“Is Yifan still inside?”

Chanyeol went in, finding Baekhyun in nightwear that’s usually best worn alone in a hotel room. His legs stretched out on top of the coffee table, hand holding a book while the other rested under his chin, as he looked at the tall man who absentmindedly decided to disturb their evening. Chanyeol knew it had been a while since Yifan entered the rest room, making him wonder what business might he have done after their first mission.

“How did you know he’s been there for a long time?” Baekhyun quizzed. Damn all these agents, always keeping me in the dark.

A muffled and disgruntled voice shouted from the closed door, “He bugged us!”

“No.” Baekhyun breathed and looked at Chanyeol with huge eyes and the most disappointed look he could muster.

Chanyeol looked sheepish. “Anyway, why the hell are you still inside? You can just ask Baekhyun to go out of the room if you want to drop the gas bomb.” He snickered as he winked at Baekhyun. The latter rolled his eyes as he focused back on his book at hand. Sensing no one else’s attention on him, he cleared his throat to get Baekhyun’s attention to which the petite beauty shrugged and nonchalantly mentioned something about a Mr. Zhang flirting with him and that a certain Russian spy seems to be jealous.

“I.Am.Not.Jealous.” Yifan gritted his teeth as he opened the door, gaze blazing to both of them. “I am just doing something mission-related.” He continued in his heavy Russian accent. “Look closely, Chanyeol.” He handed out his recently developed photos to the other, the latter glancing a little on the rest room behind Yifan whose light was definitely not that of a normal rest room. Ah. It now makes sense. The silence and soft swishing of water. Yifan was developing pictures.

“What’s that?” Baekhyun piped up as he stood next to the tall gentlemen. It would have been cute if it were only him and Yifan but standing between two tall men looks like he’d be dead any second. He looked at the pictures, squinting his eyes hard as he tried to find what the two had been looking for.

“Look at this spot right here. This has been infected by a gamma radiation. The uranium has definitely been enriched at this point. We must be quick or we’ll be too late.” Yifan looked hardly at Chanyeol, the latter immediately gauging his reaction and moved fast enough to exit the room.

“Wait, what’s happening?”

“You, young man, need to stay here at the hotel room. Do not open the door unless it is me or Chanyeol. Do you understand?” Yifan’s voice was soft and stern as he looked at Baekhyun who was looking like a lost sheep. It broke his heart seeing him this clueless but this was no place for a precious and fragile person like Baekhyun. Missions always go awry, one way or another and it might even get out of hand or worse, Baekhyun’s safety jeopardized.

“Why am I not going with you? You’re leaving me alone? Here?” Baekhyun panicked, his voice rising above a whisper and fingers starting to tremble. He feels his knees start to tremble as well and his insides squirming.

The look in his eyes made Yifan want to stay and protect him instead but his mission and loyalty is to his country. He might be working with an American but his orders are still clear. Make sure Byun Baekhyun is safe and do not ever let him join you in missions. If the plan is jeopardized, you will be sent back with nothing but shame in your name. Get the research before the American has it. Remember, whoever holds that research can take over the world. Kill the American, if you have to*.

“Do you have your tracker on?” Yifan avoided the topic, his voice back to its usual stern and commanding voice thick with heavy Russian accent.

Baekhyun meekly shook his head, losing his balance a little. “I removed it since we’re supposed to be resting.” He looked helpless and this was the first time Baekhyun felt entirely alone, even with a very rough and troubled past KGB agent beside him. “Aren’t we?”

Yifan paid no heed to Baekhyun’s mutter as he looked at the latter, urging him to look into his eyes. “Where did you put it?”

Baekhyun heaved a deep breath, thoughts swirling in his head as he sat in the couch, sanity almost slipping. Yifan silently treaded their shared bedroom, assuming Baekhyun tucked the tracker beside his bedside table. Rummaging through the drawer, he walked back, tracker in hand, to where Baekhyun was left sitting idly, gaze still faraway.

“Stand on top of the desk.” He quietly said. His stern nature always gets in the way of him dealing with Baekhyun and he feels a little bit guilty for giving the latter a cold shoulder.

Baekhyun silently obliged, gaze unfocused. He felt lost. Yifan put down the tracker, rubbed his hands together for a few seconds, enough to produce heat and went on in wrapping the tracker around Baekhyun’s thigh. The latter jumped when cold fingers meet warm skin, and Yifan had the audacity to let his fingers roam a little.

“What are you doing?*” Baekhyun raised an eyebrow as Yifan’s hand hovered above his thigh. His gaze refocused as he looked down at him, overjoyed that for once he can see the crown on Yifan’s head.

As Yifan looked at Baekhyun’s eyes, there was no mistaking that there was fire on both. He cleared his throat and murmured low. “Trying not to get lost.*”, his accent thick. He picked up the tracker and secured it around his thigh, careful not to touch any skin exposed. As he checked that the tracker was , his fingers accidentally brushed the inside of his thigh, making Baekhyun jump. “Sorry.*” He proceeded on finishing his business but when his hands touched his knee, Yifan looked up. “You’re trembling.*”

“Well, that’s because I’m scared.” Baekhyun snapped at him, eyes focusing on anywhere but the tall Russian in front of him.

“It’ll be okay.* I promise.” Yifan softened. Baekhyun looked so fragile that he feared touching him could break him. He really didn’t want to leave him behind but the mission is really too dangerous he couldn’t risk his life.

“How do you know?”

“No matter what happens, always remember I will get to you. No matter what. Alright?” He promised, voice soft and tender. “I’ll-- I’ll be close by.* Always.” Yifan looked at Baekhyun as he inched a little, wanting to kiss those lips that haunted him for days.

“All now?*” Chanyeol reappeared at the door, smirk back on his face and a knowing look in his eyes.

---

A/N: *dialogues taken from the film The Man from U.N.C.L.E.