„So, see you on Monday,” Yesung finally gets up, saying goodbye to his new client. Just one last glance before he leaves the café. It’s done.

At that moment the sun hits his eyes and he squints fast, cursing this changeable weather. He scrabbles for his sunglasses and put them on. Much better. He looks at his watch, smiling contentedly – it’s quite early. He decides to walk to the city centre now; he has to buy some clothes for Ryeowook. That child can’t wear just his oversized t-shirt. He sees that skinny little body in his mind again. Protruding ribs, scars, bruises... He can’t grasp what such beasts could live on the same planet. And then somebody says the God exists... If he did, this wouldn’t ever happen. He wouldn’t allow something like that. Ryeowook’s frightened look hurts him. He can’t even imagine things he had to go through. Someone so young shouldn’t know what real suffering is. Children shouldn’t know it at all. They should enjoy their young lives, they should be happy... They just shouldn’t know this kind of pain. But he does.

“Could I help you?” he can hear a voice.

He blinks in confusion, looking at the saleslady speaking to him. He recovers, smiling and shaking his head. So the saleslady just let him go, heading to another customer. Yesung examine t-shirt, trying to guess Ryeowook’s size. Even though he really tried to find out Ryeowook’s size from his old t-shirt, there was no success. And he didn’t even attempt to wash it out. He just got rid of it. And his jeans followed. He’s not going to let him wear those rags he wore before. 

He pays the purchase, grabbing shopping bags and leaving the shop. He heads straight to the courthouse to pick up his car he left there. He thinks about Wookie. Is he alright? Wookie... He didn’t even notice when he began to use this pet name. Although he uses it just in his mind. But he likes it. It’s as innocent as him.

He hisses in pain touching a hot car seat. That horrible sun changed his car into a glowing pipe. He feels like a chicken on a roaster. He opens immediately all windows, heavily breathing and starting the car. After a while he can finally smell fresh air and he relaxes, switching on a radio. He would need a convertible he thinks while he’s searching for his favorite station, even though it’s useless because he knows he will be at home in ten minutes.

When he parks his car and entry to his house, everywhere is calm.

“I’m home!”

+++

Ryeowook quietly gets out of his bed, cautiously creeping to the shelf with stuffed animals. He sobs; his body still hurts although it’s quite better. Moreover, he’s use to feel a pain. It was an eternity before he resolved to do it. He was afraid before and he is afraid now. What would that man, Yesung, do if he took one of them?

He reaches out slowly to a light blue teddy bear which charmed him at first. He doesn’t have to touch him to know it’s soft and smooth. But he desires to do it, he just want to its silken fur. Just –

“I’m home!”

He jerks in fright; teddy bear falls on the floor. Ryeowook whines in horror, running to his bed again. He presses himself against the wall, shakily looking at the door.

He can hear Yesung climbing the stairs and his eyes fill with tears when he looks at the teddy bear lying under the shelf. How much will that man be angry at him?

The door slowly opens and Yesung comes in. He just smiles, closing the door behind him.

“I’ve got something for you,” he shows his bags, drawing near to the bed. He stops when he notices a fear in boy’s chocolate eyes. That fright is stronger than before.  What happened? He doesn’t understand. He can note his glance finding something on the floor behind him. He turns confusedly, seeing just a teddy bear. He turns back to Ryeowook, giving him a puzzled look.

“You did it? Or did it fall by itself?” he asks.

Ryeowook shivers much more, trying to disappear in the wall. He’s waiting for a punishment. But... Nothing is happening yet.

Yesung realizes what happened and suddenly everything is clear. That child is really afraid he could get upset?

“Do you like it?” Yesung asks and finally moves, leaving bags next to the bed. He picks the toy up and gentle smile appears on his face. He its head, sitting down just a few feet from Wookie. “It belonged to my younger brother. He loved it.”

That memory hurts in his heart. It was four years ago...

Ryeowook’s shiver stops. The tone of Yesung’s voice catches his attention. It’s the first time he is sure which emotion he can hear. It’s a pain. He can recognize it just because a pain, fear and desperation are feelings he knows very well.

Yesung raises his eyes, meeting Wookie’s ones. He smiles softly and gently.

“So do you like it?” he asks one more time. The boy looks at stuffed animal, biting his lip. Yes, he likes it. So much. But he can’t say it aloud. He’s still afraid. And Yesung can see it in his eyes.

“It’s yours.”

His eyes widens in surprise when the teddy bear is pressed in his arms. Yesung laugh quietly, holding out his hand to Wookie who jolts, crouching. He squeaks when he feels a palm on his head.

Yesung softly his hair, passing fingers through it and slipping down on his face. The boy shivers in fear but step by step he realizes there’s no pain coming. Yesung is not going to hurt him. He has said it...several times. However it’s too difficult to believe in it when somebody hurt him his whole life.

“Nobody will hurt you anymore,” Yesung whispers as he would know what he is thinking about.

Ryeowook closes his eyes; his breath is slowly calming down. He doesn’t shake so much now as he is getting rid of the gravest fear. But concerns are still staying in his mind.

“I’ve bought some clothes for you,” Yesung disturbs a silence, leaving Wookie’s face and reaching out to bags again.

“I hope I assessed good size. Try them on and come down, I will make a dinner,” he says, giving him another smile, standing up. After one last look he leaves Wookie alone with the bags.

Ryeowook hesitate for a few minutes, his look wander between the door and bags. He clenches firmly the teddy bear. And then he pulls away from the wall...

+++

Yesung quickly fries a fish on a pan, taking mash potatoes from a fridge and giving it to a microwave. He serves food on plates, adding lemon slice and some vegetable. After that he carefully carries everything on the table. He sighs contentedly, it smells really well. Finally he prepares a cutlery.

But at the moment he wants to go for Ryeowook, the tiny person appears at the kitchen door. First Yesung is surprised; he didn’t expect the boy would really come but he is pleased. He smiles when he can see the clothes fits perfectly. In the end his estimate wasn’t too wrong.

The boy still hesitates when Yesung motions him to sit. However he does it.

“Enjoy your meal,” Yesung just whispers.

A/N: I'm sorry for my punctuation. As you know I’m not native speaker so I still have some problems with it. But I’m studying hard to improve it. And (as ever) I’m sorry for my grammatical mistakes...