Lovelorn x Hungry

Trigger Warning: Eating Disorder - Anorexia / Restrictive Eating

Please read with caution and care.

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Lovelorn: Unhappy because of unrequited love

Hungry: Feeling or displaying the need for food

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The first time Seeiw wished he was smaller was the day before his father left.

His dad had been spending a whole day with each of his kids, and today was Seeiw's turn.

He didn't usually have much time for his children so Seeiw was giddy with happiness over this rare treat.

They ran around together at the playground that was close to their house. It was a rickety old thing that the neighborhood kids loved but treated rather roughly.

Seeiw's dad pushed him on the swings, gentle but firm shoves, making sure that he gained enough air but didn't fly too high. He cheered as Seeiw climbed up, up, all the way up to the top of the slide, and ran around to meet him at the bottom to catch him before he could sail into the dirt below.

They played all afternoon until it was time to go home for dinner, and as they were about to leave, Seeiw insisted that his dad carry him back on his shoulders.

Only problem was, he was too big.

"Dad, pick me up, pick me up!" Seeiw said, reaching out with his arms.

Seeiw's father put his arms under Seeiw's armpits and tried to haul him up, but his back clicked in a way that sounded painful, and he doubled over to cough.

It was a smoker's cough, hoarse and lung deep, one that Seeiw hated hearing.

"You're too big, son." His dad said once his wheezing stopped. "It's because you've been drinking milk and eating vegetables, they're working!"

Seeiw frowned. This wasn't what he'd hoped to achieve by drinking all of that milk and diligently eating healthy.

Just the other day, his best friend Cake had slung him across his back piggy back style and ran all the way home when Seeiw had fallen and scraped his knee.

His dad was the strongest person that he knew. Along with Cake, his dad was the strongest person ever. A superhero.

If Seeiw wasn't too big for Cake, there was no way he could be too big for his dad.

It didn't make sense, something had to be wrong.

Seeiw began to cry, wanting nothing more than to sit on his dad's shoulders like he did when he was smaller.

Seeiw had never in his life heard that he was too big. He'd always been too small. Smaller than most of the boys in his grade, smaller than Hia Pao had been at his age. Almost as small as Cake's baby sister, Cream.

Seeiw rubbed the tears from his eyes and his father knelt down and hugged him, trying to give him comfort.

"I'm going to miss this." His father said with a sigh.

Seeiw left the playground feeling uncertain and hollow with his hand clutched in his dad's. He stayed silent wondering what exactly his father would miss.

They walked slowly and Seeiw dragged his feet. He wanted to prolong their walk as long as possible. His dad didn't spend much time with him like this.

When he was younger, his dad was always around, always with the family. But lately, he was always working late or having to stay overnight somewhere.