Blended

A Sleepy Morning

"Appa?"

Jin turned around from the counter, smiling as his sleepy bunny wandered into the room.

"Did somebody wake up?" he asked, opening up his arms for the baby to collapse into and hefting him onto his hip. He smiled as his baby rested his head on his shoulder.

He'd gotten home late the night before, guilty because he didn't get to say goodnight to his babies but had ended up being angry to find Jungkook sitting up on the couch waiting for him. Not angry at Kookie, he knew the level of attachment the boy had, but angry at Hoseok. The poor boy had been all alone, in a wet diaper and hadn't even been bathed or put into pajamas.

And to make it worse he knew what Hoseok's argument would be. That the baby didn't want to go with him, which he wasn't wrong about but that had nothing to do with the little one like Hoseok thought. Jungkook was nervous around his hyung because Hoseok was inconsistent with him. Sometimes he cared for him, sometimes he ignored him. Sometimes he paid attention to him, other times he accused him of being jealous of Jimin and getting in the way. It was no wonder the poor boy would rather wait for his Appa to get home than risk getting yelled at.

"Is my bunny still sleepy?" Jin asked, rocking the baby slightly and smiling at the timid little nods. As cute as it was he wished he could get Kookie out of his shell more. He would see his mischievous nature every so often but it had dulled once he presented as a little. Back before he was tested, his baby was a little brat. Just keeping him in school had been a constant fight. Jin had met the boy when he was 19 and the younger was only 14. The kid didn't have the best homelife and Jin had taken him in, eventually moving him into his apartment. Basically becoming a parent when he was barely an adult had been difficult but it had shown him his inclination towards being a caregiver too. And Jungkook had been his baby from the beginning, even if he hadn't been presented he had still loved and spoiled the boy as if he was.

And it wasn't that Jungkook couldn't be a brat now. No one is perfect and no little is perfect. Jungkook had his ornery days. Days where absolutely nothing would appease him and Jin would spend the majority of the day going between trying to find out if anything was wrong and disciplining the boy. It was frustrating because he knew it was the inconsistency Jungkook faced that made him like this. Jin was safe to be a brat to. Jungkook knew what the consequences were when he misbehaved with Jin but Jungkook's relationship with Hobi constantly made him question his worth. Made him question if Jin would push him away too. So Jin understood why the baby pushed his boundaries. It didn't, however, mean he put up with it. If anything it made him more consistent with his little one to make up for the lack of consistency Hoseok showed.

Jin felt the same with Jimin. Now Jimin was much for secure with is worth than Jungkook. He didn't have the same experience of having to wonder if anyone wanted him around but that boy was spoiled rotten by Hoseok. He knew Hobi very rarely disciplined Jimin and even when he did it usually didn't meet the seriousness of his offenses. He seen the boy throw food at Hoseok and only get a scolding. As far as Jin was concerned, that kind of behavior was an immediate spanking.

And that was the difficult thing. Jimin struggled with where the line was. And why wouldn't he? He gets away with bad behavior with one caregiver but not the other. And Jimin was a smart boy but sometimes he forgot which caregiver he was speaking to. Most of the time as soon as Jin started being stern with him he'd snap out of it but that usually didn't save him from a swat on his bottom or some time on the naughty step. And boy, did that boy hate the naughty step.

The first time he'd put Jimin on the step he hadn't been prepared for the waterworks. Jin had had Jungkook with him as a little for a few years at that point and the baby definitely didn't like timeout but he had nowhere near as dramatic of a reaction as Jimin did. Jungkook got upset and usually cried a little bit or had his most sullen pout on display but Jimin had melt downs. His first time out had taken forever because the boy just wouldn't stay on the step. As if he couldn't believe someone had the audacity to put him there. He'd slide off onto the floor and throw a fit. Jin must have sat him back on that step ten times before he finally stayed. Screaming the whole time, but he stayed. Even now it was a whole production every time Jimin got sent to the step. He had learned his lesson and listened when the was sat there now but he'd always end up screaming and sobbing his way through his time. And the stubborn thing would only apologize because he knew that was the only way Jin would let him up. It was definitely still a work in progress with the boy.

Jin was startled out of his thoughts when some bunny teeth gently nipped at his shoulder as his baby tried to suck on his shirt. "Somebody is hungry," he joked.

"Bottle," the baby requested softly. He didn't always get a bottle. Jin had always been hesitant to allow the little one to get too dependent on them. Despite being a little he still had an adult body and couldn't get everything he needed from his formula. But he'd let the little one have a bottle or two a day, particularly when he needed comfort. And after last night he was sure he did. The baby didn't talk much but he was pretty positive the boy didn't have a very good day with is Hobi hyung.

Jin felt guilty leaving him here alone with him so often when he knew of Hoseok's inability to care for him properly but he didn't have a choice. Hobi could work from home, he couldn't.

"Okay baby can have a bottle," Jin tapped his bunny on the nose smiling at the giggles he was rewarded with.

"Nana?"

"Oh no, no little one. You know Appa doesn't let you have sugar this early." He said ignoring the huffing and pouting he got from his little one as he hid his face in his shoulder again. His baby never gave up an opportunity to try to get banana milk out of him. It rarely worked.

Jin couldn't help but smile at his pouting bunny as he got his bottle ready. He could tell the little one needed some extra coddling this morning. Honestly the boy needed some extra coddling all the time. It was what made it hard, the boy was just so clingy. He needed so much support from Jin when he was home, always terrified he was going to leave for work again and leave him alone. It broke his heart every morning when the baby would cry when he'd get ready for work. Something had to give eventually.

Jin carded his fingers through the bunny's hair and he laid him across his lap and started to feed him his bottle, smiling as the baby's eyes started to drift closed sleepily. He was sure he was still exhausted from his late night. "Shh honey. You can sleep."

"Appa leave Kookie?" the bunny asked softly when Jin wiped milk from the little one's face.

"No honey, Appa will be right here when you wake up." He reassured.

"Promise? Appa stay with Kookie. No Hobi hyung today?" That hurt Seokjin's heart. Was it really getting that bad that the baby didn't even want to be left alone with the others.

"I promise baby. Close your eyes." He said, slowly soothing his baby back to a comfortable sleep.

Jin bit his lip as he watched his baby sleep. Something had to give and it had to give soon.