Master's doll [𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝]

【ＧＥＡＲ １５】

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му ηєє∂ѕ ƒσя уσυ σνєяяι∂єѕ му ∂єѕιяє ƒσя ѕαηιту

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Rea was writing at the dinner table while Taurent was busy making pancakes. At times, Rea would stop to breathe in the delicious smell. The boy hopped down from his chair to fetch the maple sauce when his plate was finally served. Pancakes were one of Rea's favorites because Taurent made them so good that his mouth watered just from imagining them.

The man took the small paper and skimmed through the contents. Rea wrote several words such as Sacrifice, Devotion, and Dependency. He was actually impressed since Rea was only used to reading lighter books and those words sounded heavy.

"You never ask me to go out and help you find some books before. I'm amazed," Taurent said as he placed the paper back down. He then silently watched Rea munch the pancakes with his mouth full. The boy was energetic that morning, requesting Taurent to bring him to the bookstore. How could the man refuse him when the boy had woken up before him to ask him that?

"Slow down, Rea."

Rea quickly downed his tea when he choked on the food. The plate was empty as fast as lightning. Taurent chuckled on the other's behavior. "I'll wait for you, outside."

The boy nodded, washed his hands and mouth, then wiped them dry. He then ran to the door to find Taurent with an open umbrella in his hand. Before they started their day, Taurent made sure the door was locked and more importantly, fixed Rea's crooked ribbon next to his collar.

"Perfect, let's go."

The shop was not so far from their place; it was just about 10 minutes by foot. They finally stopped in front of a brown place decorated with a sign that said, 'Emily Bookstore'. When Rea pushed the door, the ringing bells that sounded lighter than the one at their place signaled the old lady to greet them.

"Ahh Taurent! Welcome," The old lady who called herself as Emily gave Taurent a kiss on the cheek. She was shorter therefore the blonde needed to lower himself to receive the love. Rea expected Taurent would reject her, but he didn't.

Rea politely gave Emily the paper he had written on. She read through the writings before gesturing to the boy to follow her. Taurent went to another shelf of books and it made the boy anxious to be apart from each other when they were not in their place. However, the fact that Taurent was okay with her affection would mean that she was not a threat.

"Here." The old lady handed him a slightly thicker book than the ones he usually read. The cover was ornamented with an imagery of a heart in a hand. Rea bowed down as thanks and the lady said, "You are welcome, Rea."

She paused for a moment, contemplating what she was going to say next, "Taurent talked about you a lot. A lot more than his wife, so I have always wanted to meet you but he wanted to wait until you wish to go out by yourself. I hope he doesn't trouble you."

Rea shook his head with the book clutched to his chest. He sat beside the lady when she patted the space on her right. With a sigh of relief, she brushed Rea's head lovingly. She told him how much she cared about Taurent since he came here when he was 17. How he used to have a frown on his face as he searched for books, although Emily had tried to warm him up.

"I heard news he was getting married the next year. He was happy, but not for long. He often came here and kept saying, 'Why am I not enough?' yet he never told me anything. I couldn't help him until after three years of their marriage, his wife died, and the cause was unknown. He didn't come here for months.

Until finally, he did, and that was the first time he opened himself up. He talked about a boy he had adopted named Rea. His smile was wide and genuine. Almost every weekend he would come here and asked me to teach him how to cook."

Rea's cheeks tingled, and his toes wriggled in his shoes. He looked back to the direction of the man. He was reading the back of the two books in his hands. Rea turned back to the woman's smiling face. She was gentle and warm, it soothed him.

Her smile somehow reminded him of Haemi. His friend who was always filled with sunshine showed him a face of disappointment the day before. The young boy's spirit died down and his shoulder drooped. It did feel different when Haemi lashed out to him as if he did something wrong. How could he bring back the energy of the other?

Rea felt a tap on his hand and it stopped his thoughts. Emily pointed her finger to a doll placed behind a glass. A ball-jointed doll with big green eyes and jet black hair. It looked very similar to him. The lady spoke, "He gave this to me, a month after I told him I wanted to meet you. He really treasures you, doesn't he? He made one modeling his wife, but he smashed it around a year after their marriage. Now, he came here with you. The surrounding air is fresher and gentler. I hope both of you will always be happy. But I do have a concern."

The last sentence made Rea look up to her. Her face was painted with worry. She began, "Taurent's origin and family were unknown and he refused to talk about them. I am afraid the poor child would be too dependent on you for his happiness. I know he is finally an adult; he is 21 after all but." She stopped. She glanced on the blonde, and her eyebrows were closer together.

"I hope he doesn't make you feel locked up. He seems to be a possessive person. He would rarely get attached to people however when someone like him started to get attached, living without each other would be damaging for both him and you."

"Rea, have you found your book?" Taurent called out to him as he walked to the counter to pay. Rea frantically nodded, and stood. Then Emily held the young boy's hand in hers. She softly expressed her fear, "If he ever hurt you because of his overprotectiveness, or if he ever sacrifices too much of himself for you, express your feelings to him. It's not healthy and it could destroy both of you. A healthy relationship is of equal care and love."

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Rea was having his dinner with Taurent. Haemi didn't come to the shop to bother him that day. Rea was spinning his spoon in the soup, and it was not because the liquid was bad. His head was having too much information that he needed to do a lot of thinking to understand everything.

Realizing the odd behavior of Rea, Taurent wanted to make sure, "Something seems to be on your mind."

Rea paused his actions and turned to the adult. He sucked in the air deeply. "Master, I want to talk."