hesitancy.

it was a saturday, and for a seven-year-old kid, saturday simply means he got to go for grocery shopping with his mother, and a chance to get whatever sweets he had craved for the whole weekdays, (exactly the reason why their trolly was full with sweets and snacks just now), because weekends are the only days his mother let him to satisfy his sweets craving.

like any saturday afternoon, they wrapped up the day with visiting the desserts house his mother had a thing for ever since he had begun to have a memory of his own. like any other time, he would pick his menu for the day. like any other day, he would hide behind his mother shyly when anyone behind the counter would greet him and give comments about how adorable he had acted. and like any other day, he would have spaced out when his mother made small talks with the one behind the counter.

but that day, it was a little different; the sound of sniffling could be heard somewhere from the booth not too far away from when he had stood, cutting off his spacing out for a moment. but that was not the only thing that had caught his attention, what would be the reason why his gaze would still be lingering around their booth would be the sight of male and male across from each other. the one who had his features displayed to the kid had his sobbing muffled down by now from the one who had his back turned to the kid, muttering words he cannot catch.

when the one who had his back faced to him started to look around the desserts house, the kid quickly averted his gaze, eyes widen in alarm because of his staring, unconsciously tighten his grip in his mother's hold, and to his luck, the mother did not question anything, still engaged in her small talks with the girl in front of her.

after he had felt like he was safe enough from their peripheral sight, he turned his head again, taking a step back to have a proper view, slightly questioning over why he cannot see them properly compare to seconds ago, before realizing they had their lips locking, making him tilted a bit in confusion, a habit he never knew he had before.

eyebrows creaked and blinking eyes, before a woman and her daughter, perhaps, had walked passed the said booth, coming back from what the kid had assumed was the washroom from the hint of water stained on the little girl's gown.

what surprised the kid was the fact that the woman was covering the little girl's eyes with her palm, while muttering incoheret words and threw glances towards the two males he got his eyes on before.

with this happened in his sight, the kid was feeling an internal battle he never knew he had at the age of seven.

tucking on his mother's shirt, since she had let go of his hand to get some money from her purse to pay for their brunch, he drew attention from his mother,

"mom," the mother turned to look at him after paying the bills, eyebrows raised in anticipation to her son, "aren't boys and boys cannot kiss?" hesitation laced in his slurred words.

the mother's eyebrows creaked in questioning, she hummed, "hm? who told you that?"

"... my teacher?" it came off as a question, like he was not sure if he can bring this up with his mother at this state. when his mother did not respond anything though he noticed the look of thinking things through on her features, he ducked his head down, the same feeling he had when he had been wronged swoon through his veins.

before the mother could muster up anything, the balance for their bills had been given to her, glancing at her son deafeated figure, before picking up their tray of pastries and cakes, choosing not to push much on it, settling in a booth not too far from the counter.

the kid slumped in his seat across from his mother, before noticing they were basically across from the males he had his eyes on before to his right, but not close enough with the space along booths, allowing for walking purpose, so far enough not in their hearing range.