Chapter Fourteen

The Fruit Mouse
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Baekhyun’s mind continued to tumble as fast as the water flowing out of the pipe above him in the shower. He felt lost in his thoughts as he moved the bar of soap slowly over his stomach and arms. 

He was very aware that what he had seen of the tall boss’s muscular torso through the steam in the laundry room had affected him. But he wasn’t sure why. 

Was it fear? Attraction? 

Baekhyun knew he looked younger than his age, but he didn’t know if he was old enough to be attracted to someone. What was the right age to be attracted to someone? Even if he were considered old enough, he would never have been able to predict that his first attraction would be to a man that was older than him, a full grown adult. He didn’t know the boss’s age, but that didn’t change the fact that the man was handsome and attractive.

Baekhyun had been on his own for so long, but he still felt like a kid at times. He had deliberately sheltered himself from being involved in situations of an adult or ual nature. When the older men had leered at him as he tried to privately bathe in the river, he had felt very uncomfortable and scared. The fear had been for his safety, but he also knew that he didn’t want to be used and cast aside. He realized that what he wanted was to be loved. 

Being an orphan from a very young age, Baekhyun didn’t remember his parents or even what they looked like. He was less than a year old when he was brought to the old house that was already crowded with other unwanted children. The orphanage was not a warm, loving environment, and he never had time for exploring a ual awakening as much as he would have liked. The most he had experienced were quick moments of self exploration in the bathroom in the middle of the night when the others were asleep. He had let his fingers travel to areas that made him feel good, but he didn’t know if everything he had tried was normal. Later when the men at the river made suggestive comments, he had only half understood them, but the nasty words had cleared things up just a little in his mind. He knew girls could be pretty, but their curves and facial expressions didn’t excite him much. Baekhyun once had thought that maybe it would be nice to be called pretty, but then he scoffed at himself for having such odd ideas. The attic at the weaver’s shop had only been witness to one time that he let himself enjoy his fingers again, but once he was done, the layers of dirt and bugs scuttling around made him feel disgusting and disappointed. He definitely didn't feel pretty. Thinking back on it, he realized he had spent more time washing the rag out thoroughly and then throwing it away than on the amount of time he had spent pleasuring himself.

But now the water was starting to cool off. He had been in the shower much longer than he intended. 

Baekhyun quickly rinsed off and turned off the tap, then shook himself like a dog to start getting dry before he ran over to get a towel out from under the sink on the other side of the room. He had been in such a hurry to get into the shower he had forgotten to get something to dry himself off with ahead of time. 

He moved quickly as he rubbed his body vigorously then wrapped the towel around himself, tucking it under his armpits. Then he leaned his head over one of the sinks and pulled at his hair a bit to wring the water out of his shaggy locks. It had been a while since his last haircut. He would have to see if he could borrow a pair of scissors to trim up his hair like he usually did. Perhaps the sewing scissors would do the trick. 

As the orphan studied his reflection in the one mirror that was propped against the wall over the sink, the bathroom door suddenly swung open. A couple of the men the orphan hadn’t talked to before came in, talking loudly together. Baekhyun realized they were having an argument. Confrontation made him nervous and he wanted to leave but they were blocking the way out of the room. 

One of them noticed him. “Hey it’s the fruit mouse..” They both turned to face the small figure wrapped in the towel. Baekhyun ducked his head in what he hope

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crgb1234
I apologize for this update taking longer than usual. But fear not -- the characters have completely taken over the story and will not let me leave this unfinished! Thank you for continuing to read -- subscriptions, comments, and upvotes are all really appreciated!!

Comments

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Sharo001
686 streak #1
Chapter 38: Thank you for this year end surprise, I was so excited when I saw you updated. I’ve missed our little mouse and he is still chock-full of ideas to make their lives better. The exchange of rings at the end was beautiful, I could clearly picture the whole scene with the guys looking on. Another big thanks and Happy New Year!
Beau1996 1306 streak #2
Chapter 38: I was so excited to see an update! Thank you for the holiday treat!
Sharo001
686 streak #3
Chapter 37: I completely agree that they would never have made it to Baekhyun’s birthday.☺️
Sharo001
686 streak #4
Chapter 36: Their Christmas was so sweet and I love that Baekhyun helped with the cooking to show his thanks and appreciation for the beautiful ribbons. The best scene was the ‘almost’ romantic dinner. Chanyeol is so loving and respectful toward Baekhyun. The evening was just perfect.
Beau1996 1306 streak #5
Chapter 37: It's Halloween 🎃 not Christmas but I need to thank you for that gift of an update!!
Beau1996 1306 streak #6
Chapter 36: I love the pieces of ribbon - not a cheap gift at the time! The candlelight dinner with...beef stew - ah, be still my heart!!
BaekonJagiya #7
Chapter 35: Thank you for this awesome and nice story Author-nim! I love Baekhyun's growth in the story and his relationships with the people there. He might be the 'little boss' to everyone, but he's always be the 'little mouse' for his lover, Chanyeol. ❤️
yshinnoona
#8
This was very enjoyable story. I loved Baek's growth in this and the lovely relationship he had with Chanyeol.
Beau1996 1306 streak #9
Chapter 35: Lovely ending! The setting was cool and I liked the timeframe of the story. I will miss reading😢 will you start another story?
Sharo001
686 streak #10
Chapter 35: Aw, I didn’t realize it would end so soon!😭 Thank you for taking us on this wonderful journey with our little mouse. I love that he found love and acceptance in the unlikeliest of places. The Boss and Little Boss are going to have a lifetime of happiness. I don’t say it often but this story is a precious gem that will be enjoyed again and again. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next.

P.s. Many thanks for also wrapping up LuHan’s story, he also deserves his happiness.