It had been a good three days of Baekhyun doing his best to take care of Chanyeol; the smaller very slowly nursing him back to health. Chanyeol, determined to recover as quickly as possible so to avoid the constant supply of bread that Baekhyun would – very awkwardly – drag into their room on a daily basis.

He was running out of excuses to decline the dirt and lint covered food and was certain his pantry was close to running on empty.  Chanyeol creased his brow in thought. He couldn’t quite remember the last time he had eaten a proper meal.

Of course, sneaking out long after he had tucked Baekhyun up into his little shoebox bed to try and salvage what little he had in his pantry didn’t count. At the best of times, he only managed to find enough (that wasn’t stale bread; Baekhyun had forgot to re-seal the bread bag on the kitchen bench) ease the biting hunger in his stomach; if only for a little while.

The following morning, Chanyeol set about, tidying the house. He hadn’t moved about in the three days, Baekhyun having confined him to his bed. Feeling far better than he did just a few days ago, Chanyeol went about his morning rituals. First opening the curtains, then the windows, to allow the cool breeze to circulate through the house.

Breakfast would usually follow. Chanyeol’s stomach gave a piteous moan and he frowned. It was time to go grocery shopping. Just the very thought of it was … Fun, to say the least.

“M-Mister Giant?”

Baekhyun stumbled down the hallway in a sleepy daze, his hand stifling a yawn; his eyelids heavy with sleep. Baekhyun’s tiny socks had slipped halfway off his feet; his pajama shirt was on backwards (he had insisted that he was more than capable of dressing himself). Fastened around his neck, and worn more of like a bib was Baekhyun’s blue cape; crinkled and covered in tiny fingerprints. However, he refused to take it off. Or even substitute it for a new cape.

“Good morning, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol smiled as he watched the sleepy Baekhyun pad slowly into the lounge room drowsily. Baekhyun stifled another yawn.

“What are we doing?”

Confused, Chanyeol had to repeat what Baekhyun had just said in his mind a few times. Did he hear correctly?

“We?” he asked, brows raised. Baekhyun nodded, rubbing his eyes.

“Yes,” Baekhyun said, picking at the hem of his cape. “What are we going to do today?” He shot a sweeping glance around the relatively tidy lounge room,  before bringing his gaze to rest on Chanyeol.

“What are you doing?”

“Tidying.”

“Why?”

Chanyeol heaved a heavy sigh. “Because the house was a mess.”

Baekhyun nodded slowly in understanding. “I see,” he said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “But Mister Giant is still sick. Why are you out of bed?”

Fixing the cushions on the couch, Chanyeol tried to focus his attention on anything but the tiny Baekhyun who followed half a step behind him, spouting question after question.

“I’m feeling a lot better,” he said. “Plus, we’re running low on food.”

Up and down the hallway Chanyeol went, tidying; the sound of Baekhyun’s tiny footsteps hurrying after him seemed to bounce off the walls.

“Slow down, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol warned without so much as a glance over his shoulder. “You’re going to-”

Oof.

“- … Trip.”

He turned around as a soft sob reached his ears. Baekhyun lay sprawled out on the floor, tangled in his cape. One of his socks had come off in his fall. He shot a tearful glance up at Chanyeol before he began to cry.

“M-Mister Giant,” Baekhyun sniffed as he attempted to free himself from the tangle of fabric. “It hurts!”

Shaking his head, Chanyeol bent down, scooping Baekhyun up in his hands. Bringing the crying Baekhyun closer to his face, Chanyeol inspected him for any cuts or grazes.

“What hurts, Baek?”

“Everything!”

Chanyeol was at loss for words. The only time he had ever dealt with a similar situation was when he was tasked with babysitting his four year old niece. He wasn’t quite sure what to do.

“How,” Chanyeol tried, cautiously. “How about when we go to the supermarket, I buy you something sweet? Does that sound okay?”

Baekhyun rubbed his eyes with the back of his sleeve roughly. “Sweet?” he asked. “Like … Strawberries? I like strawberries.”

“Uh … Sure.”   

“Mister Giant?”

“Yes, Baek?”

Baekhyun reached for the hem of his cape once more, toying with it absentmindedly. Just the thought of wearing his cape calmed him. It made him feel safe. Protected.

“Will you wear your cape to the market, too?”

Chanyeol blinked, taken aback. “Me? Why on Earth would I do that?”

“Because!” Baekhyun countered, puffing his cheeks out, his eyes still watery. “It’s a super market! You have to wear a cape! Please?”

Sighing in defeat, Chanyeol dragged his fingertips through his hair with his free hand.

“Fine.”

“And can Mister Byun come, too?”

“No.”

“Are you happy now, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol grumbled as he paced up and down the aisles of the supermarket, Baekhyun nestled safely in the inside pocket of his jacket. “I look like an idiot in this thing.”

Just as he had promised, a magnificent blanket, ahem, cape of a brilliant green was fastened around Chanyeol’s neck; the hem blowing this way and that with every step he took. His eyes scanned the overhead signs in the aisles in an attempt to quickly locate what he needed and leave with as little people seeing him as possible.

“What is he wearing?” someone whispered – loudly – to the person beside them. Chanyeol’s ears went pink.

(“A cape!” Baekhyun squeaked. Chanyeol’s finger jabbed sharply into him and Baekhyun fell silent.)

“It isn’t Halloween yet.”

“Never mind that, look what he’s got in his shopping trolley!”

Chanyeol felt his grip on the handlebar of the shopping trolley tighten, his knuckles whitening in annoyance and, to some extent, embarrassment. Various goods filled his shopping trolley; vegetables, a punnet of strawberries for Baekhyun, cereal and other necessities. But one thing he couldn’t easily conceal was the caped Mister Byun that sat in the kiddy chair at the very front of the trolley.

“Who brings a teddy bear grocery shopping?”

Chanyeol gritted his teeth, his cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. Focusing his attention on anything but the people in the aisle, he pushed his way past them. Only a few more things on the shopping list, then he could finally go home.

“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol muttered.

He didn’t have to see him to know that Baekhyun was grinning. 

New background!

Mister Ducky, go go go!