Little Ba Reum AU - The roads not taken

Chapter 11

"I will, and you will too right? Or do you want some nuggets first?" Hyuk asked, wondering if he was being too overbearing right now.

"Didn't pay," Ba Reum said, trying to not stare at the food, "Uk's food,"

"Ooh, is that why you weren't eating," Hyuk said, "don't worry, it's all on me. I got too much to eat on my own anyway,"

"Ba Reum eat?" Ba Reum asked, unsure if he was understanding correctly.

"Yes, please," Hyuk said, shoving a packet of nuggets in front of the little as well. Once Ba Reum was shyly taking a quarter of the burger he had just picked up, Hyuk took a bit from his, but kept an eye on the little.

Ba Reum took a bite from the burger, looking at Hyuk with a full mouth, and sauce smeared along the corners of his mouth. The man smiled at him, and it relieved Ba Reum that this hadn't been a trick.

"Yummy," Ba Reum said, even though the food had gone cold and slightly soggy, but he was used to eaten food like that, practically surviving on leftovers from time to time. Hyuk smiled, glad that Ba Reum was finally eating.

He made sure to pace himself, knowing he was a rather big eater himself and Ba Reum did seem to be a slow eater. Putting a packet of fries near the little and opening a few sauces, he was glad to see Ba Reum dip his nugget in the ketchup and nibble a few fries.

It didn't take long before the little stopped eating, three quarters of his burgers gone and most of the packet of nuggets and fries.

Sitting back, Ba Reum tucked his index in his mouth, the taste of salt still present, and looked at the food. His tummy was all full now, not used to eating big meals anymore, even if Chi Kook's mother always tried to keep his plate full whenever he was there.

"You're full?" Hyuk asked, looking at Ba Reum had left in front of him. The little nodded, and then froze, before leaning forward.

"Can eat it all," Ba Reum said, taking the last quarter of the burger, even though he was full. But his parents had thought that wasting food was bad, and Ba Reum wondered if Hyuk didn't think the same. That's why Ba Reum was allowed to eat.

"If you're not hungry, you don't have too," Hyuk said, not liking the way the little kept on freezing and looking panicked when he asked questions like that, "I just wanted to be sure if you had enough,"

"Oh, uhm, tummy full," Ba Reum said, putting the last piece back down, now squished and the sauce more on Ba Reum's fingers than on the bun. Hyuk nodded, finishing his own burger, before getting up and putting the leftovers together and in the fridge for later, or tomorrow.

"Come on, let's wash our hands and face now," Hyuk said, the little clumsily standing up from the chair and following Hyuk.

Gently taking Ba Reum's hands, he held them underneath the water, taking a bit of soap in his hands, and making sure to rub it all over the fingers before rinsing them.

"Look, all clean," Ba Reum said with a smile, showing Hyuk his hands, and Hyuk smiled back, amused at the smear of sauces still on the face.

"Almost," Hyuk said, taking a washing cloth and startling Ba Reum when it was suddenly wrapped on the bottom side of his face.

"Ah, cold," Ba Reum complained, having been taken by surprise by the wet cloth, but Hyuk just laughed at the reaction.

"Come, hold still now, almost done," Hyuk said with a smile on his face, gently grabbing the face and holding it still while he wiped the last bits off.

"Now all clean?" Ba Reum asked when Hyuk finished drying off his hands and face.

"Yes, now all clean," Hyuk said, unable to resist giving a kiss on the top of the head. He knew the circumstances he had found Ba Reum in weren't good, and the little had been probably traumatised by the teacher, but on a personal level, it seemed to have turned out so good.

Having Ba Reum here, a little who apparently was young enough to need someone like him, was just making his whole body release a cloud of endorphins. Even now, he resolved to talk to Ba Reum about what happened when he was big.

Hyuk really suspected that Ba Reum was always rather small, and just lied about his headspace age due to some trauma. The flinches and the panic were a dead giveaway that something had happened before, and Hyuk was more than willing to show Ba Reum that it could be a good thing as well.

"Let's go open the toys up," Hyuk said with a conspiratorial grin, leaning close to Ba Reum, who looked at him with wide eyes.

"Toys?" the little asked, and Hyuk could see the gaze slide towards the table, the toy cars not having gone unnoticed, "is Uk's? Uk's little?"

"I don't have a little yet," Hyuk said, feeling his heart beat a little faster while he resisted to ask if Ba Reum was interested to fill in that position. That needed to wait a bit longer, until Ba Reum managed to get back to his big headspace, "so it's all yours now,"

"Mine?" Ba Reum asked, looking as if he was sure that Hyuk had said it wrongly, "is Uk's,"

"Well, why don't we both play with them," Hyuk said, picking up the three cars, and tugging Ba Reum along to the living room. The little shuffled behind Hyuk, nearly tripping over his own feet, but Hyuk managed to catch him.

The reached the carpet safely, and Hyuk put the cars on the table.

"Which is your favourite colour?" Hyuk asked, "the yellow, the green or the red?"

"Like yellow," Ba Reum said shyly, not reaching out for it, but Hyuk didn't let it deter him. He picked up the yellow car, and put it in Ba Reum's hands, the little grabbing it in wonder.

"I like the green," Hyuk said, grabbing the green, "how about we race now?"

"Race?" Ba Reum said, and Hyuk showed how they could try and make their cars ride as far as they could with a single push.

Ba Reum soon forgot about all his worries about the toys not being his, and laughed loudly while they played, crawling behind the cars and getting them back each time.

Wiggling his feet together in happiness, he even managed to lose one sock in the progress, until Hyuk noticed and helped the sock back on. They played for a while, until Ba Reum started to get distracted, yawning, while he sat back on the carpet and looked around the living room.

It was a very big room, and everything did look kind of expensive. The couch seemed to be very firm and made Ba Reum realise that he only had a second one, that had a several holes in the fabric and wasn't very cushy anymore.

The decorations were also very tactful, and modern. A big TV dominated one wall, and he did spot the latest of the consoles, together with their older counterparts.

"We can watch a movie," Hyuk said, seeing the little not interested in the cars anymore and yawning while he glanced at the TV. It had been quite an eventful day for him so far, so perhaps snuggling together in the couch would be better.

"'Kay," Ba Reum said, with a yawn, looking surprised when Hyuk was off the next moment. Sitting awkwardly on the carpet, he wondered if he had said something wrong. Hyuk did return a moment later and was just carrying a fleece blanket with him.

The man just wanted to be sure that Ba Reum would be warm enough when they were in the couch. It was early spring already, but he wasn't wearing any pants.

Without even asking, he lifted Ba Reum from the carpet in the couch, and put him in the corner, so he could stretch out his legs on the lounge. Putting the blanket over Ba Reum, Hyuk went to sit next to him, stretching out as well.

"Let's see, a movie," Hyuk said, "any preferences?"

"Happy ending?" Ba Reum asked, already running his fingers over the soft blankie, liking the feel of it.

"A happy ending it is," Hyuk said, going through the selection of movies and selecting one that looked good. He settled back against the couch, and feeling daring, wrapped his arm around Ba Reum's back.

The little stiffened up at first, but then leaned against Hyuk his cheek against the warm chest and his thumb sneakily slipping in his mouth while he started to watch the family movie, feeling the big arm pull the blanket a little better before starting to slowly stroke his back.

This was possible even better than the hug he had gotten before.