Hyuk made sure to be very calm the whole evening, the reactions that Ba Reum had to some things had been alarming, but no good would come from it if he put any attention to it.
Instead, he kept on encouraging the little, even when his spoon dripped on the shirt he was wearing and Ba Reum looked at him, all stiffened up and seemingly waiting for something bad to happen.
"It's good, right?" Hyuk had asked, smiling at Ba Reum and the little had just stared at him a few moments before nodding and hesitantly putting the spoon in his mouth.
It had happened a few more moments, Ba Reum definitely not old enough to eat cleanly, and each time Hyuk had reacted as calm as he could, one time even taken the spoon out of the frozen hand and scraping the piece of the shirt and pushing it in Ba Reum's mouth.
And the cookies!
How surprised and happy the little had looked by just two cookies. Hyuk had to resist to give him the whole plate, but he didn't think that Ba Reum would know how to handle that.
And still the little was in headspace. Not that Hyuk minded, but the sky was getting dark already, and he had seen Ba Reum start to yawn during the play with the cars, the little keeping silently busy even though he glanced at Hyuk several times, but then pretended he didn't.
The diaper, which peeked out every time Ba Reum leaned forwards, seemed to have thickened considerably, and Hyuk was glad the little had accepted it. A small tug on his pants leg made him look at Ba Reum.
"Yes, sweetheart? You want something?" Hyuk asked, but Ba Reum just flushed and shook his head, quickly huddling himself against the couch and Hyuk's legs and going back and forth with the car.
A hand pushed the neck of the shirt in his mouth while Ba Reum seemed to be trying to make himself as small as possible.
"Hey, it's okay. You can ask Hyuk. I won't get mad," the big man said, sliding down on the floor so he was sitting next to Ba Reum, who was huddling in an even smaller ball, and whispered something.
"Thirsty," came the word, almost to silent to hear, and the little put his forehead against his knees and covered his head with his arms, "sorry,"
"No, it's very good that you told me," Hyuk said, wrapping his arms around the little and hugging him as good as he could with Ba Reum in that position, "what a good boy, knowing when to tell he's thirsty, or hungry, or needs something,"
"I am?" Ba Reum asked, surprised and uncurling himself so he could be better hugged.
"Of course you are, sweetheart. What do you want to drink?" Hyuk asked.
"Water's good," Ba Reum said, and Hyuk nodded, smiling and wondering if the little wouldn't prefer something else, but just went to get the water anyway. He had a feeling that pushing would just make him uncomfortable.
He didn't have any sippy cups or bottles yet, so instead he took a coffee mug, filling it up and going back.
"I'll help you drink," Hyuk said, holding the mug together with Ba Reum and letting the little guide the pace, a small trail of water still slipping past his lips, but nothing more.
"Thank you," Ba Reum said, and subtly tried to keep close to the big man, giving a secret smile when he felt the arm going around him. Yawning, he suppressed a shiver and snuggled a bit more in the side, grateful for the affection and the heat.
"Ba Reum, do you want to sleep now? I got a room that's good for you, if you want?" Hyuk asked, still unsure about this. It was one thing to let the little stay with him for a couple of hours, but to let him sleep with an almost complete stranger, it might be that he would be scared.
Of course, it would just mean that Hyuk would need to wait longer until Ba Reum was big again, but the little had been yawning for a while already and had even nearly fallen asleep before dinner when they were watching a movie.
"Can't," the little said, tugging nervously on the bottom of the shirt, before perking up "oh, or I might,"
"What do you mean?" Hyuk asked, a bit confused about the conflicting messages.
"Uhm, Uk has bed?" Ba Reum asked, and Hyuk nodded, "can't sleep bed, but can sleep floor,"
"Why can't you sleep in a bed?" Hyuk asked.
"Fall out," Ba Reum said with a frown.
"Oh, don't worry about that. I got the perfect solution," Hyuk said with a smile, leaning close to Ba Reum's face and just touching the tip of his nose with his own, "it's probably the same thing as you got at home,"
"Must be!" Ba Reum said, a smile on his face and his cheeks red from being tired. It was good that Hyuk had a futon as well, that way Ba Reum could sleep comfy. He was getting very tired by now.
Normally, school exhausted him a lot and he always went to bed early if he could, and if he couldn't, well, he always made sure there was money for coffee.
"Well, let's get you to bed than. Do you want some warm milk or something?" Hyuk asked, and Ba Reum started to nod enthusiastically before he realised that he was just giving the man more work.
"No, is fine. Got water," Ba Reum said, gesturing to the mug standing on the coffee table.
"It's no trouble," Hyuk said, "you can hold out a few more minutes?"
Ba Reum nodded shyly, and Hyuk went to the kitchen. Feeling slightly bad because he had made the man do something extra. Ba Reum put his hands on the couch, and carefully pushed himself up to his feet, feeling all kinds of wobbly, but still managing.
Smiling to himself, he walked to the kitchen, his arms outstretched to his side in a bid to keep his balance and happy when he managed to arrive without falling down.
"Oh, careful there," Hyuk said when he saw Ba Reum move in, quickly moving from where he was warming the milk to Ba Reum wrapping an arm around Ba Reum's back and guiding him to a chair.
"Ba Reum help?" the little asked, not sitting down.
"I'm afraid there isn't that much you can do," Hyuk said, "although..."
"Yes?" Ba Reum asked, eager to be able to help. The big man smiled and moved to the side, and a moment later Ba Reum was staring down at the cookies in front of him, wondering what he was supposed to do.
"We made so many cookies, I don't want to throw anything away," Hyuk said, and Ba Reum's eyes widened, and a smile appeared on his face.
"I eat them?" the little asked, and laughter escaped him when Hyuk nodded, picking up the first one and nibbling it while Hyuk finished up with the milk, helping Ba Reum drink the milk and eat the cookies.
He really felt lucky to be able to eat the cookies. Ba Reum knew he didn't deserve any treats, but now it was like a treat and helping out at the same time, so that was okay. The warm milk in his tummy was warming up inside, and made him feel sleepy, and he started to slump down until he felt his bladder release again.
Sitting up startled, he pulled the T-shirt lower, as if could hide what he was doing right now.
"Oh, I guess we'll need to get you clean diaper soon," Hyuk said, a hand suddenly squeezing his crotch, making Ba Reum feel bad about not being able to hold his bladder.
"Sorry," the little said, once again apologizing for something he couldn't help, "normally big enough,"
"Are you now?" Hyuk asked, doubting those words, but on the other hand, wondering how Ba Reum normally kept dry during his big headspace.
On the other hand, looking at the rash he had been sporting, perhaps he didn't really.
"Big boy," Ba Reum said, yawning again, and Hyuk smiled, giving him the last of his milk before picking him up.
"Well, I would say big or little, it's sleepy time," Hyuk said, feeling the sleepy little slump against him.
By the time they were up the stairs and the door to the nursery opened, Ba Reum was half asleep, moaning a little when Hyuk put him down on the changing table. Gently, he opened the wet diaper, and wiped the area, glad that the rash hadn't increased even though he hadn't changed Ba Reum immediately.
A fresh diaper was carefully put underneath the little, a nice layer of powder followed, gently being rubbed around the whole area before the thickness was pulled up in between the legs and laid over the genitals, enclosing Ba Reum in the padding.
A complaining grumble was heard when he pulled off the dirty shirt from Ba Reum, the poor little shivering a little before Hyuk put a new shirt on him.
"Let's get you into the crib," Hyuk said, and Ba Reum opened an eye.
"Crib?" the little asked confused.
"Yes, look here. I need to put some sheets over it still, so I'll put you down for a moment first, but it shouldn't take too long," Hyuk promised, putting Ba Reum on the plush carpet, the little looking a little confused for a moment.
Hyuk lowered the bars of the crib, pulling Ba Reum's attention towards it, the fancy woodwork, the good quality products.
"Oh no, can't sleep there," Ba Reum exclaimed, just when Hyuk was folding a big sheet to fit over the matrass, not having bothered to buy sheets yet.
He had always thought that he would have a little over a few times before they stayed over, and when than he would know their likes enough to buy themed sheets.
"Why can't you?" Hyuk asked, frowning.
"Ba Reum ruin it," Ba Reum said, apprehensive about destroying something that was probably super expensive, "Ba Reum sleep floor,"
"No, you won't," Hyuk said with a frown even when the little was already laying himself down on the plush carpet. Ba Reum looked at him, big, scared eyes, and the little was definitely showing fear towards him and Hyuk could almost kick himself to get that reaction.
"Sorry," Ba Reum said, and to Hyuk's surprise, the little just moved until he was laying next to the carpet. So surprised Hyuk was that he couldn't help but stare for a few moments, before he finished folding the sheets, and picked Ba Reum up from the ground.
"None of that now," the big man said, "sleeping on the floor will only give you a cold. You won't ruin the crib if you sleep in it, and even if something happened to it, that's okay,"
"Is not," Ba Reum contradicted the man, "Ba Reum bad,"
"No, you're not, sweetheart," Hyuk said, "Ba Reum been so good the entire day, and now it's sleepy time. See that door, sweety?"
"Yes," Ba Reum said, looking at the door that Hyuk was pointing at. The big man moved towards it and opened it, revealing another bedroom.
"This is my room. I'll be right there, I'll leave the door open, and I want you to call me if there is anything. Can you do that?" Hyuk asked.
"But don't want to be bother," Ba Reum answered, really not wanting to disturb the man during his rest time.
"You won't be, I promise. I ask this of you, Ba Reum, call me if there is anything," Hyuk said, looking at Ba Reum.
The little bit his lip hesitantly but nodded. It seemed that it was important for the big man, and it wasn't that Ba Reum understood why, but he should listen to Hyuk.
"Good boy," the man said, and the little couldn't deny how good those words made him feel.
Still feeling as if he needed to protest, he let himself be lain into the crib, a soft blanket being put over him while he laid on the nicest pillow, firm but not too.
Hyuk gave him a kiss on the forehead, and it made Ba Reum feel all queasy in his tummy. The man turned off the light, but enough light entered the room for him to still see everything.
Giving a yawn, Ba Reum snuggled in the blankets, a hand reaching out to the bars, and he knew he wouldn't be falling out of the bed tonight. Smiling, he realised that it made him feel safe.
Ba Reum drifted off to the sound of Hyuk moving around in his own bedroom, probably getting his sleeping clothes on, feeling safe and warm, feeling happy and loved even.
It was a nice feeling.