Little Ba Reum AU - The roads not taken

Chapter 32

Hyuk looked at Ba Reum finishing up his drink, the little seeming to be able to drink from a straw at the moment.

It was good that he was eager to go play on the playground. Finishing his own drink, he waited patiently until both Ba Reum and his dad finished theirs.

Ba Reum took the longest, even though he had a cold beverage and the moment the little had noticed the two others waiting on him, he had suddenly sped up with drinking his.

"I already paid, so we can just go," Chang Wook said, and Hyuk nodded, getting up and helping Ba Reum in his coat again.

"There, ready to go back out and to the playground," Hyuk said, putting his hands on Ba Reum's shoulder's and looking at the little with a smile.

Ba Reum nodded, and was glad when mommy took his hand while he guided him outside. The playground was already filled with several other littles, which didn't make him feel much better about all of this.

Looking sideways at Hyuk, he waited for the moment the man would let go his hand and tell him to stay here until he got him again.

It took him by surprise when that didn't happen. Instead, the man leaned down a little.

"What do you want to do first, the swings? The slide?" Hyuk asked, pointing to the attractions.

"Mama go?" Ba Reum asked, confused.

"You want to go already?" Hyuk asked, blinking at Ba Reum.

"Mama go walkies now?" Ba Reum asked, "Ba Reum stay put."

"Why do you think we'll do that?" Hyuk asked, and Ba Reum shrugged.

"Mama say we go walk and mama say Ba Reum go play," the little said, blinking up at Hyuk. The big man looked at him in surprise, and Ba Reum wondered if he had done something wrong. Unable to look the big man in the face any longer, he looked down and noticed their hands still locked.

Perhaps he should've let go already. Trying to do now, he was surprised to feel Hyuk's grip getting a little tighter.

"I think you misunderstood sweetheart," Hyuk said, "mama meant that we go walk together and play together. So what do you want to do?"

"Nothing," Ba Reum said a bit too quickly, making Hyuk frown again.

"Nothing?" Hyuk repeated, and Ba Reum nodded. He had been planning to hide somewhere while Hyuk would walk with his dad.

After all, he was wearing brand new shoes, and brand new clothes and they were all very pretty and still clean and he couldn't risk getting any stains on them by playing.

Hyuk looked at his dad, who shrugged, not knowing how to react to something like that.

"Well, I guess we can play another time," Hyuk said, hiding his disappointment. He had really been looking forward to helping the little go around the playground. Ba Reum nodded, still not looking the other man in the face, but a small smile appeared on his face.

He had managed to avert the disaster of perhaps getting his new clothes dirty. That way, mommy wouldn't need to get angry at him for ruining his gift.

"I guess we can just walk a little more," Chang Wook said, it still being a little too early for lunch.

"Yeah, that's fun too," Hyuk said, glad that Ba Reum kept his hand in Hyuk's and even though he wasn't walking fast, he did keep nicely next to the caregiver.

It was silent for a little while, until Chang Wook cleared his throat.

"So, Ba Reum, what do you do for a living?" the man asked, and Ba Reum perked up a little at the question.