LITTLE ONES || NA JAEMIN

*CHAPTER 1

Sunlight seeped through the open curtains, transforming the room from a monochrome gloom to bright pop art. The golden threads of the morning light hit him awake, and Jaemin tossed in his bed, not ready to face the day yet.

"Ugghhh! My head hurts." The aching in his head ebbed, hitting him like a freight train, and he groaned, clutching onto his head. He felt as if his brain had swollen beyond repair, mouth dry from dehydration. "I shouldn't have drunk that much."

Jaemin opened his heavy eyelids halfway, only to close them right after, the morning light blinding him. Slowly fluttering his eyes open after a few minutes of contemplation, he lazily trailed them over the room, taking in the surrounding. "Where am I?"

Movements on his right caught his attention, and he turned on his side, only to be graced with the sight of three sleeping children. Jaemin's face fell, and he panicked, unable to comprehend his situation.

Jumping off his bed, he took a few steps back. The floor was cold and sticky underneath, the room swaying as he stumbled on his feet, falling hard with a thud.

"What the fuck?" He groaned, rubbing the sore spot. Averting his gaze from the three sleeping children and onto his surrounding, Jaemin let out a strangled sigh.
Why do I keep forgetting?

Bringing his knees closer to his body, he dropped his head over his crossed elbows as he watched the three children sleep.
Will I be able to take care of you guys?

His stomach lurched and grumbled as his hangover returned along with nausea. Letting out a deep exhale, he looked at the kids one last time before getting up and making his way towards the bathroom.
I need a bath. And some painkillers.

His eyes were a lattice of pink over the white, hairs disheveled, and t-shirt inside out. Splashing cold water over his face, he wished he could scrub off his brain to get rid of the pining headache.

"I need fresh air," He muttered as he walked out of his apartment and towards the balcony at the end of the hallway. The glass door opened to the platform with a view of the park, and Jaemin sighed as his body relaxed to the touch of cold air.

The fresh spring air nipped at his skin, scrapping and his pent-up frustrations seeped out, transversing through his body as it reached the ground.

Tears welled up in his eyes, but he blinked them away with yet another sigh. Burying his face in his palms, he vocalized, but his voice came out thin and weak, muffled. "I-I'm sorry. B-But I don't know what to do anymore."

Standing for a solid thirty minutes in self-commiseration, he hesitantly headed back to his world. Stumbling into the kitchen, he whipped himself a strong cup of coffee to help him keep going for the day.

Cries soon filled the entire apartment, making Jaemin choke on his coffee in panic. Discarding the content in the sink, he sprinted towards his room in a hurry.

Jaemin was utterly out of depth as he watched the toddler in its truest form of misery, his shrill cries resonating through the whole house. He had his arms stretched out, grasping at the air as his chubby cheeks wobbled with each wail.

Jaemin stood at the edge of the bed, completely clueless and failing to respond to the crisis as he subconsciously focused on his oxygen intake. He wanted to tend to the toddler, soothe him. But he was scared, too scared to move even a muscle.

The toddler's skin carved for the attention and comfort of a mother, the safety of her arms, her love. The wailing only grew louder in the absence of his cravings, waking the two four-year-olds.

Jaemin's panic grew tenfolds as the twins began to cry too, his brain too scattered to function normally.
Oh my god! What do I do?

He laced his fingers through his already tousled hair and tugged in frustration, face morphed into one of cluelessness. Taking a few deep breaths, he stumbled towards the twins and patted their heads to calm them down.
"Ummm, hey! Don't cry."

The gesture caused the kids to cry louder, wailing and seeping in pure agony. Jaemin breathed out in desperation, picking up the toddler first to calm him down. Jiggling the little one in his arms in a panicked way, he marched towards the living room with the crying twins hot in tails.

Jaemin rocked the toddler left and right in a failed attempt to stop him from crying. There were three crying children in his apartment now, and he had no idea what to do. He could barely fend for himself. How was supposed to look after three more people?

Still in his panic mode, Jaemin caught an intruder from the corners of his eyes, her head popping through the front door.
Shit! Did I leave the front door open?

The girl timidly opened the door a little wider before slipping into his living premises.
"Ummm, excuse me?"

Jaemin is sad. 

Honestly, I never want to see him sad. He's so precious uwuu. He deserves all the love and happiness ❤️