Shining Star//Dimming Light (VOL.2) (Felix X SKZ ONE-SHOTS)

No Matter What (OT16)

Pairing: ATZ & Felix & SKZ

Genre: Mafia AU, Littlespace AU

!!TW!! : Littles and Caregivers are biological dynamics, so littlespace obviously, violence can be mentioned or implied but this is a surprisingly soft AU despite it being in a mafia setting, past major injury, trauma-induced headspace (kind of), non-graphic panic attack, angst, it's a bit of a bittersweet ending I guess

(requested by tychelucina)

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The fearsome mafia group that had completely taken over Seoul in the span of three measly years was renowned for many things, but two stood out: one, they were all dating – and two, they had a Little.

It was rumored that, out of the seven official members, two or three of them were Caregivers, and that was why they'd ended up taking in a Little. However, there was no possible way to ascertain these rumors because, while the existence of their Little was known, no one had ever seen them and lived to tell the tale.

Some couldn't believe that SKZ would have a Little, seeing as they were quite the violent, blood-thirsty group. Others were worried the Little wasn't there of their own free will but, obviously, there wasn't anyone stupid enough to attempt a rescue. A few were convinced that this "Little" was nothing more than a myth created to render these monsters a little more humane.

But of course, the truth was far, far from all of it.

Not many remembered it at this point, but Stray Kids started off with eight members – five of them Neutrals, two of them Caregivers, and one of them Little, with a headspace ranging between eight and ten years old. At the time, however, they were all too focused on bringing their group to the top to really focus on dynamics and, while they all loved each other dearly, they had more important things to do than to indulge in their respective headspaces.

About a year after their rise to the top began, however, a terrible incident occurred – one which led their entire group's dynamics to shift completely. During an unexpected ambush, the Little miraculously saved the life of the leader of their group but, in doing so, was dealt a serious injury to the head. They'd immediately rushed him to the hospital, and he almost didn't make it... but the doctors managed to save him after all.

When he woke up, he was in a headspace, but it was... much younger than they remembered it to be. A few tests conducted revealed that he'd regressed to under five years old, something that had never happened before, and the Doctor eventually diagnosed him with a case of Post-Traumatic Age Regression (PTAR). 

In simple terms, the head injury the Little had suffered from had irreversibly damaged the part of his brain that was used to control his headspace and, in addition to regressing to a much younger age than before, he'd also lost complete control of said headspace – he could slip at any given time for extended periods of time, and nothing would be able to help him recover.

And, in answer to this abrupt shift in dynamic, and in answer to their respective traumas (their Little almost dying had definitely been the source of numerous nightmares) the Neutrals all became Caregivers. However, just because they now had the headspace and instincts necessary to properly care for a Little didn't mean they were good at it.

With all of them thoroughly lacking experience with any sort of headspace – they didn't know how to follow their Caregivers instincts, and they didn't know how to take care of a Little as young and vulnerable as their own – it quickly became obvious that they weren't suited for such responsibilities. But, of course, giving their Little up for adoption wasn't an option, for they still cherished him dearly.