Theodore’s never been good in big crowds of people. Even daycare scared him at first, because his daddy left him alone in a big room with other children. But after time it had gotten easier to sit with the others and play, even when they asked questions about the weird objects in his ears. Even when sometimes he misheard and got in trouble. His cheeks puff out as he scrubs them, tears still spilling down the reddened skin.
By now, most of the people walking past him have stopped paying attention to him. It’s annoying to see a young child crying, especially when he won’t talk to anyone because the closer people come, the more scared he gets. He just wants his daddy. But he can’t see him. Doesn’t know which store he was in. Doesn’t know how to get back. But he knows his daddy must be searching for him.
On the other side of the store, Jonathan was having more than a little panic attack. He’d never lost his son before, and Saturdays were always the busiest days for malls. Theodore was so small, so gentle — how would he be able to find him amidst the crowds? So he does what every parent looking for their lost child does. He takes out a photograph of Theodore, and he starts asking people, stopping every few steps as he starts towards Theodore’s current location.
Back on the bench, Theodore reaches for the hearing aid to attempt to put it back in, but the presence of a much younger ahjussi makes him still. The stranger crouches in front of him, and for a moment Theodore wonders if he should scream louder, but then the stranger’s signing at him. His eyes widen, because how many people know sign language, before his hands move to respond.
I lost my daddy. I let go of his hand, and now I can’t find him.
The tears start again as his hands drop back into his lap, but he doesn’t fail to notice the little shape around the stranger’s ear. He has a hearing aid too! With all the inquisitive curiosity of the small child he is, he reaches up to his own ear, and then points to the stranger.
"You have one too, ahjussi."
Baekhyun worries a bit more for each passing second, watches the boy curiously for a moment. He wants to help, and he wants to help almost desperately. Because if anything, he knows how terrifying it can be to feel helpless in a crowd when you have a hard time hearing what anyone’s saying, when things move so quickly you barely have time to react. It happened to him a lot when he was a kid, and eh doesn’t want the child before him to experience the same thing, It’d be horrible. Because such an experience could be quite traumatizing in the end.
So of course it brings him a bout of happiness when the child responds to him, when he signs back and a light wave of relief washes over Baekhyun, like a bit of the weight resting upon his shoulders has been released. His stomach is still tying in knots, because he’s not sure what he should do, but at least he’s getting somewhere now and it’s a good enough start. If you want me to I can try to help you find him again. He signed at the same pace as previously, offering up a gentle smile. He doesn’t want to scare the boy after all and he has no hidden intentions, he hopes that’s understood.
He nods a bit when the child points to his ear, smiling still as he rises to stand for a moment, only to seat himself beside the small child on the bench. Yes, I do. We have something in common, don’t we? He continues to smile, even though he’s talking about his own greatest concern, the greatest shame that turns his entire life upside down a few times a month. When he has those days when he refuses to leave his apartment. When he just stares at the wall and turns of his phone and refuses to acknowledge the world’s existence. It’s been a while since it happened by now, but it’s most likely because he has separated himself from everything in his life that could possibly be seen as bad. Both people and inanimate objects.
He shakes his head a bit, to rid himself of strong thoughts, of depressing thoughts he has no time for and he smiles yet again, a bit more widely this time to make up for the lingering hints of sadness in his light brown eyes. Can you tell me what your dad looks like? And we can try to find him together. If we do good, I promise I’ll get you some nice treats yeah? He laughs softly, rising to stand again and offering the child his hand, not rushing him in the least. He wants it to be a bit natural, for the child to make it his own choice and not just follow a lead Baekhyun has given him. And, my name is Baekhyun. He then adds keeping his expression gentle. What’s your name?