[Slaves AU. Prequel to DaeBaekYeol II. Same characters, same verse. Warning: I fail at writing kids.]

7 years ago

Baekhyun and Daehyun were calmly eating their lunch when they heard some shouting coming from the other side of the small room they called "cafeteria".
"What is happening there?", the older boy asked. 
Daehyun shrugged in reply.
"Let's see.", Baekhyun said, getting up and walking to the action scene. Daehyun followed him without a word. 
As they approached a small crowd, they could hear what they were shouting.
"Such a freak!"
"These long legs are so ugly!"
"Crybaby."
"You won't last one week here, new kid. Welcome to hell."
In the center of the crowd stood a boy who was probably not older than Baekhyun. He was taller than anyone else in the room, but the lost expression and tears on his face made him look very smaller. 
"Hey!", exclaimed Baekhyun to one of the boys who was saying mean things to the tall boy. "What are you and your clones doing?"
"Just welcoming the new kid. Why, you got a problem with it, freak?", replied the bully in a rude tone. 
Baekhyun's reply was hitting his tiny fist directly at the boy's face. 
"Freak, freak, FREAK!", shouted the bully, while holding one of his hands to the hit spot. "You're all a bunch of freaky freaks!"
With these words, he ran away, and anyone who said he was crying would receive a glare and a slap. In his defense, Baekhyun was really strong for a 10 years old. 
The crowd soon divided, each kid going to care about their own business. That left Baekhyun and Daehyun alone with the new kid. 
"That was cool, Baek!", Daehyun praised, laughing.
"I know, I know.", replied the older boy, before turning his attention to the new kid, who still looked scared. "Are you okay?"
The boy slowly nodded.
"Cool! I am Baekhyun and this is my 'brother' Daehyun. We're not really brothers but we thought it would be cool if we were. Don't pay attention to those guys. This place is just like high school, except that we don't get a fancy prom at the end.", Baekhyun started babbling. The new boy gave him a weird look.
"You... You know they are going to... sell us, right?", the boy said in a tiny voice, more tears filling his eyes at each word.
Baekhyun showed him a gentle and kind of melancholic smile, before nodding. Daehyun lowered his head.
The new kid let out a sob, sadness and fear filling him.
"I- I want my mother! Mama!", he cried.
Baekhyun hugged the boy, softly caressing his back.
"Your mommy is in heaven now.", he said in a kind tone. He knew exactly how that boy felt.
The boy shook his head, sobbing more.
"Hey, you can be our brother too, if you want!", suggested the older. "Right, Dae?"
Daehyun nodded.
"Yes, it will be super cool!"
The boy parted from Baekhyun and took a good look at the two. 
"R-really?"
"Really!", Baekhyun replied. "And we will show you our secret places and we can play together and eat together and sleep together! It will be fun, you will see!"

Now

Chanyeol took a good look at the boy sleeping beside him. He never imagined that Baekhyun, the boy who always seemed to be so strong, could ever look so fragile. A few tears filled his eyes. He has always been a crybaby.
Daehyun, who was laying on the other side of Baekhyun, looked at him over the sleeping boy worried.
"Chan?"
"Why did it have to happen to us? Why did it have to happen to him?"
"One day... One day all of this will be over, you will see.", said Daehyun. "One day we will be really happy."
"I really hope you are right, Dae."