Sleep wasn't easy for Baekhyun, he blamed it on his constant restlessness that made him feel like he needed to get something done. But he didn't know what. Or maybe it was because when the night seeped in he felt more alive. Either way he was a full time insomniac. Like every other human being he still needed sleep and exhaustion was wearing down on his body. When he lay down in bed that night his thoughts seemed to weigh heavier, and he was left alone with them.

Normally on nights like this he would crawl into Jongdae's bed and they would talk about pointless nothings to fill the space until they fell asleep. It was a nice distraction. But Jongdae was gone for his mission and his bed would be empty for a while.

He contemplated going down to bug Kyungsoo, then he recalled that the boy shared a open room with all his roommates and decided against it. With a sigh he to his back and stared blankly up at the dark ceiling. He could feel the energy surging through his body, telling him to run, to do anything. He forced his eyes to shut and levelled out his breathing. He started to trace shapes on his side with his fingers to ease the restlessness. A trick that he had been taught a long time ago, by a boy who's smile could light the room.

Nothing seemed to work. Giving in he got up and the light before sitting down on his floor. He recalled Kyungsoo's words about Chanyeol, about how he was returning. Initially Baekhyun brushed it of as insanity. But now- but now he had to close his eyes and steady his racing heart at the unwanted thoughts. In his memory the red flashed before his eyes, followed by a cute pair of ears that tugged at his chest. He felt like his mind was playing tricks on him, probably laughing at his struggle. He felt like he was being pushed to insanity. His frustration was building up and he needed to get it out somewhere before he broke and lost all self control.

With a low growl he pushed himself up and grabbed his bag before heading for the training room. He caught a glance of the kitchen clock on his way out and scoffed, two in the morning.

By instinct he went to the side room to swing at the punching bag. It was the easiest and fastest way to get out his frustrations. If he tried throwing knives he might just end up throwing them at the causes of his frustrations and, well, that would be a mess.

For over an hour he hit without any break, with sweat beading on his forehead and dripping down his chest. He tripped backwards, too exhausted to stand and barely caught himself. His head lolled back and he stood for a moment to catch his breath. His hands were bandaged up so he wouldn't injure his knuckles, but it seemed he didn't do enough as they still ached. He knew his hands were going to be bruised. Dragging his feet he made it to the bench and collapsed on it, wiping at his brow and slowly unwinding the bandaging. He stretched his hands, now liberated from their confines and hissed at the pain that coursed through them.

When he was done he laid himself down on the bench and draped an arm over his eyes. Just for a moment. He needed to relax and catch his breath. He felt so dizzy and sick he didn't know how he was going to make it back to his dorm - but that didn't seem to be the biggest problem as darkness crept in and pulled him under.

~

His eyes peeled open a few hours later to the familiar glare of the fluorescent lights. He sat up with a whining groan and noticed that a few people came in to train. How he managed to fall asleep on a bench - he had no idea. He reached up to rub sleep from eyes and finally noticed the fabric draped over him. His hands curled around it and he held it up to see that it was a black hoodie. Someone must've put this on him while he was sleeping. He shook his head in an attempt to clear the fogginess and furrowed his eyebrows. They must not want it back then. He shoved it into his training bag and made his way drowsily out of the room. The people hanging around training gave him strange looks as he walked passed but he chose to ignore it.
He only just made it into his room when Kyungsoo burst in.
"Let's train!"

~'ㅅ'~

His fingers fidgeted distractedly with the sleeve of his sweatshirt as he stared out the window. The seasons were changing and that could be seen as the colour of the leaves turned darker. Although the air had become dry and the night brought a chill with it, the sun still sat proudly warming the sky. Even now in the small coffee shop not far from the academy. He glanced down at his iced coffee before taking a sip out of it. His muscles ached unbearably from the night before and then even more so from training with Kyungsoo earlier. He had to question if maybe he was pushing himself too hard - and if so, for what reason. He had trouble organizing his thoughts which were often troubled themselves.

His eyes roamed around the small shop and it's cheery atmosphere. Everything in the building was in earth tones with the occasional splash of colour, meant to bring a more homey feel. The people around him chattered happily but he felt everything but such.

The boss had apparently given his contact information out to his soon-to-be partner who texted him requesting to meet at the small shop. However Baekhyun had been sitting here for over ten minutes, and he really hated waiting on people he didn't even like. It was a waste of his time.
He was pulled from his silent spew of curses when another male sat down across from him suddenly. The boy was tall and lean, as Baekhyun had managed to glimpse before the other sat. With sharp handsome features and dark bangs falling across his forehead.

"Ah, sorry I'm late, I have no excuses." The boy shrugged leaning back in the chair and glancing at Baekhyun's drink enviously. Baekhyun had to stifle a scoff. "I'm Sehun, by the way."

"Of course." Baekhyun forced a smile leaning forward in his seat. "I'm Baekhyun, as I'm sure you know."

"Of course." Sehun mimicked, without the spite. There was something strange in the silence that followed. Something by the way Sehun sat with his arms crossed and a resigned expression told him that the other boy didn't want to be here any more than he did. For that, Baekhyun's anger pulled back only a little bit.

"Did you look over the files?" Sehun questioned and Baekhyun scowled. There would be no point taking on the mission if he wasn't going to look them over. He did try to take his job seriously.

"I did." He frowned, crossing his arms with an annoyed huff. Sehun put up his hands in surrender, sensing that the other was upset. "I was just checking." Silence once again gave them it's company, surrounding them with an awkward tension.

"I suppose we could train some time? That's how I do most things. I imagine this mission will be quick anyways." Baekhyun offered to fill the silence. A strange look flashed in Sehun's eyes but he covered it quickly.

"Hopefully it will be. Should I text you then? If you want to train?" Sehun leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. It was dismissive, Baekhyun felt that. The other boy seemed to be in a rush which stabbed at Baekhyun even more.

"Well- yeah. Do you have somewhere to be off to?" He questioned, uncertain. When Sehun nodded distractedly Baekhyun narrowed his eyes.

"I have someone to meet. It's an old friend that I haven't seen in a long time."

"I see." Baekhyun muttered under his breath. "Well then it was nice meeting you." He took a sip from his drink. Part of him wanted to stand and leave first just to feel some sort of victory. But at the same time he knew he had no where to be anyways, so he opted to just sit and watch as Sehun stood. Only sipping from his drink as he seethed.

"See you around." The boy tucked his hands in his pockets cooly before exiting the shop. Baekhyun watched him through the window as he greeted another figure on the street. He couldn't see the person clearly as they wore a cap on their head with their hood pulled over. It seemed too warm to cover up like that but then Baekhyun noted they were wearing shorts. The two pulled each other into a friendly hug, Sehun giving a wide smile for the first time that Baekhyun has seen. The other male stood even taller than Sehun which was quite a feat. They turned down the street and started walking away from the shop - Sehun gesturing and his mouth moving with unheard words. Baekhyun just barely missed when the mysterious male pulled his hood down and readjusted his cap. It was the flash of red that caught Baekhyun's attention and had him dropping his drink clumsily on the table. Luckily there was a lid and only a little bit spilled from the straw. Enough for him to grab a few napkins and stain them with the dark liquid. When he looked up again with wide eyes, the two had already disappeared. He was really losing his mind.

~'ㅅ'~

As Baekhyun wandered down the street, he felt a hopeless panic overwhelm his senses. He wasn't really sure where he was going, all he knew was that he needed to go somewhere. In all this time, with the friends he made, he thought that he was taking steps forward. But now - lost in the moment, he realized just how many steps he had taken back. Despite the people around him there was nothing he could say to ease his anxiousness and worry. No one he felt he could pour his heart to and that they would understand. Because despite how close he'd gotten to Kyungsoo and Jongdae, he had never really shared himself with them. In their presence he found a sense of comfort and a temporary escape, but now things were catching up to him and he couldn't run forever. Now there was no comfort he could seek from his friends. He sighed out into the night air and watched as it hung there for a moment before disappearing. It was temporary, nothing lasted forever, but the feeling in his chest wouldn't go away.

He had yet to return to the academy after his coffee shop escapade. He had no idea when the night had covered the city. He glanced around him, sobering up from his emotional state. He was on a busy street crowded with night clubs and it's occupants. He could faintly hear the music thumping inside the buildings and part of him wanted to join and get lost in the crowd. But instead he chose to walk further up the street. He knew where he was and it wasn't long before he reached the small city park.

He blamed it all on the stupid boy - the ache in his chest. He couldn't tell if he was imagining it all, if it was just a hallucination. It felt like a ghost coming back from his past just to taunt him.

The emptiness of the park brought a quiet companionship that Baekhyun was grateful for. He dragged his feet down the dirt path until the swing creaked under his weight. He was content just sitting there, swaying with the breeze that blew against his nape and sent shivers down his spine. Again, tonight, he felt restlessness caused by his uneasy thoughts. He was troubled, biting unknowingly against his lip.

He didn't know what it was that made him feel like this - so conflicted. With his feet scraping against the ground he contemplated that it was his own consciousness attacking him, but then he came to realize that maybe it was because he was afraid. There was a part of his life that he pushed behind him, things he didn't want to face. Now suddenly those things were demanding his acknowledgement and he didn't know how to react. Maybe it made him a coward, always running from his problems.

To him it felt like a race, he was running ahead of all the things he wanted to leave behind in hopes that they never caught up. But now that they were he was too exhausted to keep running, and in his exhaustion all these raw emotions he suppressed were coming to the surface. It was overwhelming to a point where he was starting to feel painfully numb. He was drowning out in the open with no idea how to save himself.

His fingers curled tighter around the chains of the swing. His feet found a more solid hold and with as much strength as he could muster he pushed, until he was flying through the air.

~'ㅅ'~

"Okay, explain this to me again." Jongdae's voice rang through the phone and Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

"I already did. Like maybe four times by now?" He can hear the faint sound of a clicking gun and he assumed Jongdae was looking over his wide array of weapons.

"I know but I'm not understanding this." Baekhyun has to hold back a sigh, there was nothing difficult to understand. His footsteps could be heard loudly through the dorm as he walked from the living space to his own room. It seemed his roommates never wanted to be present and it left the place empty and cold, despite the morning sun that brought light into the place.

"I'm going on a mission." He threw himself down on his bed, repeating the same thing he'd said before.

"With a partner?" Jongdae's voice came as a squeak through the phone. Baekhyun could almost imagine the astonishment on his face and snorted.

"Yes, with a partner." He assured and he could hear Jongdae sigh in disbelief.

"Sometimes you confuse me." Baekhyun smirked at the statement. He flipped onto his stomach and picked at the threads of his blanket that were pulling away.

Jongdae had only been gone for a few days but Baekhyun felt it. He felt it in the silence that seemed deafening in the dorm room. He was grateful that the boy took the time to call him like this although he shouldn't have while he was on a mission.

"Do you think Kyungsoo would answer if I called?" Jongdae asked suddenly, his voice wavering with his anxiety. He was obviously worried about being rejected by the wide eyed boy and with good reason.

"He'd probably want you to do your job." Baekhyun replied honestly, his feet swinging in the air. He could feel the disappointment radiating off the boy through the phone. "But you could always try. He won't say no to you for long." He was being honest there too. Kyungsoo always seemed to give in when it involved the other boy. The mood of the call lifted instantly as Jongdae's voice suddenly perked up.

"I'll try that then." He said excitedly and Baekhyun scoffed.

"Were you this excited to call me?"

"You know I love you." Jongdae teased through the phone, his voice thick as he tried to hold his laughter.

"Be safe then." Baekhyun muttered with a growl, but a smile still tugged at the corners of his lips.

"I will! Bye!"

"Bye." The line went dead and Baekhyun had a feeling the boy was going to be anything but safe.

~'ㅅ'~

Baekhyun slung his training bag over his shoulder and tucked his phone into his jeans pocket. He'd only just gotten in a few hours of sleep after his phone call with Jongdae, and it felt like forever since he's rested. He sighed and tugged on his shoes before leaving his dorm. It was only two days ago when he met Sehun at the coffee shop and the male had texted immediately about a time when to train. However Sehun had made a point that he wanted to train at a different gym - still part of the academy but located further in the city. Only because it was one that he frequented and had a more equipped shooting range. Baekhyun wasn't big on guns so it didn't bother him to stay in the academy. Sehun was making his image worse in Baekhyun's eyes - making him go out of his way to ride the public transit.

When he arrived at the training centre he was surprised to see the boy waiting for him outside.
"Glad to see you're here." Sehun greeted with a faint smile that felt like it was more out of politeness.

"You asked me to come." Baekhyun cocked an eyebrow and couldn't help the smirk that followed.

"Of course." The boy nodded, his eyes flickering with almost shock at the sarcasm evident in Baekhyun's tone.

"Then let's go in."

~

One thing Baekhyun did struggle with, was guns. Something about them made him feel like he was missing the control he longed for in combat. It just didn't feel comfortable in his hands. But Sehun was insistent on being at the shooting range, with only an empty promise of throwing knives later. The boy was clearly focused on shooting, not paying much mind to Baekhyun who had yet to pick up a gun. Sehun's aim was something that deserved acknowledgement, he could definitely shoot. Distractedly Baekhyun recalled that the other was younger than him by a good two years. That came as a shock when the boy so obviously looked older.

"Are you going to shoot?" Sehun disrupted his thoughts as he turned with an expectant tilt of his head.

"Oh." Baekhyun hesitated, hovering where he stood as he gnawed at his lip. "Yeah." What he didn't expect was for Sehun to hold up his own gun as offering. He took it with shaking fingertips and stood in front of the range. He had to steady his breathing as he held the weapon up and aimed at the targets. He could sense Sehun standing behind him, judging his every move. The weapon felt heavy in his hands and unbearably cold in his sweaty palms. The target, an outline of a person with targets in vital areas, was already covered with shots from the other boy beforehand. Baekhyun found his mind was too focused on the hits already there to aim properly. So when he did shoot he missed where he needed to be by a long ways. He let out an unsteady breath, staring at the mark as it mocked him. At the very least he hit the outer part of the target and didn't make himself look like a complete rookie. He turned to face Sehun and noted the amusement dancing in his eyes.

"What?" Baekhyun snapped.

"It's just not what I expected from one of the top assassins." Sehun shrugged, taking back the weapon into his own steady hands.

"I don't use guns." Baekhyun admitted in a desire to defend himself - he felt attacked.

"I can see that."

"Whatever. Keep shooting, I'm just going to watch." He retreated dejectedly to a bench on the side. Sehun gave him one last curious look before continuing on with abusing the targets.

~

Despite the training centre's focus on it's shooting range, there was still a gym located to the side. That's where he had managed to drag Sehun after a while. They chose to compete against each other after changing into looser clothing. It was satisfying every time Baekhyun managed to flip the taller male and prove that he deserved his status. Although he couldn't deny that Sehun was strong - and seemed proud in showing that off as he removed his shirt to expose his sweaty muscles.

"I need a shower." Sehun hissed, pulling away as he braced his hands against his knees.

"Then go." Baekhyun hissed back. He only allowed himself to stumble when the boy disappeared, whining as his body screamed in agony. He barely made it to the bench to pull out a towel from his bag and wipe away the sweat. He was pushing too far, expecting too much from his body when he was lacking sleep and stress was clawing away at his mind. He hung his head as the sweat dripped down his neck, he was hardly out of breath but he still found he need to steady himself. There was something difficult in being around Sehun, with the gnawing question at the back of his mind. He wanted to know about a few days ago. He wanted to understand. But his fears fought against his curiosity and consistently won whenever he had the urge to ask.

He glanced up just in time to catch the flash of red and his breath caught in his throat. It was familiar but then it was so different, that he doubted himself. But nonetheless he rose to his feet and raced after the image. His feet not carrying him fast enough to match the beat of his heart.

He burst through the door's of the training centre and was greeted by the chill of the night that had crept in fast. He spotted it again, the red as it retreated away from him, walking casually down the street away from the building, with his back turned and hands tucked into his sweater pockets. Baekhyun hesitated again, doubting his vision. But then in an uncontrollable and overwhelming feeling of desire his voice found it's way out of him into the night air. Fighting against all his fears in a desperate need.

"Chanyeol?" It was the softest whisper, swept away by the breeze. He doubted it was enough but the figure stopped - and that was all Baekhyun needed to know. The boy turned, soft eyes meeting his own. He was taller than memory served but Baekhyun expected that after so many years. What he also expected was to grow along with the boy but now there was even more space between them, the boy standing a head taller than him where he had not before.

Baekhyun observed him, running over every part of him with stinging eyes. His features were sharper, handsome and his figure was leaner. Where there was a lanky boy before - there now stood a muscular man. What was the most surprising was the red that stood against the night. Tufts of hair standing up in strange places - and his ears still stood proud against it all. His eyes were steady and Baekhyun would almost say he looked emotionless if it wasn't for the flash of despair. His voice, huskier and deeper, sent shivers down the small boy's spine in unpleasant ways.

"Baekhyun."

~'ㅅ'~

Baekhyun never understood why Chanyeol loved guns. He acknowledged that the boy was the best with them, holding every unbeatable record in the shooting range. But it still was confusing. It was only a couple weeks before Chanyeol's birthday - almost six months they've been partners - when he convinced Baekhyun to join him and shoot. The sky was dark with the night and not many people were around to train. Baekhyun wasn't sure why he agreed to travel so far into the city so late but he did. Now he was standing off to the side while he watched the tall boy load the weapon.

"Have you ever shot one before?" Chanyeol asked, not looking up from his task.

Baekhyun nodded, "Yeah." He remembered the last time he held the weapon and nearly shot his own leg. He cringed at the memory but kept it to himself. Nobody needed to know that.

"Do you want me to help?" Chanyeol asked with a smirk, finally looking him in the eye. He seemed to see right through Baekhyun - just like he always did.

"Of course not." Baekhyun scoffed. He took the offered weapon into his own hands and wrapped his fingers around it uncertainly. Then with as much pride as he could find, he lifted his chin higher and stood on the line. Chanyeol walked with him, hovering at his shoulder and brushing against him occasionally. Without saying anything his large hands reached out to lift Baekhyun's wrist higher so that his aim was better. Baekhyun's mind went haywire at the feeling of the boy's fingers pressing against his exposed skin.

"When did you become so touchy?" He gritted out teasingly, shaking Chanyeol's hand away and lifting his arm himself.

"I learned something." The boy mumbled, eyes focused on the target and where the gun was aiming. Baekhyun cocked an eyebrow, curious as to how that was an answer.

"What would that be?"

"It's a secret." He could practically hear Chanyeol smiling over his shoulder and he glanced back momentarily to confirm it.

"Your vague answers make me suspicious." He scrunched up his nose when the boy laughed, his breath tickling against Baekhyun's ear.

"Just shoot." Chanyeol rumbled out, nodding towards the target. Baekhyun did as suggested, refocusing his aim and taking a deep breath in. His hands were shaking - there was no hiding that. He hated that Chanyeol could probably see it all. The way he cowered away from the weapon he was holding in his hands. The way his breath barely made it past his lips in short gasps. There was no reason to be so nervous but Baekhyun couldn't help his reactions. He felt out of place, pushing himself in a direction he wasn't supposed to go. There was a sense of danger weighing down in the back of his mind that had him on high alert.

Chanyeol's fingers started tracing mindless shapes into his side and Baekhyun could feel himself relaxing into the warmth of the touch. The repetitiveness of it managed to ease his mind.

"It helps right?" Chanyeol asked suddenly, his voice right beside the small boy's ear. Baekhyun nodded absently, not even thinking about if he was asking something different but that didn't seem to be the case. Chanyeol smiled, satisfied as his breath fanned against the nape of Baekhyun's neck. It sent shivers up his spine. He was conflicted - between the relaxing touch and the teasing smile against his neck. However when he did finally pull the trigger he hit the centre mark, surprising even himself. Chanyeol barely missed a beat.

"You did it!" He shouted, wrapping his arms tightly around the small boy's waist. Baekhyun was left breathless at the courageous touch. Never has Chanyeol gotten so close to him. Maybe he had started brushing hands with Baekhyun and sometimes held onto his wrist. He never expected such a warm hug with Chanyeol's chest flush against his back.

"What are you doing?" He croaked out past his dry throat. He expected the tall boy to freeze up once he realized his actions - but he didn't. Instead he felt the boy bury his head into Baekhyun's shoulder and hum happily.

"I'm hugging you." He replied simply, his hands practically buzzing with his excitement.

"But why?" Baekhyun whispered, not trusting his voice. His senses were overwhelmed with everything that was Chanyeol. His warmth, his breath, his scent and even the way his fingers played at Baekhyun's hips.

"Because I can."