Little Ba Reum AU - The roads not taken

Chapter 29

Ba Reum was eating the pancakes with gusto, but halfway through his fifth, his stomach was protesting. He wasn't used to the amount, nor the sweetness of the toppings.

Looking at his half-full plate, and then at mommy, the little felt hesitant to tell him his tummy was full. But mommy hadn't been mad yesterday either when he couldn't eat the portion he was given.

"Uhm," Ba Reum said, looking at Hyuk and the moment the man looked at him, he couldn't manage and just looked down at his plate with a bright flush.

"Is something wrong, sweetheart?" Hyuk asked, looking at the by now rather sticky little, who had liked the pancakes the most with jam and whose cheeks were now decorated by it.

"Is 'kay," Ba Reum said in a whisper, taking another piece of pancake and stuffing it in his mouth, by now chewing it slowly and not seeming to enjoy the taste anymore.

"You sure? You can tell mommy," Hyuk said, feeling terribly pleased to say his parental title even when it made Ba Reum flush a little.

"Pancakes yummy," Ba Reum said hesitantly, licking his lips nervously and frowning when he noticed they were sticky.

"That's good," Hyuk said, "but?"

"Tummy full?" Ba Reum asked, hoping that Hyuk, like the day before, wouldn't get mad. There were still very many left over.

"You can't finish yours anymore?" Hyuk asked, already grabbing the plate even before Ba Reum managed to shake his head. The big man ate the few pieces left over and finished the rest of his own.

"Let's get you washed, and perhaps we can see for some day clothes?" Hyuk asked, and Ba Reum shrugged. He liked wearing the sleepers, they were soft and new, and even though his clothes were washed often that they weren't rough to wear, he knew they were threadbare as well and definitely not as warm as his clothes.

But if mommy thought he needed to get dressed, then Ba Reum would.

"Ba Reum go dress?" the little asked, already getting up from the chair.

"Let's first wash your face and put the rest of the pancakes in the fridge," Hyuk said, quickly going to get a wash cloth and making sure that the water is warm before he held it under there.

Ba Reum almost sat still while Hyuk cleaned him up and waited patiently while Hyuk put a foil over the pancakes and put the plate in the fridge.

"Up, now?" Ba Reum asked, when Hyuk turned back to him.

"Up we go," Hyuk said with a grin, and suddenly Ba Reum was hoisted up the man's hip, something that was quickly getting to be one of his favourite positions.

It gave him a reason to lean close to the man and hug him while he pretended to just hang on. It was rather sneaky of him, but it was nice to have such close and positive contact with a parental figure.

Tucking his thumb in his mouth, he laid his head down on the big shoulder, feeling the big hand pat his behind a little, and somehow it just felt so nice.

Hyuk was very pleased that the little so easily turned into him while he carried him, glad that Ba Reum never insisted on doing the stairs himself. He just seemed too little to manage them, and it made him glad for his habit to go to the gym.

Entering the nursery, he put Ba Reum on the changing table, letting the little sit on his own for a moment while he went to the wardrobe.

"Mommy, Ba Reum clothes there," Ba Reum said, pointing out his backpack with his reserve clothing.

"Ba Reum's big clothing is," Hyuk agreed, taking out a bundle of clothes out of the wardrobe. The little looked at the man in surprise, eying the bundle in the hands.