The villain’s ability hadn’t seemed like much at first—just another pulse of energy in a chaotic fight. They made it home exhausted, thinking it was over. And then it hit. A delayed effect. Within seconds, the house went from familiar chaos to something else entirely—seven babies, and only Seonghwa and Hongjoong left standing. Seventy-two hours.

“—I don’t understand what you want from me!”

Hongjoong was already overwhelmed, juggling three—San clinging to his shoulder, Jongho tense in his arm, and Wooyoung screaming at full volume like the situation personally offended him. “I just fed you—well, I think I did—Seonghwa, did I feed him?!”

“I fed Yunho and Yeosang,” Seonghwa replied calmly. “I don’t know what you did.”

“That’s not helpful—!”

Wooyoung only got louder, setting the others off as Hongjoong shut his eyes briefly. “…We’re fine. This is manageable.” Another wail immediately proved him wrong.

Across the room, Seonghwa had something closer to control. Surrounded by blankets, he managed four—Yunho clinging to him, Yeosang quietly observing, Mingi crawling straight into trouble before bursting into tears, and you, small and curled into his chest, gripping his shirt. You stayed mostly quiet, just soft sounds when the noise got too much, calming as he gently rocked you.

“…You’re doing the best,” he murmured to you.

“Seonghwa. Trade me.”

“No.”

“Five minutes.”

“You have Wooyoung.”

“That’s exactly why I’m asking!”

Another dramatic wail proved his point. Seonghwa just sighed softly. “…Come here.”

Hongjoong reluctantly sat across from him, still holding all three. After a moment, Yunho reached out, grabbing his sleeve—and instantly calmed.

Hongjoong blinked. “…Oh.”

“Familiarity,” Seonghwa said quietly.

The others settled slightly—Yeosang shifting closer, Mingi leaning in, you glancing toward Hongjoong with quiet curiosity. The noise didn’t stop, but it softened—just enough to breathe.

Hongjoong exhaled. “…Three days.”

Seonghwa nodded. “…Three days.”

And surrounded by blankets, exhaustion, and seven fragile lives, they held on—doing everything they could to keep all of you safe and together.