SEONGJOONG (Family AU)

••••••

"Morning Mishaps"

By Yeo_Mama

••••••

TW: Blood, description of injury

••••••

"Wooyoung-ah."

Seonghwa warned, watching as his four-year-old slowly extracted his hand away from his brother's plate, Mingi too invested with the cup of orange juice in his hold to even notice that he was getting robbed of his banana slices.

The kindergartner's feet swished happily underneath the table, completely content as he sipped on his juice while Wooyoung slumped back into his seat with a dramatic whine; little arms crossing over his chest. He'd always been one for theatrics. Even at seven in the morning.

The blonde sighed as he was fixed with a prominent glare from his second youngest; his lips extending out into an aggressive pout identical to his father's. Although, the preschooler miraculously refrained from throwing a fit, choosing rather to continue staring daggers his way. Seonghwa still mentally cheered at the small victory. Beggars really can't be choosers, especially when it comes to having six kids.

He quickly zipped up the Spider-Man lunch box in front of him, setting it in the line of others he'd placed on the counter as he grabbed the last two bags, both identical in color and design besides the names Hongjoong had embroidered on the front. Placing in two small containers of kimbap, which he had been smart enough to make the night before, he hastily filled his twins' thermoses with water and packed them as well. He grabbed two more apples from the fridge as he set out to clean and cut them, just like he'd done with the rest of his boys' lunch; eyeing his kids as he began to slice the red fruit.

Everyone was sat at the dining table, munching on scrambled eggs and bananas as they waited for the bus; five sets of eyes glued to the tv in the living room as they ate. He didn't usually put it on in the mornings, but sometimes the distraction was needed if it meant he could corral his pack of boys into one specific area. Especially when he was short staffed a husband.

Hongjoong had been called into work early, leaving him to fend for himself as he was tasked with the duty of waking, dressing, feeding, and shipping off all the kids to school in time, let alone making sure their lunches and backpacks were also good to go. The look of sheer guilt on his husband's face as he left had been just enough to keep him from murdering the man as soon as he got back home. Plus, the promise that he would handle bedtime tonight to make up for it, much too his relief.

"Sannie, only bottoms stay on the chairs."

Seonghwa called out as he bagged his fourth round of apple slices, having noticed the kindergartner perch himself up on bent knees to better see the tv.

The six-year-old quickly obeyed as the blonde walked over to place his son's lunch bag with the others, taking the time to clean up his boys' plates as well and set them near the sink; internally crying at the stack of plastic cutlery and dishes. He didn't even have to ask before a head of brown hair was suddenly in front of him, opening the dishwasher as his ten-year-old began to put his siblings' plates inside, Yeosang coming up behind him with all of their cups in hand as he passed them to his older brother quietly.

"Thank you."

Seonghwa praised before his watch suddenly buzzed along his wrist; catching his attention. He looked down at the screen, eyes widening when he caught sight of the time.

7:40 am.

"Shit!"

"POTTY WORD! PAY UP!"

"Sorry!"

Seonghwa quickly apologized at Wooyoung's shout. He'd add a coin to their (mostly Hongjoong's) swear jar later. He had more important things to focus on right now anyways.

"Alright boys, we're leaving in ten minutes! Start putting shoes on!"

He called out as he grabbed Mingi's apple, rushing to get it cut in time, but the baby monitor he'd set on the counter earlier started to crackle instead, signifying that his youngest was awake.

"Shoot! Yunho-yah?"

"I got it, Eomma!"

His eldest was already pulling his brothers towards the door, lacing up their shoes and tugging on coats as he got them ready to go to school, easily cutting down the tedious process for Seonghwa by a solid five minutes.

"Yeosang-ah, could you make sure everyone gets their lunch boxes? I'll finish up Mingi-yah's in a minute."

He threw out as he basically ran down the hall towards his and his husband's room, Jongho's cries picking up by the second.

"Aigoo, did you miss Eomma?"

He cooed upon entering his bedroom, swiftly picking up his two-month-old son as he bounced him lightly; patting at his bottom. He noted that his diaper was wet, the material heavier than usual as he moved to grab a changing pad, wipes, a fresh diaper, and a new set of clothes, settling the items along his bed. He laid Jongho down onto the mat softly, the baby squirming around angrily as he began to undress and clean the small boy; muscle memory taking over. He'd already gone through this stage of life five times before, so he was basically a pro.

Seonghwa would be lying if he said Jongho wasn't an accident. Being thirty-four with five children was already quite the handful as is. Unexpectedly adding a newborn into the mix a year later was definitely a surprise, especially when they agreed to stop after Wooyoung was born, five kids being enough. Clearly it wasn't as he very quickly ended up pregnant for the sixth time after his parents came into town for a week, essentially leaving them kidless for a few days with a sudden increase of free time on their hands. The red wine Hongjoong brought home didn't help either.

There were days when having six kids felt like a nightmare, but then there were days where he wished he could have had the whole football team of babies his husband liked to joke around about in bed. Although, most days felt like he ate, drank, and breathed his kids, especially right now as he finished up changing Jongho. Seonghwa loved being a mom, but he would also love to ship his boys off to a foreign country if it meant he could have a minute to himself. Who needed a vacation when he could just have peace and quiet?

A piercing scream suddenly rang throughout the house.

"What's wrong!"

He immediately yelled out, settling Jongho back into his crib as a whole chorus of shrieking erupted from the kitchen; his boys' voices overlapping each other as they screamed.

"EOMMA! EOMMA! EOMMA!"

The blonde quickly sprinted out of his bedroom, socks sliding against the wooden floors as he ran; panic rising as the kids continued to frantically call his name.

"Boys-"

Oh god. There's blood.

Upon entering the kitchen, Seonghwa instantly noticed the trail of scarlet droplets leading from the cutting board he'd left Mingi's apple on, to the small collection of red that was beginning to pool on the floor. His second oldest was in the midst of it all, crying hysterically as he cupped his right hand to his chest; shirt stained with blood.

In an unconscious moment of maternal instinct, he quickly grabbed the eight-year-old in his arms and settled them both down onto the floor, reaching up to grab the towel draped over the sink's ledge as he wrapped it around his son's hand; the boy flinching as he applied pressure.

"Yunho-yah, I'm going to need you to run over and get Juyeon-ssi for me."

He called out, voice barely carrying over the howling mess that was his boys, but his eldest still heard and booked it out the front door to their neighbor's house at his request.

"Sannie, would you go get my phone please? It's on Appa and I's bed."

The kindergartner was crying, his other half wailing at the top of his lungs as he tried to calm his twin down, but promptly dragged Mingi along with him to retrieve their mother's phone instead. Seonghwa breathed a sigh of relief as they took the distraction, giving him a moment to focus on the crying boy in his lap.

"Yeosang-ah, can you take a deep breath for Eomma?"

His son was hyperventilating, chest heaving as he choked on his sobs; nose running. The blonde had never seen him this distressed before, so used to the mature exterior he always put up compared to the rest of his brothers. He inhaled and exhaled loudly to get him to follow along, gently guiding his head away from the mess of blood coating the floor and his clothes. He rocked them back and forth slowly as the second grader began to calm down, shushing him quietly as his breath gradually turned to small hiccups.

San eventually returned with his phone, Seonghwa sending him and his brother off to finish getting ready along with Wooyoung just as the front door opened. Yunho rushed in with a tall brunette right behind him, the male's dark eyes immediately landing on him as he walked into the kitchen.

"Seonghwa-ssi, what happened!? Are you two alright?"

Juyeon gasped, kneeling down to the mother and son's level.

"I think everything's fine, but can you look after Jongho-yah for me? I hate to be a bother, I...I just really need to focus on Sang-ah right now."

He pled, throat tightening as he suddenly felt like crying. He was quickly becoming overwhelmed with the situation around him, his neighbor seeming to notice as he called out to his boys.

"Kids, Minho-ssi is already out there by the bus stop with Changbin-ah. He'll help you get on today. Your Eomma needs to stay with your brother."

Before anyone could even begin to protest, Yunho quickly took the lead as he ushered his siblings out the door, the ten-year-old shutting down any complaints as they left for school, but Wooyoung seemed to linger behind.

"Wooyoung-ah, come on!"

The preschooler ignored his older brother completely, choosing rather to peek around the kitchen island with watery eyes; lip wobbling.

"Hyung..."

"He's gonna be okay, Youngie. Eomma will take care of him."

Seonghwa promised just as Juyeon came over to return his son back to his brothers, patting at his little shoulder reassuringly as the four boys left for the bus stop; the house finally falling silent as the door shut behind them.

With the kids taken care of, the tall brunette left for the master bedroom upon his earlier request, Jongho's whines beginning to filter through the monitor once again, leaving Yeosang and him to their own devices for the time being.

"It hurts, ma."

The eight-year-old whined, fingers wiggling lightly in his mother's hold, the blonde's hands still clamped tightly around his son's.

"Oh, aegiya. Let me see."

He cooed, pulling his grip away slowly, only to quickly cover it back up when he noticed that the dish towel underneath was soaked through where he had pressed it against Yeosang's cut; patches of his own palms dyed red. He sucked on his teeth. Yeah, that was the recipe for a freak out if he'd ever seen one.

"U-Um Sangie, would you call Appa for me? My phone is right there."

The eight-year-old merely nodded, grabbing the device with his uninjured hand. He easily typed in his passcode and scrolled through his contacts for his father's name. Seonghwa took that moment to assess the aftermath of his knife accident. Carefully peeling back the cloth, he paled at the sheer amount of blood staining the white fibers, taking a deep breath to keep himself from getting dizzy. It wasn't pretty, but he powered through, noting that the junction between his son's thumb and forefinger was split; an angry red gash cutting across the skin webbed there. It continued to bleed, but he nearly cried when he counted all five fingers still attached to his hand, having been scared to find a severed nub underneath the towel instead.

"Eomma."

Seonghwa startled slightly as his phone was suddenly shoved in front of his face, accepting it from his son with a quiet thank you as he held it up to his ear.

"Joong?"

"Hey Hwa, what's up?"

His husband's voice filtered through the speaker, the click of a mouse present in the background as he talked, no doubt still working on whatever it was that he's currently producing.

"I need you to come home. Yeosang-ah cut himself."

There was a pause. His husband's insistent clicking stopped as a sharp inhale of breath had Hongjoong pushing away from his computer; the wheels on his desk chair sliding against the floor.

"Shit. Is it bad?"

"Yeah."

"Like stitches bad?"

Seonghwa looked back down at the blood-soaked rag, grimacing at the sight of it.

"I think so."

He could hear rustling on the other line at that, keys jingling along with his husband's rushed steps as he called out to a fellow employee; words inaudible. The blonde listened to his shoes slap loudly against the wooden flooring of his company, changing to concrete as the speaker was filled with bustling city ambience instead; Hongjoong panting heavily above it all.

"Jagi?"

A car door quickly opened and slammed shut. An engine igniting to life.

"Okay. Get him ready to go to the ER. I'll be there in ten."

••••••

Taking Yeosang to the ER was actually a lot easier than Seonghwa would have originally thought.

After his husband hung up on the phone, the blonde took it upon himself to get his second oldest decked out in some shoes and a coat, making sure his hand was wrapped up in a new cloth as well. Hongjoong arrived fast enough, ushering them all out to the car as soon as he got home as they quickly drove to the emergency room, Yeosang staying oddly quiet in the back the entire time.

His tears seemed to have completely ceased, the eight-year-old appearing fine as his adrenaline kicked in from the shock of everything, numbing his pain, at least for the time being. Although, that quickly turned into a different story once they got placed in a room and the doctor began to poke and prod at his cut, unleashing the waterworks once again. He didn't fully breakdown until the first needle was mentioned, crying loudly in Hongjoong's arms as a series of Lidocaine shots were injected around his wound.

His father was in charge of keeping him still once he started to struggle, the male sat up on the examination table with his son in a firm hold; keeping his hand steady so it could get stitched up without issue. Seonghwa was tasked with making sure he was kept distracted, talking to him quietly to keep his attention away from the surplus of needles and scissors laid out on a rolling cart next to him; letting Yeosang squeeze at his hand to ease his nerves.

They were informed that their son thankfully didn't cut through the tendon running along his thumb and index finger, but just the webbing of skin between the two digits. Surgery wouldn't be required, which the parents were relieved to hear. Though, the cut was still deep enough that five stitches was needed to close it up, making the process easier than expected, but still miserable for the young boy in Hongjoong's arms; his eyes puffy and nose runny as he laid his cheek against his Appa's chest in defeat.

"Alright, you're all done!"

The doctor eventually announced as he snipped the length of colored gauze wrapped around the boy's hand, the second grader now sporting a layer of red bandage over his stitches.

"I'll make sure to have the nurse here send over a prescription for pain medication to your local pharmacy."

The two adults nodded, thanking the man as he left the room, leaving them to finish up some paperwork and payment methods with his PA before Yeosang could finally be discharged.

"You were very brave today, aegiya."

Seonghwa cooed once they were ready to go, helping his son off the table as he pressed a kiss to his cheek, Hongjoong ruffling his hair as the boy leaned up against his side.

"Although, you know that big knives are only for Eomma and Appa to use, right? We don't want you getting hurt again."

The blonde kneeled down to his son's level, keeping his tone firm, yet expression light as he addressed his behavior. Hopefully, this whole experience was enough of a lesson as is to keep him from repeating his actions.

"I know, ma. I just wanted to help you out. Jjongie takes up all your time."

Seonghwa's heart melted at that. He could never stay mad at his kids. Even if they gave him a heart attack by nearly chopping off their finger. They were always gonna be his one sole weakness in life.

"Aww, come here!"

He gushed as he bundled the eight-year-old up in his arms, hugging him tightly as he peppered his face with kisses, smiling as Yeosang squealed in his hold. His son eventually broke free, running to hide behind Hongjoong's legs to escape his mother's coddling as the brunette laughed at their antics in good nature; soothing a hand through the boy's unruly hair.

"Hey, how does ice cream sound? I think you've deserved it."

••••••

"One Cookies n' Cream."

Hongjoong accepted the sweet treat from the young girl that held it out to him, passing it on to Seonghwa as the blonde turned around in his seat to offer it to his son; wiggling it slightly when it wasn't taken from his hand.

"Sang-ah?"

He called out softly, only to spot that the second grader was fast asleep in his booster seat, cheek cushioned against his shoulder as he slept; completely tuckered out from today's surprise events. Seonghwa stared at him fondly, ultimately turning back around in his chair as he placed his son's frozen dessert into the cup holder next to him. He could have it later.

"He's asleep."

He explained as his husband looked over at him in question, the brunette's expression softening as he took his own glance at the sleeping boy in response.

"You know, Sangie might be on to something. I say it's designated family nap time when we get back home."

His husband joked, punctuating his offer with a large yawn that had Seonghwa yawning as well.

It may have only been twelve in the afternoon, but he was totally beat. They still had to go pick up Yeosang's prescription, but the thought of taking a nap upon getting home nearly brought him to tears of joy. Plus, they still had a little over three hours until the rest of the boys came back from school, so why not jump on the opportunity while they still can?

He leaned back in his seat with a sigh.

"I couldn't agree with you more."

••••••

Author's Note: I just really needed some fluffy hurt/comfort in my life. The family AU was an added bonus because of that one clip of Seongjoong both feeding Yeosang. He really is the favorite child, and you can't tell me otherwise.

*Notice: I am not a mother, nor do I know how to "properly" parent/handle distressed children. This is based slightly off how my dad handled me when I gashed my eyebrow open on a cupboard when I was (ironically) eight-years-old. The rest is my own interpretation.*

Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!