, and waved the toy around. "Ah, is that Soon-Soon's toy, Bub?" You asked, smiling at the happy baby. "I think it is," your husband had tittered back. his eyes were locked on your son, gleefully waving the toy around.
your son was a carbon copy of Lino and with that came his love of cats. often times, your three fur babies would often would be seen protecting the mini Lino. constantly cuddling him, surrounding him and even going as far as to hiss at Lino when he tried to pick him up for feedings or bath time.
"Yah, I'm still your dad, Soonie." He whined, the orange fur cat mewed swatting at his leg as he help your son in his arms. "He isn't a cat," you would hear Lino tell your cats as your fur babies meows at the small chubby baby. "They sure think he is,jagi." You would giggle out, as he watched the cats and his son sitting on the floor playing with the toys.
At this rate... you were sure the baby's first word would be meow
//a.n: this is my first writing in a long while so please bare with me,(·•᷄∩•᷅ ) I hope you enjoy it and do free to send asks, requests and etc
Pairings: Minho x female!Reader, Minho & kid!character
Rating: T
Genre: Dad!Minho, babysitting, fluff, cuteness overload, Uncle!Stray Kids, single mother!reader
Summary: It was supposed to be his day off, but when Y/N called him in a panic because her babysitter was sick, Minho didn't hesitate to offer to babysit her son, Kija, for the day.
After all, what better way to spend his time off than spoiling the kid who he adores almost as much as the kid's mother?
Word Count: 5.5k
A/N: Hehehe did someone say more Minho and Kija? TYSM for so much love on the original fic (Baby Matchmaker) for this! You don't have to read it to understand this one, the first fic just talks about how Reader and Minho got together :3 Enjoy!
⁽ᵈᶦᵛᶦᵈᵉʳ ᵖᶦˣᵉˡ ᵃʳᵗ ᵇʸ ᵐᵉ⁾
(writing masterlist)
Today was Minho's day off. Not a weekend, just a regular weekday where he got to relax for once.
He had plans to go by Y/N's place this evening and make a nice dinner for her, but until then, he planned on relaxing, maybe going to visit his cats, sleeping in-
So why was his phone going off?
Minho grumbled, tempted to ignore it, but ultimately deciding against it. He fumbled for his phone and glared at the bright screen, eyes coming into focus so he could finally read the name.
Y/N.
His brain snapped into focus, immediately pushing himself up in bed as he answered the phone. “Hello?” He said, voice still thick with sleep. He cleared his throat.
“Minho, hey, I'm so sorry for waking you up,” Y/N started rattling, “but Misoon texted me and said she has a fever, and I can't stay home from work because I have a big meeting today with a new client. Could you possibly watch Kija? I know it's your day off, but I don't have anyone else to ask, I'm sorry. If you can't, it's okay-”
“Y/N,” Minho interrupted softly, “I can watch him.”
“Are you sure?” She asked softly.
“Of course,” he replied firmly, already moving out of his bed to start getting dressed. “How soon do you need me there?”
She sighed in relief. “Seriously, thank you, and don't rush. I texted my boss and told her I have a babysitter mishap, she knows I may be a little late.”
“I'll be there as soon as I can,” he told her.
“Okay, okay,” she whispered, still sounding slightly frantic. “Thank you, seriously.”
“It's not a problem. See you in 15.”
Minho quickly breezed through getting dressed, quickly brushing his teeth and his hair before he was zipping out the door.
The drive over was familiar at this point. Minus the early morning traffic, it was quick and easy, and soon he was parking his car and heading inside.
When he made it up to her apartment, Y/N instantly opened the door, a look of pure relief on her face.
“Thank you,” she said, leaning in to kiss him, “seriously.”
His expression softened. “You know I love Kija, too, it's not a hardship to watch him.”
“I know, but it's your day off, and it's last minute, and I just-” she takes a deep breath as he steps inside and shuts the door behind him.
Kija is in his high chair, happily finishing his breakfast when he spots Minho. He screeches excitedly and smacks his hands into the surface.
Minho grinned and waved at him. “Hi Kiki.” He looked back at Y/N. “What do you need help with so you can leave?”
She looked at him with pleading eyes. “Can you help him finish his food and clean him up please?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
She kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she said before quickly heading back to her bedroom to finish getting ready.
Minho walks over to Kija, who's staring at him and babbling excitedly. “Alright aegiya, let's finish this cereal, yeah?”
With minimal prompting, Minho gets Kija to finish his food and have a bit more to drink before wiping down his face and lifting him out of his highchair.
Y/N came speed walking out of her room, then, looking more put together while also carrying Kija's bag. “I have his schedule in there, toys, blankets, snacks.” She came up beside him and set the bag down on the table to show him what was inside. “I also put a spare key for the apartment in this side pocket.” She glanced over at him. “You're welcome to just hang out here with him if you want. Then you don't have to worry about food or having the right cups or anything like that.”
Minho shifted Kija on his hip. “Is it okay if I take him to the dorms?”
Her eyes widened. “I mean, if you want to. I trust you with him, obviously. I just didn't want you to feel like you had to leave, especially since I already have so much of the supplies here.”
Minho blushed slightly. “I may or may not have some toys and blankets for Kija at my place already, too.”
Y/N gaze softened and she leaned in to kiss his cheek again. “You're so sweet.” She smirked knowingly. “You saw cute baby stuff and couldn't resist could you?”
He huffed. “It's harder to now that I actually know a kid I could give the stuff to.”
Y/N giggled at that. “Well, you'll have to send me pictures of him with his new toys.”
“I can do that,” Minho replied fondly.
“Do you have any questions about his stuff?” She asked, looking through the bag again to make sure everything was there.
“I don't, but if I do, I can just text you, or even Misoon,” he reassured her. “We'll be fine.”
She nodded, taking a deep breath. “Alright, okay. I trust you, I promise, this morning has just been… a lot.” She glanced at her phone and sighed. “And I don't know when the next train comes to my stop, but I've definitely missed my first one.”
“Let me drive you to work,” Minho told her.
Y/N opened her mouth to protest, but paused before finally letting her shoulders relax. “I'd really appreciate that, thank you Minho.”
He smiled fondly, leaning in to kiss her softly. “Of course jagi. You ready to go then?”
After doing another double check to make sure she had all of her stuff, and Kija did, too, they finally headed downstairs and back out to the car.
Kija sat happily in the backseat, holding his tiger plushie in one hand, and a toy car in the other.
The drive to her work wasn't very long, much quicker than waiting on the train. Y/N sighed softly, gathering up her stuff before turning to look at Minho seriously.
“Text or call me if you need anything okay?” She said, “My meeting shouldn't go past lunch, so if I need to take off early I can.”
“We'll be fine, don't worry about it.” He told her firmly yet calmly. Then, he leaned in and kissed her. “I'll send you updates throughout the day. You just worry about work.”
She sighed and kissed him one more time, staying close for a second. “Again, thank you.”
Finally, she glanced back at Kija. “You be good for Minho, okay?”
“Mah!” He shouted back, making her smile and blow kisses at him before getting out of the car and waving goodbye.
After she disappeared into the building, Minho glanced back at Kija. “Alright Kiki, we're gonna run to the store to grab you some more stuff, first. Sound fun?”
“Ah!” Kija shouted back, which Minho took as an agreement.
“My thoughts exactly, you do deserve to be spoiled,” he replied as he put the car back into drive and started heading towards the dorm buildings.
Between here and the dorms was a decent size store that Minho knew would have what he needed. He wanted to grab some baby safe plates and utensils, some ingredients to make lunch for the two of them later, and maybe a few more toys if the mood struck.
“Alright Kija, shopping time,” he said as he parked and got the toddler out of his carseat.
Kija sat contentedly on Minho's hip as they walked into the store. He found a shopping cart that the toddler could sit in and smiled to himself, snapping a picture before beginning his trek through the store.
Minho had on a lower face mask per habit, but didn't think he would draw much attention. He was just a guy in a grocery store.
What he didn't account for was the apparent draw a man with an adorable toddler held.
It still didn’t seem like most people were paying attention to him explicitly, but there were more eyes on him than normal when he was out in public. He could feel their gaze and hear the cooing and whispers.
Kija didn't seem phased at all, completely content to babble to Minho and play with his toy. Minho looked at him fondly and just made sure to pay the others no mind. If they weren't going to approach him, he had no reason to acknowledge them.
“Alright Kiki, ingredients first, okay?” He spoke as he walked down the aisles. “I have a lot at home already, but I was going to come here to grab some stuff for dinner anyways. You like pork, right?”
“‘Gogi!” Kija agreed.
“We can have bulgogi,” Minho replied, nodding along.
He continued talking to Kija as he went along. The toddler was happy to babble back, and was especially ecstatic when Minho asked him if he wanted some strawberries for a snack today.
He took the squealing as a resounding yes.
“Okay…” Minho said, looking over the stuff he'd grabbed as he ran through his mental checklist. “I think we have all the food we need.” He glanced up at Kija. “Now let's go look at some plates for you, yeah? And maybe some toys, too.”
Heading to the children's section of the store, Minho had to resist the urge to start looking through clothes. He'd spend all day dressing up Kija if he could.
But that was for another time.
When he made it to the children's plates and utensils, he was happy to find a cat themed set.
“What do you think about this one?” He asked as he showed it to Kija.
The toddler's eyes lit up. He let go of his plush tiger and immediately grabbed for the plates. Minho let him hold it for a second but had to stop him from putting it into his mouth.
“Ah- not yet Kija-ah,” he chided gently. “We don't know who's touched these. I need to wash them first.”
Kija screeched his complaint and Minho snorted fondly. “Not this time,” he said as he put the dishware set into the cart and handed Kija his plushie back.
Kija stared at it for a moment, as if debating his continuation of his tantrum, but he grumpily settled down again.
Minho ruffled his hair. “You'll forgive me once we get to the toy section.”
The toy aisle wasn't far away. As they rounded the corner, Kija looked up, eyes widening in delight at all the colors and shapes.
Minho beamed. “See? I told you.”
He pushed the cart to the side, so it wasn't blocking the path, and gently lifted Kija into his arms so he could get closer to the toys. Kija kicked until Minho huffed and set him down on the ground.
Kija happily toddled over to the shelves, looking up at the toys in wonder. His little lips were parted in shock.
After letting Kija explore for a while, Minho started picking up some things the toddler had been eyeing, as well as a few that piqued his interest, too. He ended up getting a colorful set of building blocks, a small scooter, a cute tent he could play in, a snow leopard plush, and a kids keyboard.
Was it overkill considering Y/N had packed some toys for Kija, too, and he also had a few plushies at home already? Maybe.
Did he care? Not particularly.
“Come on Kiki, time to head to check out,” he said, scooping the toddler back up to put him in the cart. Kija gave a screech but settled once Minho handed him the snow leopard plush he'd picked out.
He hummed softly to himself, still talking to Kija every once in a while as he went through the self-checkout.
Kija was, of course, a great help as he loaded the bags and headed out to the cart, providing riveting commentary and even trying to smack a bag out of his hand at one point. But Minho made it, despite the toddler's assistance, and soon they were on their way back to his dorm.
Han was working today with 3Racha, so he'd be out of the dorm at least until late afternoon, if not late evening. That meant he didn't have to worry about taking up the living room as a play place for Kija.
Not that he thought Han would mind. If anything, Han would lie on the floor with Kija to play with him.
What he didn't know wouldn't kill him.
It was a bit unwieldy trying to carry Kija, his bag, and the shopping bags all in at the same time, but Minho managed.
As Minho toed off his shoes and deposited the bags on the floor near the door, Kija was looking around the dorm with wide eyes.
“Well this is my place,” Minho said as he walked towards his room. “I know it's different from your house, but we'll still have fun I promise.”
Kija continued to look around, lips parted in wonder as Minho fished a blanket out of his closet. He then grabbed a pillow off of his bed and eyed the few Leebit (and Han Quokka) plushies he had in his room before grabbing one and bringing it along, too.
After gently setting Kija on the couch, he pushed aside the coffee table and spread out the blanket. Kija was immediately crawling down, intent on toddling around the room.
“You wanna help me carry these bags?” Minho asked as he padded back to the door, keeping an eye on the toddler.
Kija hadn't gone far, to be fair. He'd already stopped by the coffee table and was staring at some magazines with rapt interest.
Minho quickly brought the bags over and managed to grab the magazine (one of his cover shoots he did the previous year) before Kija could put it in his mouth. “Not edible Kija-ah.”
Kija scrunched his nose up and stomped his foot. “Mah!”
“Nope, your eomma wouldn't let you eat it either,” he reached a finger out and gently booped Kija's nose. “You can't trick me.”
First, Minho laid out the toys Y/N had packed for Kija onto the blanket. Then, he worked on de-tagging the new things he’d bought, and giving them a quick wipe down before adding them to the fray.
Finally, he unboxed the tent. Surely this wouldn’t be as hard to put together as the carseat had been.
Thankfully it wasn’t. It still took about 15 minutes before Minho was happy with its structural integrity. He stepped back, hands on his hips as he assessed the play area Kija was happily seated in.
He pulled out his phone as he gestured to the tent. “Kija-ah, what’s this?”
The toddler didn’t look up at first, fully immersed in the colorful block set he’d scattered on the ground around him.
Minho hit record as he aimed the camera at Kija. “Kiki, what do you have there?”
Kija stared at the blocks and only glanced up when Minho moved in front of him. “Bah!” He said proudly, holding up a blue rectangle block.
“That’s right, they’re blocks,” Minho agreed. “You wanna show eomma what else we got?”
Kija looked around when he said that and suddenly spotted the tent. Minho grinned as the toddler pushed himself onto his feet and scurried over to investigate.
“I think the tent was a win,” he said softly as Kija peered out the windows in the tent’s canvas sides.
He paused the recording and quickly texted it to Y/N before sitting on the floor and playing with Kija for a while.
He made sure to read the instructions Y/N had left for Kija. She noted when he usually had snacks and naps, reassuring him that they weren’t super strict, but also listing what signs to watch out for that would indicate he was feeling hungry or sleepy.
Sure enough, at around 11 o’clock, he got fussy. Minho gave him a small snack, since he would be preparing lunch for them soon enough, and Kija ended up falling asleep snuggled up in his tent with his tiger plush and his new snow leopard plush.
Minho may have taken one or fifty pictures of him in there. He sent most of them to Y/N and had to resist the urge to make one of them his homescreen.
Someday he would. He still had to be a bit cautious of what the fans might catch a glimpse of.
He moved over to the kitchen, where he could still glance over and see Kija in his tent, and started working on prepping lunch. He put on some soft music and hummed contentedly to himself as he got to work.
While he was cooking, Y/N texted him back checking in on Kija and cooing over the adorable pictures. He smiled and replied, reassuring her that he was doing just fine and confirming the lunch choices he’d made would work for Kija.
Just as he was finishing preparing his own plate and debating on if he should wake up Kija to eat, his phone buzzed. He picked it up, checking the screen, and sighing when he saw it was from their manager.
“Hello?” He answered.
“Minho, hey, last minute schedule change,” their manager started off a bit apologetically. “Any chance you can come in for a quick shoot? It shouldn't take more than an hour.”
Minho looked over at Kija and sighed softly. “I need to finish eating lunch. Can I come in after?”
“So you'll be here in about an hour then?” He checked.
“Yes,” Minho confirmed.
“Alright, we can make that work,” their manager reassured. “Thank you for being flexible.”
Minho just hummed noncommittally. “I'll see you in an hour.” He said before hanging up.
He set his phone down on the countertop and sighed one more time before focusing on his food. Instead of eating leisurely, he sped up. He didn't get to savor it like he wanted, but he needed time to finish, put away the leftovers, and clean up the dishes. Then he could wake up Kija to feed him and load him into the car.
As he finished up his food, Minho opened his phone to check the other member's schedules for the day. They'd shared calendars with each other a long time ago, realizing it was just easier and none of them cared that the others knew what they had going on.
What he wanted to know is who else was at the company today, and who might be free that was there.
Felix and Hyunjin should be finishing up some choreo work around the time he got there.
That would work.
Once he had the kitchen clean enough, and the leftovers put away, Minho went ahead and packed up a few of the toys that he had out back into Kija's bag. Y/N already had a spare blanket in there, so he left his on the floor for now.
“Kija-ah,” Minho said, kneeling down and softly rubbing the toddler's back, “time for some lunch, yeah?”
Kija grumbled and Minho smiled fondly before scooping him up. Kija blinked sleepily, about to cuddle back into Minho's neck when he perked up.
Minho chuckled. “Smells good doesn't it?”
Kija leaned forward towards the smell, making Minho laugh and adjust his grip on the toddler. “Hang on, hang on, the food's not going anywhere.”
Minho sat Kija on one of the chairs, hovering next to him as he helped the toddler eat his food. Kija didn't miss a bite and Minho felt proud that he enjoyed what he cooked.
Sure Minho had cooked dinner at Y/N's place before for all of them, but she was normally there to approve the dishes, too.
Once Kija was done eating and cleaned up, Minho grabbed his bag, as well as Kija's bag, before scooping up the toddler and heading back out to the car. After he got Kija buckled back in, he shot a quick text to Felix.
Contact name: Yongbok
Minho: can you stay in the practice room when youre done?
Yongbok: thats an oddly specific request for someone off work today
Minho: i got called in for a shoot, but im watching Kija right now
Yongbok: oh!!!!!!
Yongbok: 🥺🥺🥺 i wanna see the baby
Minho: good because i need you to watch him for a second
Yongbok: yay!!!!!!!!!
Minho: i'll be there in like 10
Yongbok: ok!! drive safe! 🥰
“Oh Kija-ah,” Minho mused as he followed the familiar route to work, “your uncles are gonna be so excited to see you.”
“‘Yung ah!” Kija said proudly and Minho snorted.
“I think you'd make Felix cry if you called him hyung.”
Minho watched as Kija started yawning again halfway through the drive. He knew the toddler would probably wake up again when they entered the JYP building, but he hoped that he could get a nap in with Felix. He'd have to tell Felix that it was naptime, but he was sure he wouldn't say no to baby snuggles.
Once he found a parking spot, Minho grabbed the two bags again and hefted Kija back into his arms. Kija grumbled, seemingly too tired to hold his head up as he immediately rested it on Minho's shoulder. Minho gently rubbed his back, kissing the side of his head.
“I know buddy. You can nap with Felix hyung yeah? He'd love that.”
As Minho made his way through the building, he noticed people doing double takes when they spotted him. While he usually wouldn't draw much attention, it was clear people were stunned by the baby in his arms.
Luckily, unlike at the grocery store, Minho knew these people were under NDA. Minho just snorted to himself, giving Kija another kiss on the side of the head as he turned the final corner to the practice rooms he knew Felix and Hyunjin would be in.
“Delivery,” he said as he pushed open the door.
Felix squealed excitedly. “Kija!”
The toddler in question startled in Minho's arms. He has ended up falling asleep on the way up here, which made Minho's heart ache fondly knowing the baby trusted him so deeply. Kija blinked, sitting up slightly and rubbing his eye with a closed fist.
Hyunjin gasped as Felix scrambled over and cooed at Kija. “Why do you have the baby?”
Minho looked at him incredulously. “Because my girlfriend needed a sitter last minute? What do you think I kidnapped him?”
“I don't know,” Hyunjin whined. “You've never had him without Y/N around before.”
Minho just snorted, rolling his eyes fondly as he adjusted Kija in his arms. “Manager-nim called me in for a last minute schedule change. Kija should be tired enough to nap. He just had lunch recently, but if he won't sleep, I have toys and stuff for him in here,” he explained as he passed Kija's bag to Felix, who was making eager grabby hands towards the boy. “Just text or call if you need anything. I will leave the shoot to come help.”
Felix giggled as Minho finally shifted Kija into his arms. Kija whined, looking at Minho with big boba eyes for a moment before Felix managed to catch his attention.
God he wouldn’t have been able to leave if Kija had started crying, honestly.
“We'll be fine, hyung,” Felix said as he looked at Kija excitedly. “I'll make sure to find a nice spot for us to take a good nap in.”
Minho nodded and pointed at them again. “Seriously, call me if you need anything.”
“We got this,” Hyunjin said. “Kija is a great baby.”
“True, he is. Great enough that you shouldn't be able to mess it up,” Minho drawled. He stepped forward, placing a hand on Kija's back and kissing his cheek. “Keep your hyungs in line, okay?”
“Mah mo,” Kija agreed and then yawned.
Minho couldn't resist, so he kissed him one more time before finally peeling himself away and heading to his shoot.
The shoot felt longer than normal, but maybe it was because Minho kept checking his phone as often as he could get away with. It's not that he didn't trust Hyunjin and Felix with Kija, but Y/N had entrusted him to babysit and… well he really didn't want to let her down.
And maybe, selfishly, he wanted to do a good enough job that he got to babysit Kija more often after this.
The moment the shoot was over and Minho was dismissed he was grabbing his phone to check it again.
The only text he'd gotten was from Felix.
Contact name: Yongbok
Yongbok: we moved to studio 3C! He napped for about 20 minutes and now he's awake again
Minho had a feeling as to why Kija didn't nap longer. As long as the toddler wasn't grumpy, though, he wasn't going to complain.
His feeling also extended to what he was certain he would find when he entered the studio. He kept his phone out and opened the door slowly just in case.
Sure enough, all of the boys were in there. Kija was standing in the middle of a circle of boys on the blanket from his bag. Currently he was babbling away about something, shaking his snow leopard plush in one hand while patting Jisung's face with the other. He was sat between Hyunjin's legs. Felix and Changbin were also on the floor with him.
Chan sat nearby on the couch, laptop in his lap, though he wasn't watching the screen. Jeongin was also on the couch while Seungmin had just squatted down next to Changbin and was trying to get Kija's attention.
“Don't you dare steal this moment from me Kim Seungmin,” Jisung threatened, not breaking eye contact with Kija as he spoke.
Minho quickly snapped a few pictures of the scene before finally opening the door the rest of the way and stepping into the room. “So naptime went well I see.”
The boys glanced over and greeted him. Kija looked up immediately upon hearing his voice. His chubby cheeks broke into a wide grin. He screeched excitedly and left Jisung without a second though, toddling eagerly over to him.
“That’s not fair!” Jisung whined. “Of course Kija is gonna choose you.”
Minho smirked, stepping over Felix’s shoulder so he could bend down and scoop up the child. “Correct, because he has taste.”
“Nah, your face is just familiar,” Seungmin countered. “If we had cookies or a cat plush, he'd choose us in a heartbeat.”
“You know, we could prove this right now,” Changbin suggested, grabbing a bag of soft, fruit-flavored cookie snacks from Kija's bag.
“Oh like how you put a dog in the middle of the room and see what parent it goes to?” Jisung said, perking up.
“Kija isn't a dog,” Hyunjin scoffed, appalled.
Jeongin looked up from his phone with an unimpressed stare. “You literally kept calling the kids Kkami and offering them treats and walkies when we did the photoshoot with them.”
Hyunjin threw his hands up. “This is different!”
“Well if we're gonna do it, Minho can't be the one to put him in the middle,” Jisung said.
“Why not?” Minho asked, raising an eyebrow as Kija continued to sit contentedly in his arms.
“Because!! Then he'd already be thinking about you!” Jisung explained, like it was obvious.
“I can hold him,” Chan offered, setting his laptop aside.
Minho snorted. “You're just looking for an excuse for Kija cuddles.”
Chan raised an eyebrow as he held out his arms. “And?”
Minho shrugged. “Fair,” he said before passing Kija over.
They decided to try three different things to lure Kija: his tiger, his snow leopard, and snacks. Seungmin grabbed the tiger, Jisung grabbed the snacks, and Hyunjin grabbed the snow leopard. Minho, of course, had nothing to offer except himself.
They made a cross with the four of them facing the center. Felix declined being a part of it, “It'd break my heart if he didn't pick me,” he sighed sadly, “so I'll just record it from the sidelines.”
The four of them squatted down and waited. Chan stood up, giving Kija's cheeks a few more kisses before setting him in the middle of the group.
Hyunjin, Seungmin, and Jisung instantly started calling for Kija, shaking their objects to try and catch his attention. Minho waited for a moment, watching the toddler look around at all four of them in confusion.
When Kija's eyes met his, he tilted his head and smiled, opening his arms to the boy.
Kija grinned back at him, toddling over without even looking at the other three again.
“Oh my god,” Hyunjin whispered, bringing a hand up to clutch his chest. “I'm devastated but also, it's too cute for me to be upset.”
Kija clambered into his arms, patting his legs. “Mimoh!” He declared happily.
The room froze. Minho's eyes widened, staring at Kija in awe.
“Tell me you got that on video,” Changbin whispered harshly.
“I did, I did,” Felix replied, also in a whisper.
Minho leaned down and kissed Kija's forehead. Kija leaned in, too, mouth partially open as he placed a wet kiss on Minho's nose.
“Mwah!” He said as he leaned back, looking proud of himself.
The room cooed and awed around them. Minho couldn't wipe the smile off his face if he tried.
“Yeah, I love you too Kija,” he replied softly.
They spent another hour at the company, the boys all vying for the toddler's attention, before Minho finally stood up to leave.
“I need time to start dinner prep before Y/N gets back home,” he told them all.
“Then just leave Kija here with us,” Hyunjin suggested cheekily.
Minho glared, holding the toddler closer. “Absolutely not.”
He made the journey back home, cleaning up Kija's tent and toys before grabbing some supplies and heading back over to her apartment.
Kija fell asleep on the way back, staying unconscious even as he hauled them up to her place. He set stuff down by the door and took a moment to get Kija comfortable on a blanket and some pillows on the floor before he got to work.
Once again, Minho flipped on some music and fell into the zone as he started working on their food. He felt his stress slip away as he focused entirely on cooking.
He was almost done, the meat just needing a moment longer, when the front door unlocked.
Y/N peeked her head inside and spotted Kija asleep on the ground. Her expression softened before she looked over at Minho.
“You're the best, seriously,” she said as she toed her shoes off and walked into the kitchen.
Minho leaned over and kissed her. “Mm, I'm happy to help. He really wasn't any trouble.” He unlocked his phone and opened his gallery, navigating to the videos the boys had taken that afternoon. “Here, watch these and sit down for a moment. Food will be ready in just a second.”
Y/N grabbed his phone gently and sat down at the island. Minho kept glancing at her, watching her reactions as she paged through the photos and videos.
“You bought him a whole tent?” She asked.
He shrugged. “He liked it. I kept it at my place so next time he comes by, he'll have it.”
She smiled at him. “You're so sweet.”
A few seconds later, she looked up from the phone again. “You had to take him to work with you? I'm sorry, I could've come grabbed him.”
“No, no,” he replied, shaking his head. “I was called in last minute for something. The boys loved spending time with him, trust me.” He chuckled. “You have more backup babysitters, for sure. Though, I'm not sure if I trust all of them individually.”
Y/N giggled. “They did just fine when we filmed.”
“Chan would be my first pick,” Minho said.
She nodded. “Yeah, me too. Well, after you at least.”
Minho didn't blush at that. He was just warm from cooking, nothing more.
He knew she'd gotten to the video when she gasped softly.
“Aw, he chose you over the toys-” she was cooing when she cut off. Minho glanced up and found her staring at him, eyes wide in awe.
“Did he say your name?” She asked quietly.
“I mean,” he started, voice soft, “we think so?”
He heard the video start over as she watched it again while he worked on plating their food. As he was moving to set their food at the table, he felt arms wrap around his waist from behind.
“I'm glad we found you,” Y/N said as she kissed between his shoulder blades.
Minho set down the plates and turned in her arms, wrapping one arm around her while bringing the other hand up to cup her chin. “I'm glad I found you both, too.”
She stared at him for a moment, lips parting slightly. “So… how can I possibly repay you for babysitting?” She asked slowly.
Minho smirked. “I certainly don't need your money,” he drawled.
She trailed a hand up his chest. “I could pay you in other ways.”
“Well, after we eat…” he leaned in closer, brushing his lips lightly against hers, “maybe we can discuss payment methods.”
Y/N giggled, closing the distance to kiss him. “Deal.”
Pairings: Minho x female!Reader, Minho & kid!character
Rating: T
Genre: Dad!Minho, fluff, Uncle!Stray Kids, single mother!reader, meet the family, SKZ Code
Summary: “By the way,” Minho said, “our social team is going to be announcing the community center SKZ Code on Monday.”
Oh yeah. That.
It'd been nearly a month and a half since filming, and almost a month since you and Minho started dating. It felt like a done deal but the world hadn't actually seen Kija yet.
But now they were going to, and a part of you was still nervous about how they'd react.
What better way to distract yourself then by hosting a watch party for the big premiere?
Word Count: 6.1k
A/N: Aaaand Kija is BACK baby! Check out Baby Matchmaker if you haven't already! This is a sequel to that. I kept thinking about what Reader's reaction would be to the video, the comments, and all of that, as well as what Stay would think of Kija and here we are! (This is where I was doing a ton of research trying to determine when exactly they *recorded* this SKZ Code vs when it came out LOL I estimated mid to early January) ENJOY
⁽ᵈᶦᵛᶦᵈᵉʳ ᵖᶦˣᵉˡ ᵃʳᵗ ᵇʸ ᵐᵉ⁾
(writing masterlist)
It's not like you meant to hide the filming from your sister, it just sort of slipped your mind until your normal phone call a week after it happened.
It also happened to be the day after you and Minho's first date.
“Okay, okay, but enough about my week,” your sister, Jae, said. “How's things with you? How's my favorite nephew?”
You blinked as you realized what all had happened since you last spoke with her. You laughed sheepishly. “So things have actually been a bit eventful. Did I tell you Kija was in a project for JYP?”
You knew fully well you hadn't.
“What?” Jae screeched. “What do you MEAN Kija was in a project for one of the biggest K-Pop companies? How? When? Tell me more!”
You laughed a little more naturally this time. “Okay, sorry, I know I should've told you sooner.”
“You should have!”
“But the last week has been a bit of a whirlwind and I just forgot, I'm sorry!” You apologized.
Jae huffed. “Well make it up to me by spilling the deets, come on!”
“I think I’ve mentioned my coworker, Sojun, before, right?” You asked.
“Yeah, I think so,” Jae replied.
“So his sister works with JYP, and apparently they were looking for some boys around Kija’s age for a project relating to one of their boy groups,” you explained. “His sister remembered him saying he had a coworker with a kid and asked about me, so he told me about it and gave me her contact information.”
“What kind of project was it?” She asked excitedly.
“I didn’t know at first, either, and honestly I was a bit nervous about how public facing this would all be. I don’t exactly plaster Kija’s face online, and I still don’t plan to,” you continued. “But, he said it was paid…”
Your sister hummed understandingly. “Hey, no, I don’t judge you at all for that swaying you a bit. Kids aren’t cheap, especially for single moms, alright? I’m sure you put a lot of thought into it first, too.”
You sighed. “I really did. I asked a lot of questions and I did decide to do it. It was going to be a filmed thing where one of their groups, Stray Kids, was going to be running a fake daycare for a day.”
“Oh my god, Stray Kids?” Your sister interrupted. “You used to love them! Were they nice? What was it like?”
You laughed. “I’m getting there. It was a bit surreal, meeting them, honestly, but they were all super nice. There were three other kids involved in the filming, too. Kija did really well. I wasn’t too worried about him, but he ended up latching onto one of the boys a bit more than even I would’ve anticipated.”
“Oh yeah? Was he good with Kija, too?”
“He was so good with Kija,” you admitted. “The boys did a dance session with them, story time, a photo shoot, they tried to do a little scooter race, and then they did lunch and a nap, so it was a full day.”
“Sounds like it, oh my gosh, and that’s going to be posted somewhere?”
You nodded, even though your sister couldn’t see you. “Yeah, the contract said the finished product would be posted sometime in March or April, though they didn’t give a specific date.”
“You have to tell me the second you know when it’s going up, yeah?” Your sister said. “Oh! Maybe we could have a watch party!”
You laughed. “Yeah, maybe that could be fun.”
“So, the guy who was good with him. Tell me about him, like how did he do? How was Kija with him?”
You felt a blush creeping up your cheeks. “His name is Minho and he just… was so patient and sweet with Kija. At the beginning when Kija was still a bit unsure, he just sat next to him and talked until Kija finally came over to him. Kija kept demanding his attention through out the shoot, too. At one point, during the dance session at the beginning, Kija got a bit overwhelmed and ran over to me and Minho came over to check on him.”
Your sister cooed. “Aw, he sounds so sweet!”
“And um… he may have asked me out later, too,” you admitted.
“WHAT?” Your sister screeched excitedly. “A kpop idol asked you out? I mean- of course he did, you’re a catch, but WHAT? Why didn’t you lead with that?”
You laughed again. “You asked about your nephew, not about me.”
“Me wanting to know about you should’ve been implied,” she argued. “Did you say yes? Was he cute? How did he ask you out?”
“Well, we talked some after the shoot was over,” you started. “It was nice, and I kept thinking about him afterwards, too. I figured, though, that it was one and done, but then he texted me.”
Your sister squealed excitedly.
“I think he’s cute,” you continued, smiling, “and we had our first date last night.”
“Ah!!! I’m so happy for you!”
“Thank you,” you replied, still beaming. “It was super nice. He asked if I wanted Kija to come along, but I said I wanted to get to know him one on one, too. He ended up taking me to this nice restaurant and he even got me flowers and walked me back up to my apartment after.”
“Good! As he should!” Your sister said firmly. “Were the flowers pretty?”
“They were,” you reassured her. “And when he came upstairs with me to walk me home, when we picked up Kija, Kija was so excited to see him.”
“But was he excited to see Kija?”
“He was,” you sighed fondly.
“He better have been. Now you keep me updated on him, okay? If he asks you on another date, you tell me.”
You laughed again. “I will, I promise.”
You kept up your promise, gushing to your sister the days after the zoo date, and squealing to her excitedly whenever you both agreed to put a label on it.
You also let her know when you found out about the SKZ Code release date.
Minho had picked you up from work that day. The plan was for a date night at your place, with him insisting on cooking for you and Kija. Then, since it was a Friday night, he'd spend the night and you could enjoy a nice day together tomorrow.
When you got in the car, he leaned over and gave you a kiss, one hand resting on your leg as he began the drive back to your place.
After asking about your day, he brought it up.
“By the way,” he started, glancing over at you before looking back at the road, “our social team is going to be announcing the community center SKZ Code on Monday.”
“Oh?” You replied.
He nodded. “The first part is going to come out this coming Thursday, and the second part will come out the week after that.”
You blinked. “It’s going to be two parts?”
Minho gave a light laugh. “Yeah, our SKZ Codes usually are.” He glanced over at you. “It was a few hours of filming, to be fair. Too long to fit into one video without cutting out too much.”
“I guess that makes sense,” you replied. “I wasn’t sure. It’s not like I’ve really filmed anything before.” You hummed. “I should text my sister and let her know. She wants to see it, too.” You looked over at him. “What time do you think it’ll be posted?”
“Probably late ish,” he admitted. “The company tries to hit as many timezones as possible with posting times, so around 8pm.”
You immediately relayed the information to your sister. “I mean, that’s not too late at least, and I can ask to work from home the next day, too.”
“Gonna stay up late watching it over?” Minho teased playfully.
“Ah, actually my sister suggested a watch party originally,” you said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she came into town just for it.”
“That sounds fun, celebrating Kija's big debut,” Minho noted.
You licked your lips. “Would you want to come? I don't know if it's weird watching yourself on screen, and maybe it's too early to meet the family but-”
Minho's hand moved to grab yours, interrupting your rambling thoughts. You glanced up at him from where you'd been staring at your lap.
“First of all, I would love to meet your sister,” he reassured you. “Second,” he shrugged, “you get used to seeing yourself on screen after a while. We've done watch parties for some of our music videos and such before.”
“Would Thursday evening be okay then? Or should I push it to Friday?”
Minho brought your hand up and kissed the back of it. “You tell me which day works for your sister and I'll be there, okay?”
You smiled, cheeks dusted a soft red. “Yeah, okay.”
Turns out your sister, as you expected, was all too eager to come into town to throw a watch party. She even took off work on Friday so she could spend the night and hang out over the weekend.
Minho then tentatively asked if you wanted to get the other boys involved.
It came up over lunch on Saturday as you were finalizing the details of your sister's arrival time over text.
“I know they can be a lot, so you're welcome to say no, but they'd love to celebrate Kija's moment too, if you'd like.”
You looked around your apartment. “God I don't know if all of you can even fit in here.”
“We can bring some extra chairs over,” he offered. “Or we can hold it at my place if you want.”
You thought about it for a moment before shaking your head. “No, I'd like it to be here…” You worried at your lower lip for a moment. “They won't think it's too small right?”
“They'd never judge you for your place,” Minho said firmly. “It's very well kept in here and trust me, we've lived four in a dorm before. This is luxury compared to that.”
You let out a slow breath and nodded. “Yeah okay,” you pointed at him, “but I will need help buying food. That's too many mouths to feed.”
Minho laughed, leaning in to kiss you gently. “Deal.”
So now suddenly you were going to have your sister coming into town, she was going to meet your boyfriend, and one of the most popular kpop groups was going to be at your place for a watch party.
Easy.
Simple.
Not stressful at all.
You were so focused on the upcoming party over the weekend that you forgot the official Stray Kids account was going to be announcing the SKZ Code on Monday.
It honestly didn't even occur to you that said announcement might include your son's face.
It was Sojun who brought it to your attention just after your lunch break on Monday.
“Noona,” he called excitedly as he walked over to you. “Kija looks so cute in the promotional material!”
The look on your face must've betrayed the fact that you had no idea what he was talking about.
“Did you not see them?” He asked, turning his phone to show you. “I thought maybe they would've told you as part of your contract deal or something.”
You shook your head. “No, they didn't tell me. I sort of forgot.”
You gently took the phone from his hand so you could have a better look at the announcement.
The post was from their Twitter account. The text was simple, stating the episode names, numbers, and what dates they would air. Underneath was a pastel themed collage of the boys with the kids, presumably stills from the episodes themselves.
There was one picture of Kija in the lower left corner from storytime. He was seated in Minho's lap and Han, in full pig onesie, was seated next to him. Kija was looking up at Han in awe and the two boys were looking at him fondly.
You wanted to check the comments, but you handed Sojun his phone back. “Thank you for showing me.”
He beamed at you. “I'm excited to watch it. I bet he was so cute.”
You smiled. “He had a good time. It's gonna be adorable, I'm sure.”
You and Sojun talked for a little bit more before returning to your work. Once he was gone, you pulled out your own phone and quickly searched up their Twitter.
How did it already have tens of thousands of likes? It was posted 20 minutes ago.
You tapped on the comment button and tentatively scrolled down.
@ fivesteps2skz: oh my god, my heart is already exploding
@ skzmagicskooldropout: MINSUNG PARENTS ARE REAL!!!
@ dwaekikiki: why is Changbin so cute all alone on his scooter?? 😭
@ mongmongbby: i didnt know i needed Seungmin making faces at a toddler until this exact moment
@ sunshineracha: IM LIVING I MISSED THE BABY CONTENT
@ ooh.i.like.it: these babies are so so so cute, i can’t wait for this omg
You weren’t sure why you were expecting negativity, but the comments were just gushing over the boys and babies alike.
It made you smile a bit. Hopefully the reception to the video would be just as positive.
You sent the link to the post to your sister and went back to work.
Contact name: Sister Sister
Y/N: [link]
Y/N: the video announcement from Stray Kids! Figured you’d want to see it
Sister Sister: oh my goddd
Sister Sister: KIJA LOOKS SO CUTE
Sister Sister: that’s Minho’s lap he’s sitting in right?
Y/N: yeah it is
Sister Sister: ya know, i get why you went out with him then
Sister Sister: he looks so SOFT ugh
Sister Sister: can’t wait to bother him on Thursday~
Y/N: *Jae*
Sister Sister: its my JOB as your favorite and primary family member to harass him playfully to make sure he’s right for you
Y/N: just dont be too hard on him ok?
Sister Sister: no promises ;P
The week both flew by and dragged on. Any free time you had was dedicated to cleaning your place and figuring out what food you needed for the evening. Minho stopped by in the evenings to help out, and he reassured you repeatedly that everything was going to turn out fine.
“It’s just a hang out,” he said. “I promise the boys don’t have some sort of high, wild expectations about this.”
“I know,” you sighed. “I just don’t normally host a lot of people like this. I want it to be fun.”
“And it will be, because you and Kija are there.”
Your sister made it to your house right after work on Thursday.
You beamed as you saw her standing outside of your place. Immediately you were engulfed in a hug.
“It’s so good to see you,” she gushed.
“It is,” you agreed, holding her close, “I missed you.”
After a bit, she finally pulled back. “Alright come on, come on, I want to see my nephew.”
You laughed, quickly punching the code to get into your building before leading her inside.
“I’ll grab him while you put your stuff down in your place,” she said cheekily.
“Oh such a hardship for you, I’m sure,” you teased, grabbing her overnight bag from her.
Jae just winked at you and made her way over to Misoon’s apartment door. You snorted, rolling your eyes fondly as you unlocked your apartment.
You heard Misoon’s voice behind you.
“Oh Jae! It’s so lovely to see you again. It’s been too long.”
“It has been too long, Misoon. I hope Y/N hasn’t been working you too hard.”
“Oh she could never, and I love seeing Kija. He makes me feel young again.”
You set your sister's stuff in your bedroom and threw down your work bag, too. You made it back to your front door just in time to see Kija squealing excitedly and running into your sister's arms.
You were so thankful your son had someone like your sister in his life.
Kija started babbling excitedly to Jae, who held him on her hip happily. You waved to Misoon, mouthing a thank you to her as the two made their way over to your place.
Kija spotted you once your sister walked closer. He squealed. “Eomma!”
You beamed, leaning over to give him a big kiss on the cheek. “Hey baby. Is imo here?”
“Momo,” he agreed happily as he patted Jae's chest.
“That's right, your momo is here,” Jae agreed. “Now I heard you got some new cat plushies since I saw you last.”
Kija immediately perked up and squirmed in her arms. Jae laughed, setting him down and following him as he happily toddled over to his bedroom to show her his collection.
With him thoroughly distracted, you headed into the kitchen to start prepping for tonight.
The plan was for everyone to be here by 7:30, though most of the boys would probably be here around 7. Minho was going to be coming over in the next half an hour to help you with setup, and Jisung would likely be joining him.
Speak of the devil, you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. You pulled it out to check and noticed it was a new message from the man himself.
Contact name: Minho 🧡
Minho: just got off work, going to head home to change and grab some stuff then i'll be headed your way
Minho: is it okay if Jeongin comes along, too? His schedule got done earlier than expected and we're trying to take as few cars as possible
Y/N: sounds good <3 and yeah thats fine! As long as he knows it's gonna be boring for the first hour lol
Mimho: oh i'll put him to work, don't worry
Y/N: 😂 fair enough
Minho: is there anything else you need me to grab on my way?
Y/N: i don't think so, but we can always run and get it if we think of something
Minho: sounds good
Y/N: see you soon! Drive safe
Minho: will do 😸
“Minho’s gonna be here in half an hour,” you called out to your sister.
“Okay,” your sister called back. A moment later, she popped her head out of Kija’s room. “Do you need me to do anything with Kija?”
“Well,” you started, glancing around the kitchen, “I have an outfit picked out for him for tonight, but I don’t want to change him into it until he eats dinner, in case he spills all over himself.”
“When has he been eating?” She asked.
“Normally in about an hour from now, but we could probably feed him in the next 30 minutes or so,” you snorted. “Maybe after he calms down from Minho showing up.”
“No way Minho will be more exciting than me,” your sister said as Kija toddled over to you, holding up his black cat plushie to you.
You cooed at Kija. “Who is that baby?” You asked. Not looking up at your sister, you continued, “You’ll be old news by the time Minho shows up, sorry.”
Jae gasped dramatically, putting a hand to her chest. “How dare you.”
“Ki,” Kija said proudly as he held up the plushie. You nodded along.
“That’s right, that’s a kitty.”
It felt like you had so much to do, and yet you knew you had time as well as help on the way. For example, you wanted to move the furniture in the living room to make room for more people, but you had three boys almost here who you knew would be happy to help.
You’d started on some of the food, but you knew Minho had made some at home and would help more when he got here, too. Plus, if you started too early, it’d be cold when people got here.
You had an outfit you wanted to change into, and you wanted time to do your hair and makeup slightly, but you also couldn’t do it too early since you still had more cooking to do.
You just had the itch to be productive, when you knew things still needed to wait. It was slightly agonizing, honestly.
But you managed to stay busy until the buzzer at the door finally sounded.
You hurried over to let them in. Kija was currently in the living room standing by the couch. He had his plushie scattered around him and was babbling to your sister as he trotted the toys along.
“Kiki, guess who’s coming?” You asked playfully, making your son look over at you with wonder.
“Minho’s on his way up,” you said.
Kija immediately looked around, lips parted in shock. You giggled. “He’ll be here in a sec, okay?”
As if he heard you, there was a knock on the door. Kija screeched excitedly, and you had to scoop him up before he barreled over to the door himself. “Hang on bud, give me room to open the door first.”
Kija squirmed as you unlocked the door and opened it up.
The second he spotted Minho on the other side, he was trying to throw himself out of your arms.
Minho laughed, immediately stepping forward so you could let him go. He scooped up the boy and held him up high before giving him a kiss on his nose.
“Hi Kiki, yes, I’m excited to see you too,” he cooed.
“Mimo!” Kija giggled.
“Ugh,” Jisung groaned, putting the back of his hand up to his forehead. “I know he knows your name, but every time he says it in person my heart melts.”
Minho gave Jisung an unimpressed look over his shoulder. “They were just over at our place last weekend.”
“Every time!” he emphasized.
Jeongin rolled his eyes fondly and then smiled at you. “Nice to see you again Y/N. Thanks for having us over.”
“Of course,” you replied, stepping back to open the door further. “Thanks for coming.”
The three boys stepped inside, toeing off their shoes, as Jisung tried valiantly to steal Kija's attention from Minho.
“By the way,” you said, gesturing to your sister, “this is Jae, my sister. Jae, this is Jisung, Minho, and Jeongin.”
The four of them bowed and gave greetings to each other. You could see Jae eyeing Minho playfully. She was definitely going to corner him later.
“Okay,” Jisung said, clapping his hands and breaking the moment, “so what do you need us to do?”
Very quickly, everyone was assigned a task. Jisung and Jeongin were put to work rearranging the living room. Jae stole Kija back to work on feeding him dinner. Minho joined you in the kitchen focusing on making food.
You had a little over an hour before the other boys were going to start showing up. Your sister quickly got Kija fed and changed and Minho eventually shooed you away so you could get changed as well.
Before you knew it, there was another buzz at the door.
You scurried over and let the person in. Taking a step back and looking around the apartment once you did.
Plates, cups, drinks, and utensils were all set up. Another chair had been dragged out from your room and Changbin was supposedly bringing a few more. The boys had gotten the TV setup to be displaying the Stray Kids YouTube channel.
Why were you feeling stressed all of a sudden?
Minho, ever observant, clocked your sudden triple checking of everything. He stepped away from the stove and put a hand on your lower back.
“Everything is set up. It's fine,” he told you softly but firmly.
You nodded, trying to take a deep breath. “It just feels like that moment before you leave the hotel and you're convinced you've left everything behind.”
He snorted. “Well you live here, and there's a corner store just around the corner if we did forget something.”
“You're right, you're right,” you agreed softly. “Thank you.”
Minho hummed, kissing the top of your head. “Anytime.”
Just as Minho made it back into the kitchen, there was a knock at the door. You took another deep breath before opening it up.
“Hey guys,” you greeted, smiling.
Changbin and Hyunjin were on the other side, both holding different folding chairs. “Hey Y/N,” Changbin beamed. “The other three shouldn't be far behind, promise.”
“Oh it's no worries,” you reassured as you stepped back to let them in. “You can just set up those chairs in the living room. Thanks for bringing those by the way.”
“Of course,” Hyunjin replied, smiling. “Glad we could help.”
You quickly made more introductions with the boys and your sister. Kija happily toddled around, elated at how much attention he was getting.
As the last of the food was being finished and put out for people to eat, the door buzzed once more.
You let Chan, Felix, and Seungmin in and noticed they were carrying bags.
You looked at them, confused. You didn't remember them mentioning bringing anything else. “What's all this?”
The three of them just grinned and you realized the other boys were hiding smiles, too.
“We wanted to get Kija presents to celebrate his big debut!” Felix explained excitedly as he pulled out a gift bag.
“Oh my gosh, you guys are too much,” you groaned half-heartedly. “You know his birthday is literally next month, right?”
“That's over 30 days away, practically a month and a half,” Seungmin argued.
“Kiki,” Jisung called, squatting down and waving a bag at your son, “look what I got!”
Kija was quickly enraptured by the presents, and the boys were all delighted as he tore them open. You sighed fondly, standing by Minho, who was definitely also holding a bag.
Traitor.
Some of Kija's gifts included a stuffed camera, a beret, a picture book about cats, a Stray Kids themed t-shirt, a stuffed Han Quokka, a cute pair of sunglasses, and a star-printed onesie.
“Because he's a star now!” Felix said, grinning.
Jae threw her hands up in the air. “I didn't know we were supposed to bring gifts. You guys are making me look bad!”
As the boys apologized to a laughing Jae, you turned to look at Minho. “What about your gift?”
He held up the bag. “This is for you, actually.”
“Oh,” you replied softly as you took the bag from him. “Min, you didn't have to get me anything.”
“I know,” he said simply, gesturing to the bag.
You huffed fondly but began to move the tissue paper aside to reveal what he'd gotten for you.
In the bag was a small frame containing a picture of you, Minho, and Kija from your day at the zoo.
“Minho this is so sweet,” you cooed, looking up at him.
He gave you a small smile. “I thought about grabbing a screenshot from the footage, as a memory of that day, but I wanted you to be in it, too.”
“No this is perfect,” you reassured him. You leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
Once the presents were cleaned up, well minus the beret which Hyunjin put onto Kija's head, everyone began to grab plates to eat.
It was honestly nice, just sitting around with a bunch of friends and enjoying a hot meal. It'd been a while since you'd gotten to do something like this.
It'd probably been at least since before Kija was born.
Kija sat between you and Minho, happily opening his mouth to steal some of your food anytime he wanted some. He had his camera plush in his lap beside his snow leopard plush.
He was content as could be.
“Now guys, don't be surprised if Kija falls asleep before this video is over,” you warned lightly. “He's normally asleep by 8:30.”
“Aw but he's gotta see himself on the big screen,” Hyunjin whined.
You snorted. “He might not even realize it's himself up there to be fair.”
Food was quickly cleaned up and everyone grabbed a seat in the living room as the time finally ticked over to 8pm. Jeongin refreshed the page and there the video was.
The video opened on a shot of the boys looking exhausted. Kija was seated between Minho's legs, happily playing with a car as the other boys were strewn about the room.
“How are we supposed to do this for five hours?” Seungmin groans.
As the camera zoomed out and Seungmin started laughing, a caption appeared on the screen reading, “What happened to Stray Kids?”
Jae started laughing, too. “What, you guys couldn't handle a couple of kids between the eight of you?”
“They're a lot of work,” Hyunjin whined.
“Wasn't it like one kid per two full grown man?” She teased.
The video cut to the SKZ Code intro animation. It still featured their SKZoo characters, but had clearly been updated since the last time you'd seen an episode.
“I can't believe you guys are up to 93 SKZ Codes now,” you noted.
Han leaned forward to look at you, eyes narrowed slightly. “Have you seen a SKZ Code before?”
Instead of answering, you turned and gave Minho a half-hearted glare. “Did you not tell them?”
He shrugged, smirking. “It didn't seem relevant.”
You glared at him for a moment longer before looking back in Han's direction. “Yes, I've seen a SKZ Code before. Well… most of them until I stopped watching.” You felt a blush climbing up your cheeks. “I definitely considered myself a fairly active Stay at one point.”
“And now you hate us?” Changbin gasped dramatically.
“No, but having a kid kinda changes your priorities… and finances,” you explained.
“Who was your bias?” Seungmin asked, a mischievous glint in his gaze.
Your sister started laughing again as you looked away from all of them. “I never could pick-”
Your sister laughed louder.
Hyunjin pointed at her. “You know something.”
She snorted. “Of course I do.” She glanced at you and then back at Hyunjin. “Who was the one with the rabbit again?”
“No way,” Felix gasped, looking over at you.
You felt a hand slide over your shoulder as Minho tugged you closer to his side. Kija was now seated in his lap.
“Hyung, you knew?” Jisung asked.
“Of course, she told me already,” Minho replied simply. “It's because she has taste.”
Once the intro was over, the episode started with the cameras just on the kids. Kija was up on the stage, playing with some of the toys.
It felt odd seeing something you'd watched happen from just a slightly different angle. It almost made it feel unreal, even though you knew it had happened.
The episode was fun to watch, especially since your sister had no point of reference for it, so her reactions were very enjoyable.
It was also interesting to see different angles for some of the moments you remember, like seeing the kids playing upstairs, or the moment when Minho fell down the stairs and they zoomed in on Kija kissing the top of his head.
The other fun thing was the captions added by the editors. One in particular that made you giggle was when Seungmin said, “He already found a new cat friend.”
The editors added whiskers to Minho’s face and the caption read, “Does he mean Lee Know or the stuffie?”
The boys managed to get Kija interested in the TV a few times during the episode. In particular, he seemed to like the close ups of Minho, or anytime the boys were laughing. Hyunjin scooped him up during the dancing section and shimmied around the room with him, making him giggle.
Honestly it was a fun evening. Kija even managed to stay awake during the whole video, though he kept yawning and rubbing his eyes. As the video was showing a preview for the next part, Minho turned Kija around in his lap so he could easily rest his head on his shoulder.
Kija snuggled into Minho’s neck, one of his hands grasping at his shirt. You saw his eyes flutter shut and not open again.
“Wow,” your sister said as the video came to a close, “I can’t believe Kija’s a superstar now.”
You wrinkled your nose. “God I hope not.”
“What do you mean?” Hyunjin protested. “He’s so cute he deserves to be a superstar.”
“I just… don’t want him to get used to random strangers coming up and knowing his name,” you replied.
“Honestly I doubt it’ll happen,” Chan told you. “Even we can walk around fairly often and not get bothered, so a single SKZ Code won’t make him suddenly super well known.”
Minho hummed in agreement. “He’ll be okay, I promise.”
“That video was so cute though,” Jae commented. “So, same time next week, right?”
You smiled. “I mean, if you all want to. I know you guys are pretty busy.”
“I’ll be here for sure,” Minho said.
The boys all agreed that they’d check their schedules and let you know.
“Even if not, I still appreciate you all being here for this one.” You smiled. “It was a lot of fun. And thank you for the gifts for Kija, too.”
“Kija deserves all of the gifts,” Hyunjin said seriously.
The boys stuck around for another hour, the ten of you just hanging out and chatting, while they also slowly helped clean up. Kija continued to sleep through all of it. You told Minho he could put him down in his bed, but he just shrugged and continued holding him.
Eventually, the boys began to leave. You gave them all hugs goodbye, when you realized that Jisung and Jeongin were leaving with Changbin and Hyunjin.
You glanced at Minho. “Are you staying?”
He smiled. “If you’ll have me.”
“Don’t you have work in the morning?”
He shrugged. “I have a late start tomorrow.” He stepped closer, sliding one hand around your lower back. “Plus, I’d much rather wake up with you.”
You giggled softly. “I’d rather wake up with you, too.”
“Hey!” Jae said. “Don’t forget I’m still here.”
You gave Minho a soft kiss on the lips before turning and glaring playfully at your sister. “What, so I can’t flirt with my boyfriend if you’re here now?”
“Not until after I give him the shovel talk,” she replied, putting her hands on her hips before turning just slightly to look at Minho. “You seem really nice, and I noticed how you look at my sister and Kija, so I like you. I don’t care if you’re an idol, though. If you hurt her, you’ll have me to answer to.”
“I don’t plan on hurting her,” he replied softly yet firmly, “but if I do, I’ll deliver myself to you personally.”
Your sister narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before nodding. “Good.”
You blinked at her and then raised an eyebrow. “Okay so I can kiss him now?”
“You’re a grown woman, who am I to stop you?”
You laughed and Minho snorted, leaning in to kiss your forehead.
The three of you continued to wind down for the evening. Minho finally put Kija to bed before helping you set up a place for your sister to sleep.
Finally, you got ready for bed, yourself, crawling in under the covers next to Minho.
“Should I check the comments on the video?” You asked him softly after a moment.
Minho turned his phone so you could see the screen. He already had the YouTube app open on his phone. “They’re all positive. People love him, and the other boys, too. Some people are joking about this being a ploy to ‘raise the baby rate’ here in Korea but,” he shrugs.
You rested your head on his chest and Minho angled his phone so you could read some of the comments, too.
@ iceforskz.122: oh my god i don’t even have ovaries and they’re exploding
@ woofwoofmong: I DIDNT KNOW I NEEDED CHAN IN A WOLF ONESIE UNTIL NOW
