he was young, his childhood filled with a longing greed for a mother's loving touch and a father's approval. the apartment had only just gotten quiet; the loud sudden screams and yells gone.

baekhyun's head turned curiously to the shut door of the room he usually hid away in. he placed his old action figurines down on the carpet and headed to the door to leave, not before turning back and grabbing one of his toys to keep him company.

he made his way out into the hallway, his eyes immediately falling on the figure laying on the floor. he made his way over, tapping the person's shoulder until they turned around to face him.

they weren't a familiar face but baekhyun still put on a brave smile, waving his toy in the stranger's face for some sort of reaction from them.

" off, you stupid kid." the stranger muttered, shoving the small boy aside and turning back around.

baekhyun let out a whine as his figurine fell from his grasp due to the sudden push, his eyes widening at the sight of the plastic arm no longer attached to its body.

he picked it back up from the ground, his lips forming a pout as he tried to put it back together but it was no use. he couldn't fix it.

he made his way down the hallway, his head peering into the bedroom, his eyes immediately lighting up at the sight of his father on the bed. maybe he could fix it.

he stepped inside, a hopeful smile on his lips as he made his way to his father. he tugged on the older male's arm to grab his attention. words were never really an option for baekhyun in his younger years, he never did talk to anyone mostly because he didn't have anyone to talk to.

baekhyun frowned as he was pushed away again, his eyes widening at the angry groan coming from his father.

"look at what you just did!" he yelled at the small boy, looking at the wasted substance spilled on the bed, "you just ing wasted it!" he screamed out as he turned back to sort out another syringe.

baekhyun couldn't understand what he did wrong, he held up his toy and the plastic arm in his fathers point of view, hoping he'd fix it.

his eyes lightened up once his dad took them from him; he watched carefully, wanting to see him fix it but instead he launched them at the other side of the room.

baekhyun's eyes teared up at the action, letting out a wail as he scurried to pick up his toy. it was still in the same condition as before but the action hurt him.

he thought he would fix it. he was supposed to fix it.

he picked it up from the floor, letting out the loud cries as he left the room; hoping someone would at least care enough to come see what was wrong — but no one ever did.

he continued to cry out as he made his way into the living room, strangers were passed out of the sofa and floor, it was a normal sight for the small boy and right now, he was more interested at the takeout boxes littered around the room.

his crying immediately stopped as he grabbed one of the abandoned containers that still has some leftovers inside, food was rarely given to the small boy and one thing that baekhyun figured out was that when there was lots of strangers around, food was also around.

he dug his fingers in, hurriedly eating the leftover chunks of rice as if someone would snatch it away from him. he was nearly finished the container when sudden screams startled him.

"no, no, no!"

baekhyun covered his ears with a whine at the yells, he didn't like it, it was too loud.

but they wouldn't stop, they just got louder and louder.

"somebody help!"

the screams were followed by loud cries. baekhyun turned his head to the hallway, nobody was going to help so baekhyun figured he should.

he followed the crying voice, freezing in his spot when he noticed the noise was from his mother. why was she crying? his eyes trailed to his father laying motionless on the bed; all he could think about the situation was that he was sleeping.

baekhyun made his way over, tugging her sleeve to grab her attention. his eyes meeting her teary ones, he held up his broken toy to distract her at whatever she was crying at, he wanted to make her happy.

she took the toy from him, looking at the side with the missing arm, her eyes locating the plastic arm at