Happy birthday to Wooyoung!
ateez family au. but first:

Wooyoung - age 9
Jongho - age 7
Mingi - age 6
San, Yeosang - age 5
Yunho - age 3

On the night before Wooyoung's birthday, Hongjoong had all his kids create cards for their oldest brother. Never did he think they would agree so fast.

"Wow, Mingi, what are you-" Mingi covered his drawing with his small arms.

"It's for Wooyoungie!" he shouted. Hongjoong nodded and continued to look at everyone else's.

"Dad! Yunho wants to eat the marker," Yeosang called. Hongjoong quickly ran towards the youngest and removed the color.

"You were next to him. Why didn't you do anything?"

"Not my mouth it's going into," the five-year-old mumbled. Hongjoong sighed.

About a half-hour later, Seonghwa arrived home. He sat down, exhausted.

"How is he?" Hongjoong asked.

"Slightly better. But his arm's the same." Seonghwa dropped his head down. "It hurts so much to see him like that, Hongjoong."

"Wooyoungie?" Jongho asked. "He can walk now?"

"No, honey. Not yet." Seonghwa embraced the boy. "We'll go see him tomorrow."

Mingi looked up. "Wooyoung?! We'll see Wooyoung?!"

All the kids broke into loud cheers. Even Yunho, seeing every boy jumping around, started to wave his hands with a broad grin.

"Of course we will. That's why we're making letters for him," Hongjoong replied with a smile. He watched as all his children nodded and returned to their project.

The reason Wooyoung was in the hospital is that he got into a big fight at school. Everyone knew him as a shy, kind, and adorable kid. Teachers, students, and parents around. But it all came down to one morning at a school assembly.
~

"Wooyoung!"

Wooyoung turned and grinned at his brothers running towards them. He loved recess. It was the time he could finally sit down with his brothers or play. There, they'd talk about all the fun things they did in class.

But it was strange that only Jongho and Mingi arrived.

"San? Yeosang?" Wooyoung asked. His younger brothers shrugged. "I think I should look for them."

"Okay!" Mingi waved as he stayed behind with Jongho at the playground.

Wooyoung ran around the courtyard. The problem was there were two sections. The first was mainly where kids his age and down played at. The other was for the older children of the school, all the way up till 5th grade. He rarely went close because he did not need to.

"Hey! Are you Yeosang's older brother?" An older girl approached Wooyoung. He nodded.

"A kid is bothering them. Come." Wooyoung ran over. He quickly noticed these kids weren't the ones he knew.

But up ahead, sure enough, San was on the ground, scrambling to get up on his feet as an older boy, about a year older than Wooyoung, grinned. Several of his friends watched.

"Hey!" Wooyoung shouted. His hands formed into fists.

"Ooh~," The boy seemed to grin even bigger. Wooyoung grimaced.

"Leave them alone," he stated.

"What are you, the toughest of them all?"

"Yeah, I am. Leave them alone. You shouldn't be bullying kindergarteners." Wooyoung shoved the boy back and allowed San to get up. He ran to Yeosang's side.

"Heh, for a kid of two guys, you're not too weak."

Wooyoung's eyes furrowed. "What?"

"You heard what I said."

"Say it again."

The boy laughed with his friends. "For a kid of two g-"

Wooyoung didn't hesitate to throw himself at the boy and tackle him down. He had him under when someone pulled him off—another guy.

Yeosang pulled San away before they could get involved. He and San ran to the nearest teacher, shouting many words to her as she tried to understand. But she didn't have to comprehend the kindergartener's words to notice a fight close by.

As teachers separated the boys, it became apparent that Wooyoung hadn't won. The weak boy lay on the ground, blood dripping down his nose as his arms and legs were too weak to move. San couldn't help but cry as someone called an ambulance and teachers rushed to tend to his brother.
~

"Honey, don't cry," Seonghwa whispered to San as the boy made his card. But he couldn't. He was in a fit of tears and couldn't stop. The concerned father rubbed his back.

"My fault."

"No, sweetheart. It's not anyone's fault except those ugly bullies," Hongjoong reassured him and kissed his cheek. "Your older brother tried to protect you."

San couldn't stop crying until Seonghwa rocked him to sleep.

Thus began the rest of the boys' crying. Each one of them felt guilty for what happened to Wooyoung. Even Yunho, who didn't even attend school, looked upset because of his brothers' frustrated faces.

"I... I could've helped," Jongho mumbled. "I should've gone with him."

"Don't blame yourself, Jongho." Seonghwa stroked his head. "Wooyoung told me he knows what he did, and he doesn't regret it."

"I want to see Wooyoungie," Mingi pouted, tears clouding his vision. "I miss him."

Hongjoong observed his children sadly. "We'll see him tomorrow for his birthday. But finish your cards first."

"Can we write too?" Yeosang asked.

"Of course. Anything you want." The two parents watched as their five children returned to their projects.

The next morning, everyone dressed up nicely as they piled into the car. Hongjoong sat in the passenger seat, hands holding the small cake in his hands while each kid had his own card in his hands.

"Are we ready to see Wooyoung?" Seonghwa looked through the rearview mirror with a smile. Like the mirror, his smile seemed to reflect through the whole car as his kids replied with grins.

"Alright. Little ones hold our hands, okay?" Hongjoong asked. "Don't touch everything and no running around. Understand?" They all nodded.

San held Hongjoong's only free hand as Seonghwa held Yunho in one arm, and Yeosang's hand in the other. The rest of the kids trailed close with them.

After checking in and going through the elevator, the family finally reached Wooyoung's room. Jongho knocked softly.

"Daddy?" a tired voice asked. Seonghwa nodded for them to enter.

"Happy birthday!" Mingi shouted.

In the hospital bed lay a sleepy Wooyoung with an arm and leg wrapped in thick, white bandages. His face was still swollen and bruised but looked in the process of healing.

"San, come on," Hongjoong called.

San wouldn't move from the doorway. While everyone else had smiles on their faces, his own faltered.

"Sannie?" Wooyoung asked.

"I'm sorry," the younger whispered.

"For what?" Wooyoung tried to sit up a little better.

"Your..." San signaled to his injuries. "It was my fault."

"No, it wasn't. Come here." Wooyoung tried to make space with the help of Seonghwa. San climbed up the bed quietly.

"I love you, Sannie. I love all of my brothers. I'm the oldest, so I have to protect you. I have to protect all of you." He turned to the kids sitting around the room.

"You do, but you also have to protect yourself." Hongjoong patted his head. "No more fights. If something's wrong, you run to tell an adult before you step in. Okay?"

"Mmph. Okay."

Yeosang cracked a laugh. "Wooyoung punched the meanie too."

"Yeah! His cheek looked red!" Jongho joined in. Hongjoong laughed but waved his hands.

"Let's not celebrate vio-"

"And the other kid had a scratch here!" Mingi pointed to an area under his eye. 

Yunho looked around and jumped in excitement. His bright smile showed the small teeth he had grown in. Seonghwa patted his tummy and called the attention.

"Quiet down, boys. Why are we here today?"

"To see Wooyoung!" San exclaimed. He held Wooyoung's hand tight.

"Yes, but also-"

"Cake!" Yunho exclaimed.

"Wooyoung's birthday!" Mingi shouted. 

Wooyoung gave a big grin as his family sang him Happy Birthday and presented him with the cake. He blew each candle out and with the help of Jongho.

"I know your birthday wasn't the same as past ones, Wooyoung, but we're all proud of what you did, and we're here to celebrate you," Hongjoong whispered to his son.

"We love you so much, Wooyoung," Seonghwa spoke as he kissed his son's cheek. "And your brothers made you a little something too."

"3, 2, 1! Show!" Jongho yelled. At slightly different times, each boy revealed the birthday cards they made for Wooyoung. Yunho dropped his on Wooyoung's lap and laughed.

Wooyoung took it and smiled at the messy doodles. He looked at the rest of them and smiled even bigger. He felt like crying. Each one said 'I love you Wooyoung' somewhere along the paper.

And at that moment, the pain from his body subdued. Wooyoung broke into tears as his family crowded around. He didn't regret fighting for his brother. No. He would fight again if he had to.

...Because he loves his family as much as they loved him.