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“Also, I’ve brought Minami’s favourites!”
The moment 2 year-old Minami heard his name, he ran to the kitchen as fast as his tiny legs allowed him. He saw his papa, his adored papa, holding his favourite cookies in the entire world. Oreos! His papa, Victor, had gone grocery shopping with his older brother Leo. While his dad, Yuuri, had stayed to take care of Guang Hong and his baby brother Yuri, who his twin brother had accidentally called Yurio the first time they met 4 months ago. He enjoyed staying with his dad, just as much as he enjoyed shopping and sitting in the cart. Minami loved how his dad would patiently play with him and his action figures. Or how his dad would print pictures and paste them on the wall for him and his twin brother so they wouldn't paint on it again. “Hi there Minami!”
“Hi!” Minami raised his little arms to Victor so he would be picked up from the floor. “Up!” he demanded to which Victor complied. Once in his arms, Minami giggled as he curiously watched his dad rummage through the paper bags his papa had brought. “Victor, that’s more than I told you to buy…” Yuuri’s despair seemed to form bubbles of laughter inside Minami and his contagious laugh made Yuuri sigh and chuckle with his son. “What are you laughing at Minami?” His dad asked and started tickling his belly.
“I want Oreos,” Minami let out after the fit of laughter induced by his dad’s tickles.
“Oh you want some?” Victor said kissing his cheek. He nodded back, giggling.
“You’ll have to wait until after lunch,” Yuuri said absentmindedly putting the groceries in their place. Minami groaned and rested his head on Victor’s shoulder, he took a deep breath and tried to memorize the comforting scent. He felt Victor smile as his lips curled up when he kissed his kid’s forehead.
“I guess dad is right, Minami.” Victor said, “Do you want to go play with your brothers?” Minami shook his head and looked at Yuuri approaching them. The empty hands of his dad made him want to be held by him too and so he extended his arms, clenching and unclenching his small hands, silently calling for Yuuri. “Aw Minami I wanted to play with you!” Victor chuckled, passing Minami to Yuuri.
Minami locked his arms around his dad’s neck and took in the warm feeling of being held by his wonderful daddy, the feeling of being loved and safe. He closed his eyes and let the sounds around him fill his head. The usual sound of his papa’s voice muffled by the ear pressed against his dad’s shoulder. The deep vibrations from his dad’s voice that he felt by lying there. The laughter that filled the kitchen while they chatted and exchanged words in different languages, one being identified as Japanese. “I’ll take Minami and you can go with Guang Hong and convince him to eat this time,” a pause made him open his eyes, “hey I did it yesterday- come here Minami.” He felt how his dad gently passed his body to his papa and he once again nuzzled his face against Victor’s neck.
Yuuri sighed, “Just don’t let him fall asleep before lunch or he won’t want to eat.”
“Nonsense! My Minami will eat everything so we can eat Oreos later right?” Minami raised his head and smiled at his parents.
“Yes!” He giggled when Yuuri smiled back at him before leaving.
And so he tried to eat everything, he made a fuss and he separated the carrots from the other things on his plate. He took a lot of time chewing and he stood up on his high chair to protest against carrots. Yuuri wasn’t surprised, when he planned what to prepare for lunch he wondered if he could sneak in the carrots and he had served Minami a really small amount of them.
“Minami please sit down,” Yuuri started as he helped Guang Hong with his food. He was sitting in between the twins, meanwhile Victor was focused on making Leo eat the carrots and stopping Guang Hong from feeding Makkachin under the table. They had already fed the youngest of them, Yuri – also known as Yurio by the twins – and were trying to stop the kids from making a fuss that could potentially wake Yuri up.
“Minami sit!” Guang Hong continued feeding one of the tiny chopped carrots to Makkachin who waited underneath the table. Victor sighed and cleaned Guang Hong’s hand. The twins were a real deal and their parents still had to learn from their shenanigans.
“I dun wanna.” Minami’s mouth was full with his lunch and he was getting a bit tired of having his mouth full with the things he hated the most. He had to pass it all or else it would get even worse.
“Minami, sit down and eat, please.” Yuuri continued eating, side eyeing Victor to do something.
“Minami, if you eat three more spoons I promise we’ll watch a movie,” Minami looked at his papa and swallowed. With the promise of a movie that probably involved popcorn he forgot about the Oreos and he decided, after his parents cleaned up, that he wanted to watch the movie with his parents in the huge bed they shared.
“Movie?”
“Sure thing,” Yuuri said. Minami raised his arms, asking silently to be carried in Yuuri’s arms, “Nope, we’re going to go upstairs by foot okay?” Minami pouted but did anyway. He was followed by his brothers and he smiled up at them. He giggled when he saw Makkachin rushing up the stairs too and he had to turn around and make sure his parents were also going to be with them lazing around that Saturday evening.
“What do you want to watch Minami?” Yuuri asked, helping Guang Hong up. Minami pointed to his favourite movie, raised his arms to Victor so he could carry him in his arms and once his papa sat on the bed he sat on his lap. His parents started accommodating the movie and the bed so they could take a nap at some point during the film.
Halfway through his movie and his slight sleepiness, he felt the urge to pee. Being a 2 year-old meant that he was in the middle of potty training and had to tell his papa or dad that he wanted to go to the bathroom. Yet, the movie was at an interesting scene and the comforting sound of the ice and skates were calling him, making him stay. “Minami, do you want to go to the bathroom?” Yuuri, who was sitting next to him, saw his constant shifts and turns while Victor was slowly falling asleep.
“Yes.” Yuuri had a small Yuri on his chest and a sleeping Guang Hong attached to his hand, so Minami shook his papa up and with a smile on his face he asked him to take him to the bathroom. He also asked to be carried again but his dad intervened with a gentle “no Minami, you have to walk there.” Minami pouted but let his papa put him back on the floor and waited for him to stood up and take him to the bathroom.
“C’mon, up Minami, this is a secret between us,” his papa whispered reaching for Minami to carry him in his hip when they were outside the bedroom. “Don’t tell daddy,” Victor’s sleepy blue eyes still sparkled in awe looking back at the smiling face of his second son, his adored little monster that made life a bit funnier, lighter. His baby boy smiled at him, and played with his hair, running his finger through the long strands of hair that laid on his back.
“ Here we go!” he said in Japanese, and squatted next to his son’s potty trainer – which had a sticker that clearly was put there by Minami because him and Guang Hong couldn’t have the same potty trainer. “Now, Minami, you can do it by yourself.” Minami shook his head and babbled something about not being able to take his pants down in a funny mix of English and Japanese. “Oh really?” Minami nodded, “I’ll help you with your jeans, okay?” Minami nodded and let his papa pull down his little jeans. “Now it’s your turn.”
Minami pulled down his pull-ups diapers and did what he was told. Last week he didn’t know how to do any of this and now he was able to do it all by himself. “Good job Minami!” Victor praised from behind him after Minami pulled up his diaper. “Good job, baby!” he left a kiss on his chubby cheek after pulling back up the elastic band on his son’s jeans and smiled back at his kid. “Let’s wash your hands okay?” His voice was filled with joy and pride and Minami could feel it in every syllable, so he let out a euphoric giggle mixed with a shriek. “Okie!” he said back. Minami skipped to the luxurious sink and waited for his papa to pull in front of him the step stool he and his brothers used to reach the sink.
Victor had to be really careful here, the step stool was a little higher than what they wanted and Minami leaned in too much sometimes – like in that moment – and water splashed everywhere, mostly on Minami’s clothes. “Don’t…” too late. Minami had already washed his hands with the soap Victor handed him and in the process played with it, splashing some water in his clothes. He sighed but if he had to be honest, Victor loves listening to his kids laugh. He could listen to them all day and keep the tender feeling inside. Right there, even when he was just about to change his son’s clothes, he loved it – he loved his family.
“Okay Minami! We’ll have to change your clothes, come here with me!” Victor reached for Minami’s hand and distracted his son to make him walk to his room. Once inside, he sat Minami on his bed and choose the first pair of sweatpants and t-shirt he found, they were comfortable and Minami wouldn’t mind, he thought, turning around.
“Minami don’t!” His voice wavered in between despair and laughter when he saw his two year-old only wearing his pull-ups and almost about to run out that door. “Ahh! The monster will go get you!” He deepened his voice and let out a raspy “roar!” to let Minami know what he was getting into. Instead though, Minami let out a shriek and jumped in his own spot excited of what would happen next.
“Papa!” Minami squealed.
“Oh look at that, a delicious Oreo in front of me!” Victor kept his act intact and put his long hair behind his ears as he looked down to the squealing child. “I think I’d like to have one just now!”
“I’m Minami!” he laughed.
“But you’ve eaten so many Oreos, I think you’ll turn into one someday!” Victor replied with the same tone. His Minami would obey Yuuri instantly; yet with him, he would play around the whole day and night if he didn’t want to obey. So, when Minami still used regular diapers and was still learning how to walk, when Minami still ran around naked while visiting Yuuri’s parent’s hot springs, he invented this trick. The monster was rather cute and would run after a giggling Minami to eat his belly, or to actually blow raspberries on his belly.
“Can I turn into Oreo?” Minami was surprised, his big wide eyes told Victor he loved the idea.
“Unfortunately for you, no,” he said in a soft voice. “But, you are my little Oreo, my baby Oreo.” He said extending his arms asking for a hug. Minami shrieked and run to his papa’s arms to be lifted in the air. “Ah, I love you so much my Oreo.”
“Luv you too, papa!” Victor smiled, and carried him in his hip again so with his free hand he could comb the dirty blonde locks that were on his Oreo’s face. Minami pointed to his chart, signalling that after being changed he wanted Victor to add the golden stars he deserved for pulling down his diapers, washing his hands and just being a good boy.
“I know, Oreo, I know.”