Chapter Text
The first fan signing the Saja Boys ever experienced was the one they hijacked from Huntrix. Or joined. Whatever you wanted to call it. Baby expected the next one to be the same. Until they entered the hall and the single table stood empty, with the doors almost rattling off their hinges from the crowd gathered outside, and they all realised Jinu planned this signing for their group alone.
No Huntrix. No buffer.
A shiver ran down their spines, but they put on their game faces (as Abby liked to call it) and sat down. Baby couldn't get away with the same silence as Mystery, but short sentences didn't put anyone off from approaching him. He could handle it until they finally returned to the apartment.
Faces passed him by in a blur, the piercing screams and flashing lights from phones rolling over him in waves. Annoying, exhausting, overwhelming. Then a young fan, covered in pink clothes and stickers on her face, placed a wrapped gift in front of him. It was clear from her expectant expression that she wanted him to open it right then and there.
Fine. Whatever. Baby offered his best smile, thanking her even before he opened the glittery paper. No way a human could shock a demon with a present.
Except she did.
The whole room shrank down to the white lump before him. White and black. A white tiger plushie with black stripes along its back and legs. A stiff tail pointed upwards. Huge, sparkling blue eyes stared back at him from a round face. The nose looked velvety soft. The plushie stood up, its legs padded enough to hold its weight, allowing the tiger to stand on its own without needing support.
The nearest fans followed the unwrapping with raised phones and began to aww and coo when the plushie was revealed. Noise exploded as Baby came back to the present, remembering his audience. He felt his cheeks heat up, ears burning, and fingers shaking where they still clutched the wrapping paper; it had hearts on it.
The commotion caught the attention of his band members. And more fans. And suddenly everyone had to see Baby hold up the plushie beside his face, and cameras clicked away, and Baby couldn't breathe. He smiled—more a grimace than anything, jaw muscles clenched tightly—and thanked the fan again, excusing himself for a moment. The disappointed murmur of the fans quickly faded into background noise.
He fled backstage, fingers buried in the fur. So soft, so fluffy. Believing himself properly hidden in the small dressing room, half crouched between the arm of the couch and the wall—his smaller stature suddenly came in handy—he finally allowed himself a moment to examine the gift.
The plushie was perfect. Fluffy with tufts of hair around the cheeks and neck. Just long enough to sink his fingers into, but not so long that it tickled his nose when he buried his face against the tiger’s flank. The stuffing was firm enough to maintain its shape, yet still had enough give when pressed to create a satisfying squeeze.
He loved it. He loved her. No justification could be given if asked, yet Baby just knew it was a girl, a tiger cub no less.
Noticing his mind slow down, nothing but the plushie holding his attention, Baby allowed himself a moment just to feel. He’d sensed it before with his band members, when they insisted on treating him like his role: the maknae, the baby of the group. In the beginning, he had hated it. Felt embarrassed and humiliated, but they never took it further than he allowed. Never made him feel silly or stupid. He’d genuinely begun to like it. And that was the worst part.
He was a demon. The demon realm ran on a strict hierarchy. It was needed when the worst of the worst gathered there. The strong beat the weak. And he couldn’t be weak. Not with their mission. What would happen if Gwi-Ma thought him unsuited and replaced him?
…If his band members did?
Baby squeezed the plushie and buried his head in her soft fur. He couldn’t allow it to happen. He wouldn’t. Which meant he couldn’t keep her. He couldn’t allow this to go on. He couldn’t…
Her blue eyes stared innocently up at him.
He didn’t want to. There was no room for kindness or tenderness in the demon realm. But the others didn't seem to care. Not here, above, in the human world. He liked the treatment. Liked the kinder touches, the soft words, the looks. The looks were the worst—best—part of it. Eyes didn’t lie, and Baby saw the way his band members looked at him. Joy. Longing. Was it really such a surprise that he gave in? When they looked so damn happy every time he did?
He was a demon after all. Selfish, greedy, empty. If their joy could spill over and fill his own chest, he would hoard every drop until he finally felt warm without needing layers of clothes. The flutter in his stomach, the soft edges in his head, at some point he’d stopped fighting it and just accepted the care they practically begged to shower him in. Why would this be the thing that crossed the line?
His fingers turned white where they clutched the plushie, matching her perfect fur. Those blue eyes seemed to glitter with mischief, with understanding, as if she knew exactly what he thought about and agreed with him.
“Baby?”
The sudden voice in the silence almost startled Baby from his hiding place. Ducking his head, Baby held the tiger against his chest, wide eyes staring at his shoes. The very tips peeked from behind the couch. He curled up tighter. Footsteps, like a bad horror movie—Abby and Mystery liked them for some reason—grew louder as whoever called his name approached his hiding place. An irrational part of him wanted to hide his face. Another part scoffed at how useless the action would be.
“Baby? Are you okay?” Romance stood above him, long pink hair framing his worried frown perfectly.
Baby glanced between his own blue strands of hair, realised just how that would look, and shook his head, lifting his chin to meet the other demon’s eyes directly.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re curled up behind the couch.”
Well, that certainly didn’t look fine, did it?
Baby cursed internally and shrugged. “So?”
“Ro? Did you find Baby?” Abby’s voice called from the doorway. Both demons turned. Jinu stood in the front, flanked by Abby, with Mystery peeking above those broad shoulders.
“Is he okay?”
“Why is he hiding behind the couch?”
“Is he sick?”
Romance ignored the rapid-fire questions and said, “It’s fine, just go back to the fans.”
“This is clearly not ‘nothing’.”
“Do we need to—”
“No. If you make this worse by crowding him, I promise you will regret it. Go distract the fans. We’ll be fine.” The firm tone from Romance shut down the arguments, silence ringing out for a moment before the other band members left slowly. Jinu hesitated by the door, glancing back and offering a reassuring smile to Baby before leaving. The younger looked down, unable to hold his gaze.
“So.” The silence stretched on. “Do you wanna talk about it?”
“I told you I’m fine.”
Romance raised an eyebrow in clear disbelief. “Right. Hiding behind the couch. Totally fine.”
“What do you want from me? A fucking therapy session?” Baby snapped, baiting the other demon to either grow angry and give him a proper fight or exasperated enough to leave him alone. It didn’t make sense; he just realised he liked their softer treatment, yet it felt wrong just to take it. To just accept it.
“Language,” Romance muttered, crouching to be on Baby’s level. He hated it. He appreciated it.
“I’m not a baby.”
“Okay.” Romance cocked his head. “We know it’s just your idol name.”
“So stop treating me like one.”
“Am I doing that right now?”
Baby gestured at the crouching demon.
“You want me to stand up? To stare down at you? I think that’s the opposite of—”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I. If I wanted to treat you like a baby right now, I would swaddle you and rock you to sleep.”
Baby looked horrified at the idea.
“It's what they do on television,” Romance said with a shrug.
“I'm not an actual kid.”
“I know.”
“You treat me like one.”
“Baby.” Something entered Romance’s eyes. Baby looked away. “We like to take care of you. I like to take care of everyone. It's nice.”
“We're demons.”
“So what?”
"I'm not weak.”
“Of course not. Why would you think that?” Romance looked genuinely confused.
“Everyone treats me like a child. The fans keep giving me pacifiers! And now this!” He waved the plushie in the member’s face, giving it a shake to emphasise his point before clutching it to his chest again. “I'm a demon, I can't be weak! Gwi-Ma would—”
Romance lowered to his knees, leaning forward to ask quietly, “What would he do?”
“I don't want to leave.” A whispered confession against the white fur.
“We would never kick you out.” A hand came out to touch his arm lightly. Baby barely refrained from jerking back. He wanted more. He wanted space.
“What if you didn't have a choice?”
“We won't give him a reason then.”
“If I'm seen as weak—”
“You’re pulling fans to our side with your role. We all feel silly at times.” Romance sighed. “Abby won't stop obsessing over his body.”
Baby let his eyes sweep over the perfect hair, the blemish-free skin and immaculate clothes. “Like you?”
“Like me.”
Silence reigned for a moment.
Tracing a finger over the glassy eyes on the plushie, Baby murmured, “I won't be seen as weak. By anyone.”
“We don't think you're weak.”
“You treat me like a kid!” His hand hit the wall as he threw his arms out in exasperation. Hissing in pain, Baby clutched the smarting area, even if the magic inside him healed the bump in seconds.
Romance took the injured hand and let his thumb rub soothing circles against the skin. “Is it really so bad?”
“What?” Distracted by the warm touch, Baby barely heard the question.
“To be cared for?”
“Why do you even care?”
Romance looked away, but his thumb never stopped moving. “The realm is cold and cruel. You don’t see much kindness. No light or colours.”
Baby glanced at the colourful outfit. The romantic member usually dressed extravagantly. Baby always thought it was just part of the role, not a preference, not a need born of deprivation.
“You don't do it as a joke?”
“What? No! Never.” The very thought seemed to shake Romance. His fingers tightened slightly around Baby’s. Not even close to hurting, but enough to show his shock at the question. “We do it because we like it. Do you… Don’t you? Do you want us to stop?”
There it was. His way out. They genuinely liked it and thought Baby did too. If he told them he didn’t, they would stop. One simple word, and it would all end. One. Simple. Word.
“No,” Baby whispered, feeling his cheeks heat up. He buried his face against the tiger's soft fur once more, feeling marginally better, safer, hidden as he was. “I don’t want you to stop. And I hate it.”
“You’re our Maknae. Our Baby. Is that so bad?”
“It’s weak.”
“Not to us. Not if you like it. Please, look at me?”
Baby shook his head.
“Okay. You don’t have to. But I promise you, we mean it. This isn’t some joke or a prank or whatever you think. Did one of the others make you think so?” The sudden edge in the demon’s voice made Baby look up. Anger, not aimed at him, but at the other members, burned in Romance’s eyes. A flash of yellow before he breathed deeply and forced his muscles to relax. “I’ll make them regret ever opening their mouths.”
“No!” Baby almost yelled, suddenly worried that everything would stop. Jinu may be the leader, but Romance had a hidden talent for making them all feel chastised with just a few words and a look.
“Are you sure? It’s okay, I’ll handle it.”
“No one said anything.”
“Okay.” His whole face transformed as Romance returned to a more cheerful expression. “Does it have a name?”
“What?” The sudden change in subject almost felt like whiplash.
“Your tiger. Does it have a name?”
The word dropped from Baby’s lips unbidden, “She.”
“Oh, sorry, does she have a name?”
“No…” It felt silly, but somehow also nice to be asked about her name. Like she mattered to Romance as much as she did to Baby.
“That’s okay. I’m sure you’ll think of something great.”
Those glassy eyes looked expectantly at him. Right now? The pressure felt heavier than it should.
“I-I don’t know. I haven’t—”
“Hey, it’s okay.” Romance moved closer, resting a hand on Baby’s shoulder. “You don’t have to decide right now.”
“Okay.” The relief almost made him lean forward into the other idol. Baby caught himself at the last moment. Something sad flashed across Romance’s face for an instant before it disappeared.
“Do you want to come out now?” Romance asked lightly, standing to stretch his legs. The heavy mood deflated as he cracked his back, forcing a small chuckle from Baby at the sound.
“Old.”
“Hey! I’m not that old.”
Their bodies may look young, but their spirits had existed for too long to count. Not that any of them remembered enough about their lives to do the math.
“The couch might be more comfortable than the floor,” Romance needled, a hint of sugar in his tone.
Baby rolled his eyes and burrowed deeper between the couch and the wall. “No.”
“Come on, you look like a scrunched pile of laundry.” Whatever that comparison meant. “Don’t you want something softer?”
The tiger’s fluff tickled his fingertips. The floor was hard, but he liked the small space. He knew he was the smallest of the group, and he used it to his advantage when possible. Right now, he could annoy Romance.
“No.”
“We don’t even have to go out to the fans again. We can just stay here.”
“I’m already staying here.”
“You know what I mean.” A huff showed the first crack in the romantic idol’s patience. “Your back won’t thank you later.”
“I’m not old.”
“No, you’re our baby.” Romance bent down to squish his cheeks, and Baby growled while batting the offending hand away.
“Am not.”
“Our precious baby.”
“Stop it.”
“Darling boy.”
Baby hid behind the tiger, hoping her eyes would tell the other demon off for embarrassing him.
“Too far?”
The hint of worry in Romance’s tone made Baby hesitate. He shook his head.
“Just tell me if it’s ever too much, okay?”
A small nod.
“If you really don’t want to move, you can stay.” It sounded like it pained Romance to see him stay hidden. “Can I at least make you sit on a pillow?”
A pillow would help, but his back had begun to ache faintly from the hard wall behind him. A chill seeped through his layers of clothes. Goosebumps broke out on his neck. Baby moved a foot. It tingled. He considered the couch beside him. The corner would be fine; he could still curl up, but without the hard surfaces. Without the cold surrounding him.
Silently, he moved to stand, holding the tiger carefully in one arm and using the other to brace himself. Not even halfway up, his numb legs buckled, and Baby yelped when the ground came rushing up towards him. Deceptively strong, thin arms curled around him, holding his weight without trouble.
“Sleepy legs?” Romance hid a snicker as he asked.
Baby scrunched his nose.
“Come on, careful now.” Together, they manoeuvred Baby onto the couch, his butt grateful for the relief of soft cushions below it. “There, much better, right?”
Baby shrugged. He wouldn’t let Romance win that easily. The other demon shook his head with a smile and threw himself heavily onto the cushions, a hand landing dramatically over his forehead. Like those dramas they played on TV.
Baby snorted. “You look silly.”
“Drama, Darling.” Baby refused to acknowledge the flutter in his chest at the nickname. “It’s an art.”
“It’s silly.”
“It is kinda silly,” Romance agreed.
Playing with the tiger’s ears, Baby glanced at the other, then the door where the rest of their band members had disappeared some time ago. He didn’t know how much time remained of the meet and greet.
“Can we leave soon?”
Romance pulled his phone from his pocket. How it fit in those pants, Baby would never know. Demon magic, most likely.
“Thirty minutes left. They’re asking about you.”
“All of them?”
Romance turned his phone to show the group chat. Brilliant in theory, chaotic in practice. Humans really outdid themselves since his time. Their time. Whatever.
A long string of texts from all three had popped up during the last ten minutes or so, ranging from concern to jokes, to offers of bringing snacks, and at the end, Jinu asking if Baby was okay and wanted him to end the event early. That one hit hard, not just because Jinu was willing to slow their momentum for Baby, but also because it felt like defeat to accept. He really wanted to agree. He felt weak as soon as the thought entered his head.
An arm wrapped around his shoulders, pulling the smaller demon flush against the other’s side. “Well, that’s a terrible frown. Careful you don’t get wrinkles.”
“Like you?”
“Rude.”
They both chuckled. The distraction helped, even if Baby saw through it straight away.
He finally settled on a quiet, “We can stay.” Sliding down to better rest his head against Romance’s arm, Baby held the plushie close and let his eyes drift shut. He could wait half an hour. It wasn’t half bad here, away from the noise and crawling eyes. Romance murmured an agreement and tapped away at his phone briefly, most likely informing the others, before pulling Baby closer and resting a hand in his hair. Long fingers ran along his scalp, a simple touch he could not remember ever being this soothing. Those thirty minutes passed by in a blur.