Chapter 32: The Walls Came Tumbling Down

When Baekhyun woke up the next morning, he realized that his eye lids were heavy and swollen, and there are dried tear tracks streaking down the planes of his cheeks. He rubbed at his face wearily, giving his head a slight shake to get rid of the grogginess that came with sleep. It took him a few minutes, but he managed to sit up, working out the kinks in his back.

While he was stretching, his eyes landed on the open notebook in front of him, the pages flipping on their own as a breeze drifted in through the window. His hand hesitated above the paper for a moment before he closed the notebook gently and placed it back into the lower drawer where he'd found it.

The journal had stirred unwanted feelings from the depths of Baekhyun's chest. He had buried his love for Chanyeol under miles and miles of dirt and soil and promises that this was for the better, and now somehow, it was as if someone had dug out the rusted chest in which he'd locked his feelings.

But that wasn't what scared Baekhyun. What frightened him was the new spark that seemed to flow within his bloodstream--the bounce in his step as he shuffled around the house and got ready for the day. What frightened him was that he wasn't completely opposed to the idea of accepting Chanyeol, and he actually...welcomed it. If he closed his eyes, he'd see his future with Chanyeol play out on the backs of his eyelids, the images sending warm flushes through his blood veins.

It was refreshing. New. And no matter how much he told himself that these feelings were unwanted--unneeded--he couldn't deny their existence.

He'd always thought of his love for Chanyeol as a wound--a long, deep scar stretching from his shoulder blade down his torso to his hip. It was incredibly inconspicuous, screaming for attention every time he stripped down to his bare body, and yet, he could so easily hide it from everyone else. Whoever said time would heal all wounds should've been cursed, because somehow he knew that this scar was there to stay--it would mar his body for as long as he lived.

It's not like he'd be able to forget Chanyeol--to ignore the fact that once, he'd been irrevocably in love with him, so in love he was willing to give up his life--but he'd always thought that he'd be able to move on. That he'd be able to keep the feelings locked away, section off that portion of his heart, and then clear the rest to accept someone new.

Now, he realized that there was no portion of his heart to rope off. The caution tape was bound around his entire heart, locking it and forbidding anyone else to trespass, because his entire heart belonged to Chanyeol and only Chanyeol.

And now he was stepping into dangerous territory, because the caution tape was wearing old and falling off and it was only a matter of time for it to disappear completely and for his heart to recognize Chanyeol as its owner. And then Baekhyun would be gone again, swept away in age-old feelings and worries.

These thoughts ran through his head as he slowly unpacked his suitcase, carefully folding each piece of clothing and sorting them into his drawers and closets. It was barely six in the morning, but the sun was already peaking out through the clouds and casting its light upon the earth.

He had nothing planned for the day, so he decided to visit his office and clear up some paperwork (so Kyungsoo wouldn't rip off all his hair in stress), and maybe visit Sehun if he could catch him. He smiled to himself as he realized that if he was going to visit Sehun, he was most definitely going to see Luhan, since the two were basically inseparable.

It warmed his heart to see his friends again, after all it had been half a year of near isolation and no correspondence.

As he strolled through the familiar hallways of the Palace, the guards began to recognize him. There were a few new ones, meek soldiers whispering as he passed them, but the old ones--the ones whom he had trained himself--gave up all pretenses of duty and stepped forward to embrace him, welcoming him back and telling him repeatedly that they'd miss him.

Of course, no greeting could beat the one he received when he finally pushed open his office door. He was attacked by a hug, having to stumble back a few steps as he tried to regain his bearings. His hands automatically came up to grip at the person who had thrown himself at him.

"Hyung, you're back!!"

Baekhyun blinked a couple of times before recognizing Daehyun's fluffy mop of dirty blond hair and smiling.

"Hello, Daehyun," he replied good-naturedly, returning the hug and squeezing him tight.

Daehyun hugged him back equally as hard, before letting go and bouncing back. Baekhyun grinned when he saw another body come and stand next to Daehyun.

"Hey, Minseok."

Minseok smiled his signature calm, placid grin, and opened his arms.

"Welcome back, Praetor."

And as Baekhyun let himself be enveloped in yet another hug, he realized that this is where he belonged, where he had built his life and where he had left it behind, seeking the comfort of fabricated peace. But now, he had returned, and suddenly, the feeling that he felt from the top of his head to the tip of his toes could be described as nothing else but true peace.

---

Baekhyun spent most of the morning in the office, not so much working than talking to Minseok and Daehyun and learning what had happened in the last couple of months. He'd learned that Jieun returned to America for her studies, but he was surprised to hear that Sehun had left with her, having rely a couple of weeks ago.

"Wow, I didn't think Sehun would be able to leave the comforts of the Palace," Baekhyun joked, taking a swig of the champagne Daehyun insisted they drink.

Minseok shrugged. "We all thought the same, but according to the Emperor, there were some other factors involved. So he wasn't going purely for education's sake."

Daehyun snickered as he poured himself another glass. "That might just explain why he'd been keeping his distance with Luhan. He didn't even have Luhan accompany him on his trip abroad."

"Wait, really?" Baekhyun asked, taken back. Sehun hadn't been able to venture far from Luhan ever since they were kids. It was shocking that he'd be able to fly to a different country without Luhan in tow.

"Daehyun, I told you not to engage in Palace gossip," Minseok scolded, aiming a light punch at his shoulder.

Daehyun ducked away and stuck his tongue out.

"It's true though," he stated matter-of-factly to Baekhyun. "You know how whenever we see Prince Sehun, we see Luhan? Yeah, apparently that's changed. Now you see one or the other, never both. Although Luhan is still technically Prince Sehun's personal attendant."

Baekhyun raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment further, letting Minseok and Daehyun change the subject. He'd just have to ask Chanyeol later, though he must admit, the situation, albeit it a bit amusing, intrigued him.

He should've known that he didn't have to wait long to get some answers, since as soon as noon rolled around, there were three brisk knocks on his office door. Chanyeol stepped in with a small smile, nodding at Daehyun and Minseok who had stood up to greet him. His eyes, however, sought Baekhyun, who had gotten up a second late, forgetting for the nth time that Chanyeol was now the Emperor.

"Dine with me?" He asked, eyes crinkling at the edges as his grin deepened.

Baekhyun looked at Minseok and Daehyun who reassured him with identical smiles, and he turned back to Chanyeol and nodded.

"I'll see you guys later then," he said casually, giving them both hugs before following Chanyeol out the door.

They ate lunch in Chanyeol's personal study, a simple meal laid out on pristine white table cloth. There was light chatter as they ate, sprinkles of conversation punctuating the silence. It was only when they moved to dessert did Baekhyun finally ask about Sehun.

"So I heard Sehun had finally moved on from Luhan," he said lightly.

Chanyeol glanced at him, fork still stuck in his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, and then let out a small chuckle.

"Wow, you heard about it already?" He laughed and shook his head. "I don't really know what happened, but the day before Jieun left, Sehun stormed into my study, demanding to be sent to America with her." Chanyeol cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "The kid didn't even have enough time to time, but he was in quite a haste."

Baekhyun frowned. "Did Luhan say anything?"

Chanyeol shook his head. "I tried asking, but he avoided my questions." He laughed again. "Luhan probably said something extremely realistic that hurt Sehun's feelings. You know how idealistic the boy is."

Bakhyun agreed, after all, Luhan was one of the most practical, collected people that he knew. Sehun, on the other hand, was a completely different matter. He lived with his head up in the clouds, and more often than not, Luhan had to pick up after him. That may or may not be why Sehun was so attached to his attendant.

"Enough about Sehun and Luhan," Chanyeol said with a small whine, interrupting Baekhyun's thoughts. "How have you been adjusting?"

"I'm good," Baekhyun replied, absentmindedly poking at his scone. "There's nothing really hard about returning home, you know what I mean? Everything just falls back into place."

"That's good."

Chanyeol's voice was gentle and placid, the sounds carried solely by the breeze that snuck in through the open window. Baekhyun raised his head almost perfunctorily, and his gaze involuntarily locked with Chanyeol's eyes.

Chanyeol smiled.

And suddenly, the chains fell away from Baekhyun's heart, dissolving into dust and nonexistence. leaving only a heart with a battlefield of fading scars.
 

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A/N: Thank you so much.