Chapter Text
The kid didn't know how long he had been in this narrow place, which is called a wordrob if he remembered it right, it seemed like forever to him actually. Come out when it sounded safe to only see empty grass fields every time.
At first, this place was not this narrow but when exactly it was getting more and more narrow, he also not sure. Whenever he got out of that place and went to find something to eat, just to survive another day, he would get some bruises back from the sellers at the market.
It's a loop he didn't know if it can end, the little boy just tried to survive and make days pass to meet tomorrow's sunrise, no wish to live happily again even.
Until that man found him. He thought he just made a mistake by letting them heard and can locate where he was at that moment.
The stranger with brown hair looked at him carefully, not moving any inches so sudden. Tension grew between but he had no energy to care.
Not too long another guy came closer as well. He looked taller, bigger and scarier somehow, maybe because his eyes looked almost like they could glow. And he seemed to be irritated'cause he frowned when saw him and that only drained him of energy even more.
The first guy turned his own face into something… soft? Then said something he was not familiar with but that word warmed something in his chest up a little bit and it felt weird at the same time. Next thing he realized was there was grass scratching him and soon was pushed off by the man he didn't even know of.
The kind man then asked him about his name, which he almost forgot what it meant. And no matter how hard he tried to recall he couldn't think of any word that fit in its definition. He tilted his head, stared and the man another longer.
“ what people usually call you is also fine. ”
Oh, that's much easier! He could think of many of them!
So he told him; the name Mrs.seller called him when she yelled at him, the name Mr.fish seller called him when he threw his broken broom after him, the name Mr.bread-maker called him when he yelled at and kicked him out of his fishy stall.
He was kinda proud of himself for being able to answer what was asked, proud so much that missed how this stranger clenched his fist and jaw for a moment before recomposing himself.
“ Hmm, Is that so? ” the guy's lip curved up a bit, that's weird he hadn't hit him or even shouted. So he assumed this guy was also satisfied with how he answered.
Or else this could mean he was angry at him. He was not so sure. When considered it again, why didn't he just do something others do??
A cold wind blew with water drizzle. It's starting to rain, again, making him shudder. It's a bad side of good time, to end and move back to what always happened and that's made something warm in his chest earlier die to become a big hollow. But that also meant he had to back in that wordrob, an uncomfortable and moist wordrob of his.
That's the time he heard the man's voice again, he called out for him to wait. Of course he obeyed, who is he to resist, anyway? So he just went back to the same place, lower temperature gave him shivers to hug himself.
The shivers didn't last that long as he had expected, only soft and warm fabric wrapped him up easily. With all of his energy already drained out, drowsiness had beat him.
“ Red Sun ” that's the last thing he heard when his vision was consumed by pitch black. He curious what does it mean.
.
.
.
After that was all blur, he only remembered clearly when his back touched another soft fabric and what had held him steady left him. As if taken his, one and only, security from him. The little kid whimpered, tried to reach out for those safety he felt earlier, his mouth let out all pleading words he could think of.
Thankfully, the kind guy understand his point
“ shh, sleep little one. I'm just going to get some dry clothes for you to change and treat your wounds. ” The guy's voice sounded so far away and there's too many words he couldn't understand except that one word he was so familiar with; go, and that's the last thing he wanted this guy to do. The desperate boy reached out and tried to grab whatever he could just to make the man stay.
He couldn't focus on more than one thing at the time and now that he was focusing on putting his weight on this arm he grasped, he didn't notice the arrival of others. When the brunette sat down next to him, the boy almost squeaked in happiness.
Next thing his focus moved on to was the coo-sound of a woman, not something he was familiar with, and being carried up. And oh how he is so used to seeing this movement, picking up and throwing away not differ from some wine bottle toward him, maybe he would be toward the floor this time.
But the guy's present made everything easier. He raised his hand but to do a slow pat not hit, and keep his voice not above whisper. And how exhausted he was was enough to pull him into a light sleep once again.
He still can hear quiet conversation around him faintly just a moment before black out.
The treated boy returned with new clothes, still in Baroness' arm, not surprisingly looking sleepy even after bath. He looked better with that wood-colored-lock got cut off a bit.
He looked more alive, if you ask Lloyd.
But better didn't mean it's good, his wounds were still there, and wouldn't go away anytime soon he guessed, not a good sign for a kid this age. No, scratch that, it's not a good sign for anyone at all.
The young noble's brow knitted together, it sure bothered him. Made his stomach churn by just thinking about what had happened to cause all of these. But when those big round eyes stared at him in confused, Lloyd made a business smile back.
“ Alright, come now, you can use my bed. I think you need soo much rest ” Lloyd picked him up from Baroness' arms and thanked her quietly before watching the door closing. Putting the boy down onto a soft bed, he watched him immediately melt into comfiness and sink in. Of course the bed in noble masion would be better than old wardrobe, he didn't surprised.
“ Red Sun ” Said it again as it came to him naturally at this point. Lloyd went back to his desk, spread the paper over it along with the map he had marked today, pencil in his hand hit the desk in no rhythm, and considered what was a better choice for this project.
Just to be clear, he'd never considered himself as a good-with-kid person, both as Suho and Lloyd. It's because he didn't spend much time with ones, as an only child, he didn't spent time with baby Julien either, and a busy person when growing up. He'd interact with kids only when in the mascot costume that was one of his former job. More than that? Never.
That made his troubling matters grow into two now, first was that he thought he had to tidy his desk soon and make it more neat. Or he wouldn't able to find his paper work.
And second was about his situation right in front of him. And maybe it was bigger problem than the first one.
He really had no idea what to do when his working got interrupted by a soft touch and light weight on his thigh. The brunette parted his eyes to where it was, expected to be one of his summons. But it turned out to be that same little guy hazily rubbing his eyes through sleepiness.
“ Sleep… twogather.. no? ” That bubbly little voice and weird place of words in sentence could brought a little smile to him. Those clouded eyes tried so hard to focus on him.
“ Not yet ” Lloyd waved it off anyways, brought himself back to work before him. He had wasted so much time struggling with muddy dirt that slowed him down through the research way, and he would never let anything pull him down again now.
His schedule was planned to finish today, it's flexible but not too much to the level of screw-it-and-do-it-tomorrow or any kind of that. Not leaving his eyes from the paper, his hand continued its work for draft two to make sure everything can stand on its own and not collapse from weak structure.
He heard fort whimpering from the little kid, before the weight on his thigh heavier and called him to look at again. The boy's cheek rested peacefully on his leg as if it was a pillow for him, but his eyes still tried to kept open, but soon failed miserably. He couldn't understand, didn't understand why this boy trusted him so easily. And he didn't understand that sitting on the floor and resting his head on someone's lap was comfy that could make him sleep on.
Letting out a long sigh, Lloyd had his hands under the boy's armpit and picked him up easily, just as the escort knight knocked on the door.
He gave him permission by whisper, convinced that Javier would hear it anyways. The silvered hair opened the door just as quietly, could predict what was behind the young master's choice to whisper.
“ Why don't you just lay him down on the bed? ” asked Javier out of curiosity, it's wierd enough that Master Lloyd had interested in the poor kid and brought him back, and now he was not put him down?
“ Oh? Is someone afraid that there won't be lullaby for him anymore? ” instead, the young master teased him in response with that stupid face of his. But then gave up and say the real answer when saw his knight's displeased face was serious. “ I already did, it's just that this little guy came to me while I working, and want to be hold ”
(he guessed the last one himself.)
Javier gave him an unbelieve-looked but nodded nonetheless “ Then, with him asleep now you should put the poor boy down, to be more comfortable. ”
Lloyd shrugged a little, gestured the knight to his seat before making room for the boy to lay down in his bed. Javier watched his move carefully.
“ Do you think it's hard to mention that kid sometimes? With him has no name to be called, I mean ” asked the knight, made the other pause in his action, almost like thoughtful for a second with his low hummed while tuck said boy into blanket.
“ Like I said, just temporary, he won't be with us for so long that we need to name him before his new parents. ” Lloyd explained plainly, shifting his gaze back to Javier, waiting for the younger to sit down in his sofa.
Javier made his troubling matters turned into three.
“ Well, I don't trust you to name any being actually, if anyone should do it, it must be the Baroness, ” The escort knight couldn't quit mocking Lloyd for his life. The man did not let him say any further though began his lullaby to shut him up right then.
It was the matter of seconds, or syllabus, for the great sword expert to fall asleep, in exchange the boy in discussion had awakened again. Good grief, will he ever be able to go back to work and finish it like he planned?
The moon-like eyes stared at him again, almost into his soul and almost hopeful. Lloyd sighed, reached out his hand to pat the boy, watched him snuggled into it further if possible. “ Sleep, I'll still be in this room and you also still in here after fully rested and wake up. ”
As if that's all he wanted to hear the whole time, the boy finally fell asleep peacefully in his bed. His summons on the little extra pillow next to him, curiously looked at him and moved to tapped their little hands on the boy's bruised cheek soft enough, before falling back to their normal spot nearby.
Lloyd sat there, watched them a little longer, to make sure the poor boy wouldn't wake up and whimpered again. And if he thought this sight was kinda cute, not even Javier would know, and it was his business only.
Or maybe, he really should name him, just for convenience like Javier said.