a dream within a dream?

Hold me tight

He wakes up to the sound of his mother's singing. The soft tune carried through their small one-bedroom apartment, the lullaby waking him gently from his sleep. Taehyung always thought she had the most beautiful voice. He couldn't help but smile; she must be in a good mood.

He could hear the clanking of dishes from the kitchen. The smell of warm rice made his stomach gurgle in hunger. That's all it took to get him up and out of bed: the promise of food and his mother's singing.

He rolled around in the bed, falling over in a tangle of sheets as his blankets snaked around his legs

       "Mmmph," he whined in complaint, still not awake enough to form words. He kicked away the mess of fabric. He doesn't feel fully awake, his mother always told him he was a heavy sleeper, and he always takes extra long in the mornings to get going.

He spent a solid thirty seconds fighting with the blanket, it put up a serious fight but in the end, he came out victorious. In his sluggish zombie-like way he shuffled out of the bedroom, his house slippers dragging on the floor with his steps.

He followed the smell of the cooking food, his eyes half-closed in his morning haze.

His mother stopped singing before he reached the kitchen, humming instead. She was always too shy to sing in front of anyone, even him.

       "G'mrning ma" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with his hands against the bright light from the kitchen window. It's a lot compared to the darkness of his room.

       "Morning baby." She kissed the top of his head making him all giddy; he took no time wrapping his arms around her waist. She was still wearing her dirty work uniform. Usually, she would scold him, she always liked to shower and change before they hugged but he didn't care. He missed her too much.

       "I got so scared... when you didn't come home last night." He hid his face in her abdomen, hugging her a bit more tightly. He didn't want to cry, but the tears built up behind his eyes anyway.

      "I'm sorry baby, someone called out yesterday so I had to work a double." Her hand rakes through his hair lovingly, "You know I love you so much right and I'd never choose to leave you alone if it weren't an emergency, "She was holding him, rubbing circles into his back.

Taehyung's emotions always felt sudden and overwhelming, like he was bursting at the seams.

Before he knew it he was full-on crying into her shirt. He didn't understand how scared he was until he was back in her arms again.

He could never truly feel safe without her here with him.

       "I hate leaving you here alone. I know it's hard, but you've been such a good boy for me." She lifted his chin, and when he looked up, her smile was loving and warm.

       "I have?" He sniffled in an attempt to keep the snot at bay.

       "Yes baby, of course." She wiped it away with some tissue from her pocket, a gentle hand squishing his nose, "Blow."

He did as he was told, his nose was feeling better now that he was able to breathe through it again.

       "But I was so scared." he hiccuped.

       "I'm sorry baby. I'm so sorry." She lifted him into her arms, his legs wrapping around her middle.

She swayed them back and forth, humming quietly to soothe her baby. He kept crying. He never wants to let go of her again. He knows it wasn't her fault, she needed to work; since it was just the two of them, he had to be a big boy.