Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jinu decided that taking Baby shopping with him was a mistake.

He went to get them groceries, alone, to draw less attention. That’s what he planned, but the youngest member kept whining about wanting to come along, eager to explore everything the human realm had to offer. 

Jinu felt guilty just considering denying him.

So now they are here. 

Jinu specifically chose to go there in the evening, when it was almost empty. Still, he stopped Baby before they entered the store, as he needed to set some rules. 

“You stay near me, do not wander off. If you want something, tell me. You can’t just take it – we need to pay for it, and you can have it after. Just…follow my lead. Don’t get into trouble.” Jinu told him, before he added, “Please.”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t, don’t worry.” Baby rolled his eyes. 

It might be fine?

Spoiler alert, it wasn’t. 

When Baby saw the shopping carts, he immediately decided he wanted to be the one operating it, and to avoid conflict, Jinu let him. But when they didn’t even get through the first aisle without Baby almost smashing into the shelf, it was obvious it just wouldn't work.

Jinu picked Baby up, ignoring the various protests from the shorter demon, and put him into the cart. That made him quiet down and his eyes widened with surprise. 

Jinu kind of expected a tantrum, but was pleasantly surprised when Baby giggled and got comfortable. 

It was a small victory, but it didn't mean the rest would go smoothly. 

For a while it did – Jinu moved around while grabbing the items they needed, and Baby was calmer than he had expected. He sat there, curiously watching.

Until they got into the candy aisle.

Baby didn't actually know what candy was, but the colourful packaging caught his eye.

“Ohh… Jinu, what's that?” He asked, pointing towards it. 

He could lie and say it was something else, but he'd feel bad. “That's candy. It's…sweet, and many people like it, especially children,” he explained as best as he could. He personally preferred salty snacks, as he found candy to be too sweet, but he had a feeling Baby would like it. 

“Can we get some?” 

Initially, Jinu was conflicted. He knew it was unhealthy, but they were demons, so what's the worst that could happen? And Baby has been behaving well so far. 

“Alright. But pick just one for now, so you can find out if you actually like it. We can always come back for more.”

“Hmm… ooo that one!” Baby wasted no time and reached for one of the packs full of small pieces of chewing candy individually wrapped, and he put it into the cart. 

“Good. I just need to grab one last thing, and then we can head to check out. Stay here, and don't do anything stupid, I'll be right back.” Jinu quickly walked off, leaving him there. 

The moment he turned the corner, Baby grabbed another one, this one was hard with…sticks in it? Weird, but it might be tasty! He hid it under the stuff that was already in there, and waited for Jinu to come back.

He didn't wait for long, as barely 10 seconds had passed, when he saw him carrying packets of what he recognized as rameyon. 

“This should be it.” Jinu said as he put the last items in the cart, “but you need to get out.”

“But whyyy?” Baby pouted.

“Because you're not an actual baby and you can walk. Now come on, get out.” Jinu grabbed him under his arms, and thankfully Baby didn't resist. “Was it that hard?” he asked him when the younger demon was standing on the floor.

“Yes.” He frowned, but didn't protest when Jinu grabbed his hand and began walking towards the cash register. 

For that exchange Baby zoned out completely, only recovering when Jinu tugged him by the hand, telling him it was time to go. 

Outside the shop, the sky was darker than before, the biggest light source the lamps lining the streets. It was beautiful. 

“Let’s go home.” Jinu told him and was about to teleport them both when Baby interrupted him. “But I wanna try the candy!”

“You will, when we get there. Where we could already be if you didn't prolong it.” 

“Trueeee, so let's goooo!” Baby yelped excitedly the same thing he just said, and before he could react further, it was Baby who grabbed him this time and teleported them. 

They appeared in the living room sandwiched between the TV and Saja Boys sitting on the couch, watching something. Jinu noted the lack of the usual puff of smoke, but before he could give it more thought, Abby already got up, visibly displeased. 

“Dude, what the hell? They were just about to kiss!”

Jinu turned around to look at what they were watching, and saw it was a random k-drama. Baby didn't seem to care at all, and let Jinu get them out of a situation he caused. Great. 

“You'll survive, Abs.” Romance saved him. He was sitting next to Mystery, who was leaning on him, an arm wrapped around his shoulder. Mystery grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, much more unbothered than Abby. 

“I waited a whole hour for that moment!” The muscular demon turned around and bored his eyes into Romance, who waved him off. 

Mystery stayed silent, but his mouth was in a small smile, showing he was clearly amused by the situation.

The youngest remembered what he had promised him, so he reached down and childishly tugged on his sleeve. “The candy?” It would be cute, if he didn’t know who he was. 

Jinu sighed, already taking it out of the bag. “Here you go.” He gave him both packets, to which Baby hesitated, so he added, “I don’t care you added another one.”

That got him to smile as he took them from him. No apology, but Jinu didn’t expect one anyway. 

Baby walked around Abby, who was still standing there, and sat down on the corner piece of the couch. Romance shuffled a bit to give him enough space, and Mystery got off his shoulder. 

“Whatchu got there, Babes?” Romance asked when he saw him open one. The response he got was Baby shooting him a look and pulling the candy closer to himself. “Well fine then, eat all of it.”

Baby took out a piece, unwrapped it and started chewing the soft candy. He seemed to like it, at least in the beginning. When he realized the chewy candy was stuck on his teeth, he frowned. Pouting, he handed the bag to Romance, with a simple, “Take it.” He threw the unopened bag of lollipops to the other side, and it landed somewhere on the floor. 

Romance looked surprised but didn't complain, instead he chose to eat one of the candies himself before he offered them to Mystery, who also took one. While Jinu went to pick up the other packet, Abby asked, “Why did you do that?” 

“They're sticky.” He explained, trying to get it off with his tongue, unsuccessfully. The group laughed at his struggle. 

“Yeah, but these aren't.” Jinu handed him the lollipops he threw away. Baby gave him a distrustful look, but he took it. 

He cautiously opened the bag, and was even more careful to unwrap the lollipop. He stared at it for a while, like it had personally offended him (it basically had).

“Don't eat the stick.” Abby told him to both lighten the atmosphere and make sure he wouldn't attempt it. 

“I'm not stupid.” Baby sneered, but decided to give it a shot. He carefully licked the lollipop and his eyes went wide. Almost immediately he put it in his mouth, looking content. 

Jinu let out a small breath he didn't realize he was holding. 

“Come on, you two.” Mystery told them, patting the couch, “Let’s watch an actually good movie.” 

The two demons took a seat next to Mystery, who – still holding the remote – started scrolling through the options. 

Chapter Text

Baby was going to murder Jinu.

It was hot, the air conditioning was useless and he seriously wanted to go home. But no, their dearest leader said they ‘need to practice more’, which wasn't true. The choreo was perfect already, as well as everything else, yet he still insisted on more dance practices. 

The song ended, and every single one of them was breathless, including Jinu. A normal person – hell, even a normal demon, probably – would rest and drink water or something, but not Jinu. He merely wiped a hand across his forehead and proclaimed, “again!”, already preparing to replay the song. 

Baby was so done with this dictatorship.

While the others got into the starting positions, he sprawled on the floor and refused to move. 

“Baby.” Jinu gave him a disapproving glare, “stop throwing tantrums.”

“You stop being so strict!” he shot back, staring at the ceiling. “We've spent weeks non-stop preparing in the underworld, and another week here, it's literally perfect! What more do you want?!” Maybe he was overreacting, but he didn't care. All he wanted right now was his bed and a lollipop. 

“Stop being dramatic and get up.” Jinu sounded like a disappointed parent. 

“They hate it, too. They just won't say anything.” He vaguely gestured towards the other Sajas.

The leader sighed. “I am not in the mood for this.” 

“Yeah, well me neither!” Baby exclaimed. “And don't you guys tell me you're not tired of this shit,” he looked at the others, who stayed silent.

“Come on. We can revolt against him, he can't force us,” the maknae said, and Jinu scoffed. “Stop being stupid and do what I say.” 

The two of them stayed glaring at each othef for a while, until Mystery interrupted them by letting out a laugh and sitting down. 

“See! He gets it!”

“He's actually right for once,” Mystery said. “This is useless.” 

“Don't support his nonsense! I thought you were the smart one!” Jinu tried to save the situation. 

“He is, which is why he agrees with me,” Baby smiled, and Mystery gave him a high-five. 

Meanwhile, the two pink-haired demons were exchanging looks in a wordless conversation. When Jinu slapped a hand against his forehead, Abby laughed and flopped down on the floor next to Baby, Romance following suit. 

The only one still standing was Jinu. “You guys cannot be serious.”

“Jinu. I know you want this to be perfect – we all do. But this genuinely isn't helping anyone. We know the choreo better than anything at this point, it wouldn’t hurt to take a break longer than the ten minutes we've got since getting here.” Romance, always the emotionally smart one. Baby could never. 

Jinu sighed, but hesitantly sat down as well, which the cerulean-haired boy awarded with clapping his hands. “...alright. We're done for the day, but don't think this is going to work next time.” 

“Thank you Jinu-hyung.” Baby sighed contently, happy he got his way (again). Unaware of how just hearing the few words stunned the Saja Boys, because Baby, someone who went on a strike against their leader, was calling said leader hyung. Jinu felt a pang in his chest. 

The crowd was electric – full of energy, excited, and so loud. The humans were screaming their lungs out to Soda Pop, chanting their names, recreating their moves – and Baby loved it. He loved all the attention being on them, not the stupid Huntrix group. He loved hearing his name – it made him feel seen, and important. 

The fans were genuinely happy to see him. 

The thought lingered, spreading warmth in his stomach, as they said their goodbyes and got off of the stage. 

They were the opening act for another K-pop group whose name he didn't bother remembering. Now it was someone else's time to shine, but he had noticed some people leaving as they finished the song, clearly there just to see them. He'd be lying if he said it didn't make him feel smug. 

“They're so screwed.” Abby laughed once they got into the soundproof room backstage. 

“Yeah, they don't stand a chance against us!” Romance joined in and leaned against Mystery shoulder, who nodded. “It's like they're already brainwashed, and they're not even under his control yet.” 

Baby was happy the plan was working, better than they could've imagined. The only one who looked dissatified was Jinu – the so called traitor. The difference between the leader who brought them here over two weeks ago and him now was striking, and Baby was sure this wasn't a good thing. 

Something must have happened in the meantime. And he was going to figure out what.

He tried to surpress the unvoluntary flinch his body made when Abby grabbed his shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Yo, B, you good?” the pink haired demon asked him, voice light but unmistakably tinted with worry. 

He blinked a few times. “Yeah, just… zoned out. Excited.” Was the only explanation he offered. It was vague and incoherent, but his thoughts were scattered and his mind was chaos. 

“If you say so.” Abby gave his shoulder a final squeeze before letting go, as he exchanged looks with the others. 

Baby hated this. They didn’t need to rub it in his face they knew each other better than him. He knew he didn’t belong. And they shouldn't worry nearly as much as they did – ideally not at all. He was not made out of glass – he wouldn't break. 

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Jinu's guilty expression. Anger flared in his chest, wild and burning. How dares he. But, he couldn't lose control. Not now, Not ever. 

He could act. He was good at that. It was a useful skill to have.

So he put on his usual unbothered expression, voice flat. “Can we go?” 

He wasn't planning to wait for a responce, ready to simply teleport as usual, but the traitor didn't let him. He grabbed his arm, which the maknae quickly shook off, shooting him a dangerous look. “What do you want?” he growled at him. 

“Baby, please.” Jinu said, the air around them heavy with tension.

“What do you want?!” The remaining members looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Baby was a ticking time bomb – one they didn't wish to set off. 

The leader knew this, but he was desparete not to blow their cover. Not now, when everything was at stake. 

“The crew outside knows we are here – and humans can't just dissapear.” 

Baby rolled his eyes and scoffed. “So what?”

“I'm just saying… We should leave like normal people do. The fans are watching our every move, we can't afford to attract unwanted attention.” The leader tried to explain, voice soft like he was talking to a small child, which Baby loathed. 

He was and looked young, but he didn't need to be babied. 

“You know I was made for attention.” Abby joked in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. 

“You know what I mean.” The leader answered him.

“I am not walking.” Baby declared, crossing his arms on his chest. 

Jinu was about to say something, but Abby beat him to it. “You won't have to,” he gestured for him to come closer. “C'mon, piggyback?” 

That made Baby's bad mood disappear instantly, as he jumped on Abby's back, giggling. 

“Problem solved,” Mystery laughed, and Jinu smiled, relieved. 

“And this won't attract attention?” Romance asked unbelievingly. “The fans will go crazy when they see this!”

“This is the good type of attention, dumbass.” Abby laughed. 

“Alright. Everyone ready to go?” 

Chapter Text

Baby woke up much later than usual today, tired after yesterday's fan meet. Having people support them was nice, and most importantly necessary for their plan to succeed, but sometimes it was just too much. 

They acted like they had to know everything about them. Not just the normal amount, Everything with a capital e. It made them all uncomfortable, but Jinu brushed it off, telling them this was normal for idols. 

It didn't matter if it was normal or not, he was supposed to care about something bothering his group. 

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and got up to change out of the pyjamas he was wearing. He didn’t give it much thought, just threw on random sweatpants and a comfy sweater, and he began walking to the living room where the others would be. 

He entered the spacious room and immediately got blinded by the sharp light. He let out a tiny squeak, which alerted the others of his presence.

“Aww, look who finally decided to wake up!” Abby cooed and got up to pick him up. 

The maknae just grumbled, not nearly woken up enough to resist as Abby carried him to the couch. 

When he lay him down on the soft cushions, Baby curled up into Mystery's form with a satisfied sigh. Mystery used his other hand to gently comb through his hair. 

“Your hair is messy.” His voice was soft and melodic, and full of unspoken affection as he continued the motion. 

“Didn't have the energy to brush it.” Baby's voice was muffled by Mystery's T-shirt. Abby reached out to ruffle his hair, but the lavender-haired demon swatted his hand away, with a “stop that.”

“Yeah, let the baby rest, Abs.” Romance voice sounded from the joint kitchen. Baby didn't notice him when he arrived, but now when he lifted his head and looked for him, he found the demon standing in front of the stove. 

That left only one member who wasn't present.

“Where's Jinu?” He asked with a yawn, which made Abby coo immediately. 

“Who knows,” answered Romance. “Said he needed to go do something, didn't tell us what, and we haven't seen him since.” 

Baby frowned. He did not like this, with how weird their leader has been acting lately. 

“Don't worry about it, B. I'm sure it's just some logistics or group stuff.” Mystery raked a hand through his teal locks comfortingly. It worked, and Baby let himself believe him. 

“I hate to interrupt the moment, but it's lunch time.” Romance said while plating the food, and Abby got up to help him carry them to the table. Only four of them, because the traitor was nowhere to be seen. Whatever. 

They all sat down and began eating. Most of, that is, because Baby merely picked at it and ate only the rice. 

That didn't go unseen by the rest of the group.

“Baby, eat.” Mystery commanded, but it wasn't angry. 

“Yeah, Babes, the nutrients are in the meat and vegetables.” Romance added, but Baby pushed the plate away, clearly signaling he was done. 

Abby paused eating and sighed, as he picked up Baby cutlery. “It's like you're an actual baby, not a centuries old demon.” 

Baby had to hold back the laugh, because Abby's math was way off. 

Said demon cut up a piece of meat, and lifted the fork to simulate an airplane. “Open wide! …that sounded so wrong,” he realized his mistake and the entire table burst out laughing, including Abby himself. 

“You did not just say that,” Romance gasped for air, which made Baby laugh even harder. 

They went on like that for a while, before they calmed down and got back to eating, and Abby resumed his attempt at feeding him. Baby kept his mouth shut, and when the other demon kept poking his lips with the fork, he swatted it away. It fell onto the ground with a clink, and the younger shot him a look. “I'm not eating that, and I'm not five.”

“C'mon, don’t insult my cooking. Just try it!” Romance went to get another fork which he handed to Abby, while Mystery went to pick up the discarded one. 

They were always cleaning up the mess he made. 

Next time Abby presented him a piece of meat, he took the fork from him and hesitantly put it into his mouth. It was fine initially, but when he tried to bite into it, he gagged instantly as tears flooded his eyes.

When he felt a tissue pressed to his mouth and he spit the meat out, he felt at least a bit relieved. He forced himself to keep down the food he had eaten already. The bile in his throat was bitter and disgusting even after he swallowed it. 

When the worst passed, he noticed someone rubbing his back in soothing motions, and a glass pressed to his lips. He opened them slightly and took a small sip. The water tasted delicious and helped immensely, to which he let out a small whine, thankful for it. 

He realized it was Mystery's hand on his back and voice whispering comforting words into his ear. He stayed slightly hunched over the table for a while before pushing off of his forearms and leaning back into the touch. 

He felt a soft touch on his cheek, probably Romance's. His theory was confirmed when the pink haired demon spoke. “Are you okay, love?” 

Baby didn't notice his eyes were closed, but he opened them to look into his eyes and nod. “Yeah just…I didn't like the texture.” 

“That's okay, B. Just take it easy now.” Mystery patted his head, while Abby picked him up to carry him over to the couch. He noticed that during the time he was out of it, someone cleaned up the table. 

Abby sat down and pulled him into his lap, arms wrapping protectively around him. The other two demons joined them in a group hug – Mystery on the left and Romance on the right– and together they stayed like that. 

Baby finally felt like he belonged. 

The peaceful atmosphere was soon interrupted by a loud caw as Sussie flew into the room, Derpy following soon after. 

“Where the hell did they come from?” Romance yelped, surprised at the sudden attack from the magpie as she landed on his head. “Not the hair! Ow- watch it you stupid bird!” 

Meanwhile, Derpy came closer, until he crawled up into the maknae's lap. He purred contently as Baby scratched his head. 

“No clue,” Abby said, and then spoke to the animals. “Your owner ditched us, you know?” 

“Not actually, but he left without saying anything,” Mystery explained. 

Sussie rolled her eyes in response, while Derpy didn’t even acknowledge them speaking, too busy receiving pets. 

“Why are you here?” Baby asked, though he knew they couldn’t really answer. “Do you know where Jinu went?” 

The tiger moved its head from side to side, signaling no. 

“And can't you like… sense him, or something? He couldn't just disappear!” Romance asked, but the moment he did, the front door opened and the leader walked in. 

Baby stopped his motions for a moment, doing his best to conceal the distrust that has been eating at him for the past week. 

Jinu looked calm as he walked to them, steady determination shining in his eyes. When he was close, he raised his hand in a greeting and got right to the point. 

“Saturday, at the Idol Awards. We use their own insecurities against them, with their own song.”

Maybe Baby was wrong to doubt him.