The Cozy Sun-Daily : Hug

00

The car crawled forward slowly. Because of Christmas, the shops along the street seemed to be competing with one another, each putting on its most spectacular and brilliant decorations.

It was the first time the little boy had ever celebrated Christmas. He pressed himself against the car window and peered curiously at the decals on the glass of the store. As they drove past, he cried out in surprise when he rarely saw any designs repeat.

01

Cassius found Alain's behavior both silly and adorable, while thinking to himself that the Christmas holidays were truly troublesome.
He had originally planned to just celebrate with his best friend who always loved to get on his nerves, thinking it would be enough. He hadn't expected a phone call from his mother, announcing a family reunion and insisting that he should bring the child along so everyone could meet him.

Just the thought of the non-stop questioning from his relatives made his temples throb with a sharp pain.

02

The vehicle pulled into a quiet neighborhood and finally came to a stop in front of a classically styled villa.

Oh, God, can time just move a little faster?"

The front yard was already packed with cars. Before stepping out, Cassius covered his face with one hand, constantly trying to convince himself not to ditch his family and go straight back home.

"Dwoc?" the child asked from the backseat, his large eyes blinking with curiosity.

03

Helping Alain to put little red cape and Santa hat on, Cassius carried the little boy in one arm while holding the casually thrown-together Christmas gifts in the other.

"Why aren't we walking?" Alain asked, wrapping his arms around the man's neck. Most of the time, the man would lead him by the hand; it was rare for him to be carried like this the entire way.
"Just let me hold you," Cassius replied dismissively, giving the child a gentle upward nudge.
There's no way to tell you it's because I desperately want to run away, right? Can I leave now?

When they reached the front door, he set Alain down to walk on his own. Feeling the child tightly gripping his finger, Cassius took a deep breath.

04

I fucking shouldn't have come.

05

Seeing the Christmas tree standing between the living room and the dining area, and catching the collective gazes turning toward them from the sofa, Cassius felt a strong urge to take a step back, say a quick "Thanks everyone, let's keep in touch next year," and leave.

06

"Oh, Cassius, you're here!"
Biologically, this crowd was just like hyenas spotting their prey; a swarm of elders instantly rushed right in front of him. Their target: Alain.
Questions being thrown at him all at once.How old the child was, how cute he looked, how surprised they were that Cassius already had a child, and whether he was considering finding a mother for the boy.
He truly detested his own English name right now, not to mention the endless suggestions about whether he wanted to get to know the daughters of various friends. Where on earth did all these girls even come from?

07

"Who's this little elf?"
Cassius Not-happy-because-someone-stole-his-son-away Han glared at his own older brother, who had stolen Ali away when he wasn't looking. He made a mental note that stealing someone else's kid was highly unethical.

08

It really did seem quite easy for children to play together. Sipping his red wine, Cassius watched the little ones who, having finished their dinner, were now tumbling and rolling around together in a happy pile.

09

"Uncle Cassius."

The little girl was dressed in a red dress, her hair meticulously braided and tied with a neat bow. With her cheeks flushed pink, she tugged at the corner of his coat while holding out a certificate.

"Hi." he replied. Glancing briefly at the certificate, which read Third Place in the Piano Competition, he patted her head. He then pulled a clear box from the gifts he had brought, knelt down, and handed it to her.
"There you go. See? I didn't lie to you." The moment the girl spotted the teddy bear inside the box, she jumped into Cassius's arms in sheer delight, hugging him tightly.
"Lilou, didn't you say you wanted to act like a lady?" her mother said, standing nearby with her phone ready. She then suggested to him, "Let me take a picture of you two." He lifted the girl up as she proudly showcased the teddy bear in her arms. Right as her mother pressed the shutter, the girl turned her head and planted a sweet kiss on his cheek.

10

When Noah Han approached him with a look of worry plastered across his face, Cassius almost thought it was the end of the world..

11

The green-haired boy sat on a dining chair, his nose and eyes flushed red. As Cassius walked over, the child was still sniffling and letting out muffled, tearful hiccups.
"What's wrong?" Cassius knelt down in front of Alain. To his surprise, the tears that had just stopped came rushing out once again.

12

"Hug!" The child held out his little arms, and out of habit, the man swept him up into his embrace. The boy's soft hair brushed against the side of his neck, and a patch of fabric on Cassius's shoulder was instantly soaked through.
"I'll take him up to rest." Thinking the child might be feeling physically unwell, the man took him straight to a bedroom upstairs.

13

"Ali, tell me what happened, okay?" Sitting on the edge of the bed, the man rhythmically patted the lump under the covers. Ever since they had come upstairs, the child hadn't said a single word; no matter what he was asked, he merely whined and whimpered, refusing to speak. After his bath, he curled up beneath the blanket like a little tortoise.

14

A pair of orange eyes peeked out from under the blanket.
Five minutes later, the little tortoise finally deemed it fit to poke his head out of his shell. Unable to hold back any longer, Cassius flipped the blanket open, pulled the child into his arms, and gently pinched his soft cheek with one hand. "Ah!" The little boy lunged as if to bite the man's hand. Missing his target, he simply pressed his face flat against the man's chest instead.

15

"Dwoc."
"Hmm?" Just when the man assumed the child probably wouldn't say a thing today, a tiny, muffled call echoed from against his chest.
"Don't hug anyone else," he heard the boy say.

16

Don't leave me.

Previous Chapter:
First day of school
Love Letter
Lonely
Excused
Insulator