Like a Dream

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Their first encounter was at a carnival. Both of the boys were four years old at the time and they both remember the day vaguely. Jongdae had to give his toy he had won at ring toss to a teary, snot-nosed crybaby who would not let go of Jongdae's hand; Baekhyun remembered the fear that hit him in waves when his brother and parents were nowhere to be found and of the boy who was kind enough to comfort him, even giving away a toy.

Jongdae was with his father, mother, and brother at a booth to see who could score the most points by tossing miniature balls into the hoops within one minute. With one arm protectively holding his new dinosaur plush against his chest and his opposite hand holding his mother's, Jongdae cheered for his seven-year-old brother, Jongdeok, to beat their father.

Jongdae's brother had won, mostly in part because their father had lost on purpose, and while Jongdeok was choosing a prize, Jongdae heard someone crying not too far off. Jongdae tugged his mother's hand. "That boy's crying! I think he's lost."

After a quick assessment, Jongdae's mother replied, "I think you're right. Want to go help him?"

Jongdae energetically pulled his mother's hand toward the sobbing child. His face was flushed and covered in tears and snot. At the sight of another boy his size and age, Baekhyun desperately clung onto Jongdae's arm, the arm holding onto the dinosaur.

"Help me find my mommy!" Baekhyun sobbed. Jongdae let go of his mother's hand to try to push Baekhyun away from him, but the boy was holding on too tight.

"Oww! Let me go!" Jongdae shouted and that caused Baekhyun to cry harder.

"Jongdae," his mother said in a tone of disapproval before kneeling in front of the lost child. She placed an arm behind Baekhyun's back. "Do you remember where you last saw your mom?"

Baekhyun shook his head, his bottom lip jutting out and tears welling in his eyes. "I... I was with my brother and... I don't know."

Jongdae's mother looked around, but no one seemed as if they were looking for their child. She decided it best to take him, for the sake of the child, his family, and herself. She couldn't leave him alone nor could she trust a stranger to help him, so she took both her son and the child by their hands and guided them away after informing her husband where she was heading to.

Jongdae thought it would be quick, that they would just drop the boy off and his parents would find him, but his mother told him to sit down with the boy. Hand in hand, Baekhyun and Jongdae went to find a chair to sit in. Jongdae had expected each boy to a chair, but Baekhyun seemed insistent on sharing. It wasn't much of a problem as they were small enough to sit comfortably in the giant chair, although they would be pressed together. Because Jongdae didn't want Baekhyun to cry, they sat together.

Jongdae's mother sat on the chair to his right. The hand they boy was holding began to feel hot and sweaty, but Jongdae couldn't free from the iron grip. Jongdae turned to his mother in impatience, "Can we go now?"

She gave him that look with the single raised eyebrow that he hated. Jongdae sat back in his chair with a frown, the boy to his left still sniffling and holding onto his hand. Jongdae noticed a mole on the boy's thumb and commented about it, only for his mother to shush him.

After what felt like forever to the boys, but in reality was five minutes, the boy burst into tears once more. Jongdae's mother asked, "Why don't you give him your dinosaur, Jongdae?"

Jongdae turned to his mother in alarm. How could she request something like that of him? Jongdae's arm tightened around his precious toy and he quickly shook his head. Again, she gave him the look. The boy already had Jongdae's hand and their help, why did he need Jongdae's toy?