CHAN—

   After three months of guiltily going along with Minho's wishes to keep Jisung completely unaware of what was going on between the two of them, it's safe to say that Chan was incredibly relieved to hear Minho say that Jisung had asked to be his caregiver— and that he'd said yes. So much so that he almost didn't mind the fact that Minho wasn't going to be his little anymore. (Almost.) He no longer felt the need to avoid Jisung, as he'd gotten used to doing the more the guilt weighed on him, and now, the three of them had been hanging out together a little more, which wasn't as awkward as he thought it'd be. 

   Yes, Minho and Jisung were boyfriends, but Chan hardly felt like a third wheel when the three of them hung out because Minho was still more comfortable with Chan than he was with Jisung, and Jisung still didn't know how to handle Little Minho, which clearly made him antsy. Having Chan there put him a little more at ease.

    It'd been a week since it all went down and Jisung found out about Minho's little space, and despite the fact that Jisung now held the title of Minho's caregiver, Minho still hadn't willingly regressed in front of him. Most likely, both of them were still just feeling awkward about it— Chan could sense the tension between them when he saw them together, but there'd been tension there from the start, so he couldn't tell if it was normal or not. It'd probably take some kind of push for them to settle into their new dynamic.

   Sitting together during their lunch break today at college, the three of them worked out a plan to watch a movie at Chan's house— that's why Minho was now showing up at his door.

    "Hey. Where's Ji?" Chan asked, while Minho kicked off his shoes and shed his coat.

    With a quick glance to his phone, Minho answered, "Should be here in a couple minutes. He lives further from here."

    Nodding, Chan headed for the living room while Minho followed behind him. "How are things with you two?"

    Minho shrugged, dropping down onto the couch with a sigh. "I dunno. I told him. He's my... caregiver now. I guess." He paused for a moment, lips twitching down as he hesitated to speak. "It's just embarrassing, hyung. I mean, it's nice to have gotten it off my chest and you know how glad I am that he actually wants to stay with me after this when I thought for sure he wouldn't, but... Whenever I think about slipping near him, I still feel like he'll be weirded out."

   Before Chan could get a word out, the front door swung open. Jisung swept in with a gust of November evening chill, giving a concluding shiver while he pushed the door shut again, his puffy coat doing nothing to keep him from going pink in the ears and cheeks and hands— which were out of his warm pockets because they were holding a paper bag.

   "Hi, Ji," Chan greeted, while Minho shrunk down next to him, embarrassed to see Jisung when he'd just been talking about awkward things that involved him.

   "Hiya. I brought snacks." A cute little smile was plastered on Jisung's face as he held up the bag, heading for the counter to unpack it. Chan glanced over and saw the effect it had on Minho: he'd forgotten to cover up the stupidly whipped-looking grin that was spreading across his face as a direct result of it, probably because he felt hidden behind Chan and thus let his guard down. Teasingly, Chan nudged Minho, and Minho straightened up and wiped the grin off his face. It was funny how much he still acted like Jisung was just his long-time crush, rather than his boyfriend.

   Jisung pulled a jug of apple cider he'd just bought out of the bag, looking back to Chan to ask, "You do have a microwave, right Chan hyung?"

   "Um, no."

   Jisung's shoulders drooped while he grabbed a pack of microwave popcorn from the bag. "Well... That's unfortunate." Just then, he seemed to realize that Minho was there, having just come out of hiding behind his human shield as he straightened his posture. "...Did I interrupt something?"

   "No, we were just talking about little space stuff," Chan announced casually, and Minho immediately bowed his head into a humiliated facepalm.

    "Oh." Jisung accepted it just as casually, unperturbed. He tilted his head to see past Chan better and get a look at facepalming Minho. "Hey, boyfie." He sent an enthusiastic wave Minho's way when the boy looked up in response.

   "Hi..." Minho mumbled, ears heating up to nearly match the shade of Jisung's pink lips.

   Steering the conversation back to the issue at hand, Chan offered, "It's okay, we can just cook it on the stove. How are you with cooking?"

    Still covering his face, Minho spoke through his hands, answering for Jisung: "Bad."

    While Jisung gave an offended yelp, Chan got up to take the popcorn from Jisung and find a pot, chuckling as he went. "Why don't you go pick a movie with Minho while I make the popcorn?"

    Chan watched them interact while he stood in the kitchen, holding the lid secure as he shook the pot and listened to the popping kernels. Minho was still acting so reserved next to Jisung, hardly speaking, barely smiling— it made Chan want to walk over and smack him over the head with that pot, but obviously that wouldn't help, so he didn't. It was just very frustrating, that's all. He— and clearly Jisung as well— wanted to see Minho finally loosen up a little, but Minho seemed to be stuck, strung up, tied tight like a double knot. He didn't know how to let go.

   Holding back his semi-violent frustrations, Chan took his place on the couch again with a bowl filled with Jisung's stove-popped microwave popcorn set on his lap, just for Jisung to perk up and hold out Chan's DVD of Jurassic Park for approval.

   "That's what you guys wanna watch?" Chan mostly intended that question for Minho, settling his gaze on him as he asked. But Minho avoided eye contact and let Jisung answer for him with a nod. So he pushed for a direct answer. "You good with that, Minho?"

   It was inevitable: Minho was going to slip if they turned on a movie like that. Any type of thriller would always have a chance of making Minho feel small, but considering he hadn't slipped in a week (another stressful week), it was bound to happen. And Chan knew Minho's ideal version of a first official impression on his new caregiver would not be him freaking out and probably having a meltdown over scary dinosaurs, so he was trying to help Minho get the hint that maybe this wasn't the best movie choice.

   Then again, if Minho was going to be stubborn and/or continue to be too afraid to slip around Jisung, maybe it was for the best. He'd be forced into it, and maybe he wouldn't like that, but afterwards it'd all be okay, right? He'd be a little more comfortable letting Jisung see his little side. 

   Anyway, Minho refused to pay any attention to Chan's efforts, so Chan just let it be as Minho gave his own nod and Jisung started the movie. The couple sat separated, on either side of Chan, so that they'd each have access to the bowl of popcorn in his lap.

   ~~~

   Chan had to say Minho did a much better job at not slipping than he expected.

   He watched him carefully as the scenes got progressively more intense, subtly tilting his head to the side each time. When the cow got eaten, Minho winced a little and tried to keep himself from squirming— and from there it was clearly hard for him to keep down his reactions. He would stiffen and he'd do his best to stifle his gasps and anxious breathing. But, for quite some time, he kept it under control. He lasted almost an hour like that, quietly, before he cried out in fear when the T-Rex was prowling as the kids hid in the car. 

   At Chan's side, a shriek pierced his ear, and by the time he'd turned his head, Minho was covering his eyes, whimpering and cowering.

   Chan's first instinct as a caregiver was to grab his little (whoops, not his little anymore) and comfort him, but he refrained and instead turned his head to the other side to glance at Jisung, who was just dumbly staring with surprised, wide eyes. Chan nodded his head towards Minho.

   Hesitantly, Jisung mouthed, "What do I do?"

   Grabbing Jisung's elbow to push him along, Chan whispered, "Hold him. Just think of him as a baby. If he cries, hold him."

   Jisung had hesitated a second or two too long, and now Minho was dissolving into a mess of terrified sobs on the couch. He passed over Chan and sat on the little's other side.

    "Aw, come here, baby," Jisung cooed, with Chan smiling because he'd totally nailed the tone and made it sound natural— and most of all, because it evidently shocked Minho so much that his cries stopped abruptly, just like that, and he looked, teary-eyed, at Jisung. 

   Jisung reached his arms out, offering to take Minho in, but the little was frozen in place, staring, unmoving. Clearly, Jisung was unsure if he should proceed, because he glanced up at Chan for guidance. Chan nodded quickly, so Jisung slid his hands under Minho's arms and pulled him close. 

   He definitely wasn't quite sure how to manipulate Minho's weight to get him into a good position, so he struggled to find a good way for Minho to rest against him— instead of sitting Minho in his lap like more experienced Chan would have done, Jisung laid him half in his lap and let his head rest on his arm, cradling him like an actual baby.

   Chan heard Minho's breath hitching as it happened, and he heard it again when Jisung gently thumbed away his tears.

    "It's okay. Everything's okay, baby. It's not real," Jisung soothed. "Deep breath, yeah?" 

   Minho was sniffling, breaths erratic as he came down from a sobbing fit that was caught almost before it started. He took that deep breath and sighed heavily into Jisung's shirt after it, but his diaphragm still seemed to stutter for the next few moments while he tried to catch his breath.

   "Good job, you've got it." Jisung ran a gentle hand through his hair. "You have a pacifier, don't you, baby?"

   Minho seemed to get worked right back up over that. He gave another harsh sniffle and his slowed breathing sped once again. He must've thought Jisung would find it weird.

    "Shh, hey, it's okay. I promise, it's okay. Would that help you calm down?"

   Slowly, shyly, realizing that it really might just be okay, Minho nodded.

   Jisung looked back at Chan to ask him if he could get it, but Chan was already standing up and on his way. Speed-walking upstairs, Chan heard Jisung's reassurances continue, with a giggly 'Sungie won't let the mean dino' get you, baby.'

   Sounded like he'd already gotten used to this.

   When Chan returned, with a baby pink pacifier that he'd found, left on his dresser, in hand, he held it out to Jisung.

   "Would you like to do the honors?"

    Jisung chuckled, holding out his open palm to take it. "Sure." He smiled softly looking at it, then turned his face to the little in his arms again to find that he was staring intently at it. Jisung tapped the silicone to Minho's lips and cooed softly when the boy's mouth fell open like it was on loose hinges— but it closed just as fast when Jisung pushed the pacifier carefully forward— and he suckled contently, eyes watching and running over Jisung's face to check his reaction, probably, if he was still big enough to do that.

   "No way, you're too cute!" Jisung squealed, squishing Minho's cheeks. Clearly slipping deeper, Minho giggled babyishly and kicked his feet. "Chan hyung, how could you gatekeep this adorable little baby for so long?"

   Chan just chuckled as he sat back on the couch beside them.

   "Well, sorry you couldn't finish the movie, Ji. Good job though, you calmed him down really quickly."

   Jisung nodded with a grin that left a lasting impression as he replied, "No worries. I'm happy. Can we watch something else that won't scare him?"

   "Yeah," Chan started, glancing over at Minho, who was calming down now and leaning into Jisung's hand that sorted through his hair, his eyelids beginning to droop. "But he'll definitely fall asleep.

  "Hurry up and turn something on, then," Jisung beamed, three months past ready to have his boyfriend falling asleep in his lap.

   Hardly five minutes later, with Tangled playing in the background, Chan was smiling relievedly as he watched Minho's eyes finally fall closed while his head fell totally lax against Jisung's stomach, guided there by Jisung's gentle, supporting hand. Looked like they got that push they needed after all.

---