"Here you go," Asami says as she hands him a tray of food.

Baekhyun had insisted that he feels well enough to go to the kitchen himself, but she's stubborn and he'd be lying if he said it wasn't amusing. He scans the meal she's prepared for him and in the very back of his mind he can't help but compare the gesture to someone else he knows very well and misses dearly. Regardless of the sudden pang in his chest, he thanks her and lifts a rice-filled spoon to his lips.

Briefly, the male wonders if he's gone soft because - had it been anyone else taking care of him - he wouldn't have trusted them so quickly. One look at her, though, and the way she watches him eat carefully in case he needs any help tells him that she's not someone he needs to be wary of. After months of running from hostiles and fearing for his life, the change is one he embraces while he still has it. It also helps that she's not half bad at cooking.

"You're not eating." It comes out more as a statement than a question and her only response is to shrug.

"Don't worry about me," she waves a hand nonchalantly. "I'll eat later."

Something makes Baekhyun feel like she won't actually do what she's telling him, but he's not her father nor her keeper, so he decides not to argue the matter. "If you're sure."

"I'm positive." Yeah, she's definitely lying to him. He continues to eat in silence, half minding the way she lingers, half thankful that she's treating him so kindly. 

It's then that he notices that the sun is dropping below the horizon from the shaded window in her room and - if he recalls correctly - it was dark when he found her. Based on his knowledge of what was likely to happen to the other members, he couldn't afford to waste any time.

"How long have I been knocked out?" he prods lightly, hints of worry seeping into his tone.

The female hums and looks up at the ceiling as she calculates the time in her head. "It's been almost a day, I think? I actually thought you'd be unconscious for longer, but thankfully you weren't."

He nods in agreement. Even spending that minimal amount of time doing anything but searching for them made him feel as if he were failing them, injured or not. The last time he heard from Luhan had been almost a week ago. Every day since then has only proven to make him more frantic. They'd already lost two, if what the telepathic boy had reported was accurate. Baekhyun would be damned if anyone else followed in suit before he could do something to save them.

"Anyways, I'll leave for now so you can rest after you eat. If you need anything, just yell." Her voice pulls him out of his thoughts and he catches her exiting the room. The small smile on Asami's face is the last thing he sees before she closes the door, not giving his impulse the opportunity to stop her as he realizes that he really doesn't want to be left alone.

--

Her meal that night is microwavable noodles. In her rush to feed Baekhyun, Asami only made enough for him and neglected the fact that she hadn't eaten since breakfast. However, now that it's almost dinner time, there's no ignoring the rumbling of her stomach and it's too impatient of an urge to prolong. So noodles it is.

An ear is kept open the entirety of her meal to make sure he isn't calling for her. Not like he would, but it's better to be safe than sorry. 

By the time she's done and has prepared to spend another night on the couch, he still hasn't called for her so she knocks softly on her bedroom door to check up on the boy. When there's no response on the other side, she opens the door slightly to find a completely dark room and the outline of his fast asleep body. She inwardly revels at the way he can find rest so easily even in his current state and rushes to grab the cleared tray of food before leaving once again. 

Leaving the dishes for the morning, Asami lies herself on the couch and finally checks her phone only to be greeted by a message and missed call from Jaehwan. A finger slides on the screen to read the message.

From: Lee Jaehwan

couldn't find you in class, so i assumed you're taking the day off to rest :) feel better.

School had been a topic easily ignored considering her current situation, but she's thankful for his thoughtfulness. She texts back a succinct thank you reply and sets her phone back on the coffee table to rest her eyes. There's a lot more going on currently than she's ever had to deal with.

Considering Asami's loose, almost nonexistent memory of her childhood, she can guess that she's lived a fairly uneventful life. Of course it bothers her that things are fuzzy before the age of 13 and she's tried time and time again to remember anything. But after years of failure to do so, settling with the harsh reality has proved much less painful.

With one final sigh, she shuts her eyes and hopes to find a f