Breathing in the fresh air, "Finally" he mumbled with a contented smile spreading over his lips. It had been forever since Alex had tasted freedom. The beautiful dazzling sunlight on his skin, the pretty blue and clear sky, the soft wind playing around without restrictions...

'What a beautiful city and a perfect day to start with!' he thought with hope and excitement lightening his heart...

   ALEX'S P.O.V. 💜

            Stretching out, I started walking down yet another unknown street in search of some kind of job that would earn me some food at the least... A proper shelter and extra pairs of clothes are luxuries in my current circumstances that I can't even afford to think about. Also landing a job with absolutely no identity or any sort of formal documentation to prove my capabilities won't be less than a miracle!

Regardless I march ahead, 

'A coffee shop or bakery would be best for starters since I can demonstrate my skills without any papers and who knows I might end up grabbing a job offer???' With these thoughts, I gathered all the positivity inside me and chose the least chaotic street in the town to start my adventure.

.

.

.

.

.

'Seems like I have walked for miles now and everything is going exactly opposite to what I had planned for!' I lament mentally.

It has been over a few hours and I have passed a bunch of stores with the 'Part-timers Needed' notice on their walls. However, I was either rejected at first glance or demanded proof of identity... So yep, in total the job hunting was going great!

My stomach roars and I decide to pull out the leftover half of the sweet bun from my pocket and decide to take a breather while giving my imaginary resume another glance.

I finalise to try my luck at a cafe where I could just work in the kitchen instead of going to some random stores just as I had planned before, the only obstacle being I hadn't crossed any yet. Even though I look like a country bumbpkin in this lavish city, I have some decent culinary skills.

  Lane after lane, I wander around admiring the beautiful gift shops, some regular and a few luxurious households. After another couple of strides, I came across a kindergarten!

My feet come to a standstill as I take some time to adore how the little minions run out with happy faces giggling frantically while their parents welcome them with open arms. It seems a truly heartwarming sight, especially when these "midgets" are your favorite kind of humans.

Yeah, I simply love kids!! 

They are all innocent and cute and so honest. Sometimes their truth ends up stabbing your heart with bluntness but still, you can just munch on their chubby cheeks to get your revenge!

Just kidding!

Although kids are the best, doggos are more angelic than them whatsoever.

No one can fight me on that....!

Time to start on my way before someone pins me down as a suspicious weirdo for gawking at the kids. 

I turn around and resume my journey ahead, however, abruptly I lose my balance when something hits my leg from behind causing me to stumble a little. I steady myself and look around for the source...

To my pleasant surprise, I find a cute lil kid latched himself to one of my legs.

Even though I love kids it's a bad idea to get involved with anyone at present and this kid's parents might just think I'm a kidnapper or something and call the police on me- An absolute nightmare!

I'm sure as hell that I should be walking the opposite way not getting tangled up with the unknown.... But..... how can I ignore this Chocopie who has chosen me himself for whatever reason that is???!!

I push all the precautionary warnings to a corner of my head and pick up the kid in my arms, to which the cutie responds by wrapping his tiny hands around my neck while shaking slightly. I try to take a look at his face and it breaks my heart to watch tears running down his rosy cheeks... I try to calm him down a little by stroking his back gently still giving him the time required for him to adjust to his overwhelming emotions.

"Hey, lil one... what's wrong?" I ask him as softly as I can when his hiccups die down partly.

He seems to have calmed down after a few minutes and is now peeking at me with his big doe eyes. This kid is the most adorable one I have ever seen!!! I just want to squeeze him to death and pour him with kisses but that might just make him more scared!

I hold back my exploding thoughts and settle on stroking his hair gently.

"Ok Chocopie, you don't have to tell me immediately... but, would you like to be friends with me?.... Hi, I'm Alexander" I say trying to lighten him up. 

My efforts seem to be fruitful when his eyes begin to sparkle most probably at the mention of being "friends" and that has me smiling at his cuteness.

"H-h-he-llo" the kid stutters nervously but with an adorably sweet voice.

"My name is January, bu-tt uh-mmm- you can call me Jan... an- and I'm 5 years old," he says blushing.

  'Just kill me before I kidnap him!!!' intrusive thought cloud my sanity and I have to mentally slap myself back to reality. Jan's soft voice breaks me out of my trance and I focus my attention back to the cutie in hand...

"Leo was bullying me again," he says in a low whisper, displaying an about-to-cry expression. With that, he returns to put his head under my chin and on my chest yet again.

"He said I...I am too uh..mm.. shy" hic "and uh.... That my... my dad is a bad person" hic "and so he won't play with me"...hic "then he pushed me down"...... A river of tears might have started coursing down his chubby cheeks since my shirt now felt damp against the disappearing warmth of his cheeks. He had turned red as a cherry previously with all his futile attempts to hold back his tears... And even though he looked absolutely adorable, I did not want him to shed them anymore.

Hearing this cute bear's words has me fuming currently. I just want to spank this Leo kid and then might as well slap his parents straight across the face for such a shitty upbringing! How can that kid say such hurtful things to such an angel???

But before that, I attempted to ask Jan about his parents' whereabouts. Since they might be getting worried, about not finding him back at the kindergarten. Realization hits me when I notice Jan wearing the same uniform that I had seen at the kindergarten a few minutes ago, so he must belong to the same place! 

'How the hell did their teacher allow such a small kid to go out without supervision???' I fume mentally. Well, time to add one more person to my imaginary ""Knock some sense into"" checklist...

Back to the main problem,

"Well, Jan, sweetie who comes to take you home every day? Let's find them first then we can get you some ice cream alright?" I try to cheer him up.

As soon as the word "ice cream " leaves my mouth, this Chocopie's head shoots up, eyes sparkling through the wetness from the previous tears accompanied by snot dripping down... He nods energetically flashing his divine toothy smile, which makes me chuckle. I wipe his eyes and snot with the hem of my shirt and begin walking toward the kindergarten with the little bear in my arms.

Shortly after hitting our destination, my ears pick up the furious yelling of a man... I jolt my head in the direction of the source and my eyes land on the huge back of a guy who looks as scary as his growling voice, while the female stands there quivering at the receiving end of all the angst. 

The female seems to be a teacher after concentrating on her attire, she has now turned completely pale as a ghost with terror and sweat dripping down her face.

Jan soon turns towards the voice lightening up and to my utmost horror he calls out to the very same man,

  "Dadda!"

...........................┻⁠━⁠┻⁠︵⁠└⁠(⁠՞⁠▽⁠՞⁠ ⁠└⁠)

⚜️⚜️⚜️( TO BE CONTINUED... )⚜️⚜️⚜️