Chanyeol’s hell week went by slowly, but Baekhyun didn’t go down to watch him much. He was still determined to convince Minseok to give him his Matchmaker ring so he and Chanyeol could finally meet face to face. Days, Baekhyun spent in Haven; nights, he spent next to Chanyeol making sure he was getting enough sleep. He would also be keeping him away from Kris, but the giant had been doing well enough in that part alone to where Baekhyun didn’t need to interfere. Considering how he wasn’t able to plant thoughts to make Chanyeol think of only him anymore, Baekhyun didn’t press the issue, but he was still glad to know that Chanyeol was thinking of him on his own accord.

Baekhyun got into a habit of following Minseok and Jongdae around whenever he spotted them.

“Senpai! Notice me!”

“Go away, Baekhyun!”

“Minseok, please!”

Minseok stopped abruptly and faced him. “Baekhyun, I’m not going to allow you to be banished from Haven.”

Baekhyun pouted. “You don’t even know if I’ll be banished.”

“No, but you’ll definitely get punished in some severe way.”

Baekhyun smirked stealthily. “They won’t catch me.”

Minseok groaned. “Baekhyun, as much as I would love to help you out, you don’t have the qualifications to be a matchmaker either. The ring would either drain your energy an incredible amount or reject you entirely.”

Jongdae spoke up. “And I don’t think that you want to waste all that time to take the matchmaker’s qualification test.”

Baekhyun smiled. “I have a solution to those problems.” He turned slightly toward Jongdae and said, “A messenger’s sandals help with travel and replenish energy to allow you to do your job promptly and stuff, right? And if you’re qualified for one thing, you’re pretty much qualified for anything on the same rung or lower status? Even if I don’t have matchmaker or messenger qualification, I am of status and should be able to use them, in theory. So if I use both your ring and your sandals, I don’t have to worry about the energy draining because they’ll balance each other out and–”

Jongdae and Minseok both immediately opened their mouths to speak. “No.”

Baekhyun blinked and pouted. “No need to reject me in unison...”

Minseok pushed his fingers to his forehead and groaned. “Baekhyun, they don’t work that way. You couldn’t just get your item and use it easily. There were abilities tests and everything, remember? The items could still completely reject you.”

“Then I’ll train with it before I go.”

“It’s not that easy, Baek. Especially without the qualifications. It takes months to prepare for those tests.”

“We might as well try…” Baekhyun mumbled softly, losing his resolve after being turned down so many times and finding too many unnecessary complications.

Jongdae groaned. “Baekhyun, I really don’t need you getting in trouble over something like this.”

Minseok added, “It’s better to stay on the safe side.”

Baekhyun’s eyesight dropped to the floor. “… Okay.”

Jongdae blinked. “I’m sorry, what?” The Baekhyun he knew definitely wasn’t this compliant.

“Fine fine,” Baekhyun mumbled, turning away from them. “You guys win. I’ll stop.”

Minseok and Jongdae glanced to each other before turning back to Baekhyun who was walking slowly away from them with his head bowed.

Baekhyun retreated to the clouds at The Observatory to watch Chanyeol with a dejected look. “I’m sorry…” he whispered, “I’m sorry I can’t get close enough to you… but I tried.” He buried his face in the fluffy clouds and sighed. “I really did.”

---------------

The day after Chanyeol’s last week of college, he returned home. Baekhyun still wasn’t following him around. There were 10 days until Christmas, and Baekhyun found himself incredibly alone. He was still getting a couple of texts from his friends, but he had few face-to-face encounters with most of them. Jongdae was making too many trips back and forth between places delivering messages, and Minseok had been busy in the weather department because winter was his main season to work. Luhan and the others were all off doing their own things, and Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel like an outcast. It was terrible being alone like this.

Within the first couple of days that Chanyeol was home, Baekhyun returned to The Observatory to watch Chanyeol more often than not. He thought seeing the giant would make him feel better, but he usually ended up feeling worse. Baekhyun refused to waste the energy to go down and actually follow him around, but he still had to do his job, so he was forced to watch him from the clouds anyway. The only thing that actually stuck out to him was that Chanyeol began to text Kris less and less, until he began making annoyed faces whenever he would get a text from him, and eventually stopped responding to his texts altogether.

Baekhyun thought that at least deserved a smile.

As Chanyeol was leaving his house a few days after returning home, he met up with Kyungsoo and Jongin. Baekhyun smiled at the reunion of his old friend group (or what was left of it at least) as they went out to dinner together and talked about the time that they had spent apart and memories of high school together. Baekhyun wanted to join in.

Jongin left first because of some business he had to attend to, and left Chanyeol to make sure that his boyfriend got home safely.

At the end of their dinner, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo slowly strolled toward Kyungsoo’s house in silence.

Kyungsoo broke the silence first. “How are you holding up recently?”

Chanyeol frowned. “Could be better.” 

Kyungsoo frowned too and allowed the silence to return for a minute or so before he started to sing a song that he remembered that he and Baekhyun used to sing together often. From the clouds, Baekhyun smiled a little and began to sing the song along with him.

Chanyeol suddenly grabbed Kyungsoo’s wrist and pushed him against one of the walls of the buildings on the street.

Kyungsoo blinked in bewilderment and panic. Baekhyun gaped in terror.

Chanyeol held their foreheads together and mumbled, “Kyungsoo… Kiss me…?”

Kyungsoo blinked quickly. “But… but I have Jongin. And… you have Kris right?”

Chanyeol shook his head and responded with a hint of a hysterical anguish in his voice. “It’s not the same… Kris isn’t… Kris won’t be…” Chanyeol planted a soft kiss on Kyungsoo’s forehead and then leaned over to trail them down Kyungsoo’s neck.

Baekhyun stood up, appalled.

“Chanyeol, stop… stop!” Baekhyun found himself shouting the words along with Kyungsoo.

Chanyeol looked up to Kyungsoo. “You remind me of him so much… I can’t just stop…”

Kyungsoo blinked. “I remind you of…”

Chanyeol cut off his words by capturing his lips in his own. Baekhyun’s chest burned with regret. With guilt. With betrayal. He wanted to go down there and slap Chanyeol or fill his mind with thoughts of him, but his feet wouldn’t move, and it felt like if he did, he’d only make Chanyeol’s condition worse.

Chanyeol wrapped his arms around Kyungsoo, his voice and body shaking with frantic desperation. “Your height… you fit perfectly in my arms like he did… and your voice is heavenly… You’re like… you’re like…” When Kyungsoo’s eyes widened in recognition, Chanyeol squeezed him tighter and mumbled softly into his ear, “Please just let me pretend for once…”

“No, no Chanyeol, we’re not going there.” Kyungsoo pushed Chanyeol away stubbornly. “Don’t tell me stuff like that. I’m not Baekhyun, and I never will be. Don’t try to force your feelings onto someone else when we all know how much you’re still in love with him.” Chanyeol slid dumbly to the floor as Kyungsoo continued chastising him. “We all know he’s gone and we’re all dealing with it differently, but trying to find him in someone else isn’t going to work, Chanyeol… either get over it, or admit it.” Kyungsoo stopped speaking and sighed as he put his hand on Chanyeol’s head. “I know it’s hard… but it’ll be worse if you don’t confess now.”

Baekhyun’s lips parted to say something, but he didn’t know what to say. He stared as Chanyeol cried into his knees. His chest swelled with a pain that he’d been getting used to recently. Baekhyun wanted to put his hand where Kyungsoo’s was, or fall to the floor and hug him tightly, crying with him too. He wanted to be with him at this moment more than anything else right now.

Baekhyun flinched at the touch of someone’s hand on his shoulder. When he turned around, Minseok was staring at him, and Jongdae shoved past him to stare at the scene.

“…Minseok…”

“I’ll give you my ring.”

Baekhyun gaped at Minseok, but the boy turned away from him.

“Only for one day.” He looked away from him and down past the clouds until his eyes locked onto Chanyeol’s trembling figure. “You’re not the only miserable one in this situation.” Minseok looked back up to Baekhyun with a remorseful look. “I still don’t agree with this plan of action, but I really do think that things will get worse if you don’t step in. Plus your assignment is to keep him from doing anything stupid, right? Well what he’s doing right now seems pretty stupid. Perhaps this will get him to stop.”

“… Minseok… I… I don’t know what to say…”

A smile spread across the boy’s face. “Then don’t say anything. But I can get in huge amounts of trouble for this too, and so can Jongdae, so you better be thankful.”

Baekhyun gaped at Minseok in disbelief. “Thankful? I’m so much more than that.” He threw his arms around the boy and hugged him tightly. “Minseok, I really can’t thank you enough.”

He chuckled. “The only thing I want out of this is to know that you’ll be okay when it’s all over.”

---------------

They made plans to exchange items on Christmas Eve.

Every night before December 24^th, they would meet up and give Baekhyun their items to practice his endurance and teach him how to use them correctly. Baekhyun would slip off his guardian angel pendant and step into Jongdae’s shoes and slide on Minseok’s ring, entering a world of danger and uncertainty. Baekhyun knew how risky it was: balancing the two item’s power, matching his own energy with two other items that he’s not synchronized with, and attempting to remain stable without the proper training could permanently damage him if he did it incorrectly, but he was determined. He had to do this. He had to see Chanyeol.

So he practiced. Every night, he practiced. Every night, he grew further away from the depths of despair and closer to hope. Every night, he thought about Chanyeol.

Chanyeol’s going to see me. Chanyeol will. Wait for me, Chanyeol.

---------------

When the day finally came, everyone was feeling a bit apprehensive.

“You know you won’t have much time with him down there, right? You won’t get an entire day – maybe a few hours at most, but it won’t be long.”

“Any time I get with him is better than none at all.”

“…They’re going to follow you.”

“Let them follow.”

Minseok groaned. “I’m suddenly regretting this. We’re going to get in a hell of a lot of trouble.”

Baekhyun smirked. “And?”

“You have so much to lose.”

Baekhyun’s smirk turned into a confident smile as he pocketed the ring. “But I’m willing to lose it.”

-------

“These shoes are going to be too small for you.”

“… What are you talking about? I’ve been trying on these shoes for the past week!”

“I just think my feet are perfection and yours may not be.”

“Jongdae, just give me the shoes.”

“… I’m really scared of the consequences.”

“You’re a messenger! You don’t have that much to lose but that man purse of yours.”

“…”

“Hey… hey! Don’t hit me with your shoes! What did I do to deserve this?”

“…I’m not worried for me, you idiot… I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Ew, Jongdae. Don’t get all sentimental on me. Just give me the shoes and let me deal with it if it happens.”

“… You’re my best friend, Baek… I wish you the best of luck.”

“Thanks… I hope we’ll still be able to be best friends when this all ends.”

---------------

Chanyeol was all too familiar with the feeling of a bleak Christmas Eve.

Kris had texted him earlier that day, but Chanyeol ignored it for his own sanity. Today was Christmas Eve. Today was his and Baekhyun’s day.

Chanyeol wasn’t sure how he managed to end up on top of the roof to Baekhyun’s old apartment, but when he was met with the familiar layout of the roof, he found he didn’t care. Chanyeol stood at the top of the roof and took in a deep breath, allowing the cold winter wind to blow through his hair, as though it was blowing all of his problems away.

Chanyeol stayed on the rooftop for a while, just reveling in his and Baekhyun’s old spot before exiting the building and slowly walking toward his house. As he walked past the familiar scenery, he felt a little more light-hearted. The old flower shop that he used to go to for roses to give to Baekhyun was still open. The playground where they had first met was lively and full of children playing with other children. Chanyeol stopped for a second and smiled, hoping those children would make the best friend of a lifetime here, before he continued on his journey. He wandered through the familiar path of bare trees that lined the walkway, but the empty space beside him was all too noticeable as he pulled his scarf over his nose before turning into his neighborhood and entering his house shortly after.

His mother wasn’t home. He was used to this by now.

Chanyeol started a fire in his fireplace and made a cup of hot chocolate before he curled up under a blanket on the couch, grasping the warm mug as though it was his only sense of warmth in a dreary winter.

Chanyeol pushed his glasses up on his nose as his eyes scanned through the words of his book for about half an hour before he yawned and set his mug and the book aside. Chanyeol stood and returned to his room to change into his pajamas, but as he opened his door to return to his couch, he noticed a small, familiar white feather lying at the tips of his toes. A little startled to find one at his house, he picked it up wearily, before noticing another one lying not too far away. Chanyeol frowned as he walked toward that one and quickly discovered a path of the feathers leading through the house.

Chanyeol followed the trail slowly, staring at the feathers on the ground and wondering why these feathers would suddenly choose now to appear, but as he reached the end of the trail, he noticed small, pale toes that definitely weren’t there before.

A little alarmed that someone else had entered his house and was lying down feathers, Chanyeol looked up hastily, but his eyes widened as he was met with a small, angelic face, beautiful dark brown eyes, unmistakable brown hair, and a shy smile that he could never forget.

For what felt like minutes, the two stood there staring at each other as though they were wondering if they were having hallucinations, before the angelic boy broke the silence.

 “Hi.”

The soft whisper of the boy’s voice twirled around Chanyeol, tickling his skin and sending pleasurable shivers throughout it. How much he missed that sensation. How much he missed Baekhyun.

All of his logical thought flew out the window as he ran toward the petite angel and enveloped him in his arms. “You’re real right?” Chanyeol practically cried. “You’re actually here, right?”

Baekhyun laughed his happy laughter. Chanyeol reveled in the sound. How could I ever let something like this go?

“Whoa, miss me much?”

Chanyeol took in a deep breath and squeezed Baekhyun a bit tighter as his eyes began to flood with joyful tears. “Too much. Way too much.”

Baekhyun’s angelic laugh escaped his lips again.

Chanyeol sighed and wiped at the corner of his eyes with his wrist. “You’re such an idiot.”

Baekhyun smiled softly. “I’m sorry.”

Chanyeol’s eyes gazed over Baekhyun, and his breath escaped in a stream of questions. “How did you get here? How did you find me? How come you’re...”

Baekhyun’s laughter cut him off. “It’s long story that I don’t think I should tell.” Even though I’m breaking all the rules anyways.

Chanyeol gasped and chose to change the subject as he noticed something surprising. “What is this? You have wings!”

Baekhyun’s eyes turned into happy little crescents as Chanyeol ran his fingers along the soft, elegant, white feathers and marveled at the touch. “Of course! They mean I’m officially an angel now.”

Chanyeol smirked teasingly. “You don’t need wings to make you an official angel – you were one before.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and hit Chanyeol’s arm playfully. “I show up for the first time in a year and all you can say are these cheesy lines?” He laughed along with Chanyeol and muttered, “You’re the idiot here.”

Chanyeol’s laughter died out slowly and he continued rubbing the feathers on Baekhyun’s wings as he was reminded of the white feathers he had been finding all along. “So it was you? Those feathers really were you?” 

Baekhyun laughed a little. “It was actually an accident that they were left behind and that you started finding them.”

Chanyeol smiled. “Well you were always clumsy, so that’s believable.” Chanyeol’s smile softened as he finished. “But it’s okay. They were like little reminders that you were still there with me.”

They held each other’s gaze as a comfortable silence filled the room. Chanyeol opened his mouth to say something else, but he felt like he couldn’t as all of his emotions flooded his senses and filled his mind.

Baekhyun chose to speak instead. “I read your texts.”

Chanyeol’s breath hitched and he held Baekhyun at an arm’s length away. “… You did?”

Baekhyun nodded. “All of them.”

Before Chanyeol could open his mouth to complain or explain, Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s neck and pushed himself up to the tips of his toes, leaning into Chanyeol to capture his lips in his own.

Chanyeol was surprised by the sudden act at first, but as his mind caught up to him, his eyelids slowly fluttered closed and tingles spread throughout his skin as a passionate fire rekindled itself in his chest. His hands ran through Baekhyun’s hair, and his fingers curled in the back of his shirt as he reveled in the touch of how real Baekhyun felt. Of how soft his lips were, or how sweet his scent was. How long had he been waiting for this to happen…

Baekhyun pulled away slightly and held their foreheads together. “And I missed you so much too.”

Chanyeol’s arms slowly wound around Baekhyun’s waist, and as he pulled them closer together, both realized that this was the position they should have always been in.

Yes. All is right with the world.

At that moment, Baekhyun didn’t care about what would happen. All of his insecurities and worries about punishment disappeared. He just knew that being in Chanyeol’s arms like this… This was the best thing he could ever wish for.

The two stayed together like this for a minute or two, just enjoying each other’s presence, the warmth of the other’s bodies, Chanyeol’s pulse in his temples, or Baekhyun’s breath on his skin. The silence was broken by Chanyeol’s whisper.

“I love you so much.”

Baekhyun smiled softly, refusing to acknowledge that no matter how much Chanyeol loved him or how much Baekhyun loved him back, they couldn’t be together anyways. Baekhyun didn’t want to think about that right now. He had to enjoy the few fleeting moments they had together as much as he could. He took in a deep breath, inhaling Chanyeol’s scent that he missed so much.

“I love you so much more.”

They pulled their foreheads away from each other and held each other close. Chanyeol ran his hand through Baekhyun’s hair and down the side of his face before releasing a choked up sob. “I thought I’d never get to see your beautiful eyes again.”

Baekhyun’s eyes crinkled at the edges as he gave off the saddest smile he could give. You shouldn’t have been able to. “You have the pictures…”

“But they’re nothing like the real ones. You have such beautiful eyes.”

Baekhyun’s fingers tightened in Chanyeol’s shirt. “You have such dazzling ears.”

Chanyeol laughed, making Baekhyun’s heart flutter. The two smiled to each other and pulled into another small kiss.

Chanyeol pulled away after a few seconds with a shocked look on his face. “Hold on… hold on…” He mumbled as he tore away from Baekhyun’s grasp and ran down the hallway, leaving Baekhyun standing, dazed in the middle of his living room. Baekhyun heard Chanyeol muttering something unintelligible and throwing stuff around his room until his footsteps hurried back downstairs and toward Baekhyun.

He approached Baekhyun slowly with a small box behind his back.

“So I know I’m a year late…”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened.

“… But I’ve been meaning to give this to you for a while now.”

Chanyeol told Baekhyun to close his eyes as he took one of Baekhyun’s hands and opened the box. Baekhyun felt nothing besides the warm touch of Chanyeol’s fingers, and then the cold touch of something small and metallic slipping onto his ring finger.

Baekhyun opened his eyes and looked down to his hand, gaping at the small, silver ring Chanyeol slid onto his finger.

“Merry Christmas, Baek.”

Baekhyun stared in awe. Chanyeol decided to speak up because it seemed like his princess was rendered speechless. “They’re couple rings, I guess, even though we weren’t really a couple.” Chanyeol held up his own hand, showing off the same ring on his finger. “Xiumin and I were talking about them last year, and I saw these and I thought they were perfect so…”

Baekhyun’s mind came back as he heard the name ‘Xiumin.’ He smiled a little. Minseok, you devious little cupid bastard. Minseok was obviously working hard to get the two of them together if he managed to convince Chanyeol to get couple rings. Baekhyun’s eyes drew up to Chanyeol’s shy face.

“So…” Chanyeol mumbled softly, “… do you like it?”

Baekhyun could do nothing more than throw his arms around Chanyeol and capture his lips in a soft kiss.

“You are so perfect. I love you, Chanyeol. I love you so much.”

It was always like this.

Chanyeol picked up Baekhyun bridal style and they laughed together as Chanyeol led them over to the couch, where Baekhyun curled up on Chanyeol’s lap as Chanyeol’s arms wrapped around his waist. Baekhyun nuzzled his nose into Chanyeol’s neck, reveling in the warmth and Chanyeol’s scent, as the two escaped into tales of the past year without the other, and how much they spent thinking about each other and what they did during their time apart. As they continued talking, they planted small, chaste kisses on the other’s unsuspecting lips, cheek, forehead, nose, neck, or any other place that they could think to peck at random moments in time, which always made the other blush a little or give a small kiss back.

Baekhyun was always like this.

As minutes turned into hours, they continued recalling old memories and just basked in each other’s presence. Baekhyun wanted to capture each moment and keep it forever. The way his giant’s eyelids fluttered drowsily at his words made his heart flutter. He was charmed by the way Chanyeol’s lips curled up into an endearing smile whenever Baekhyun yawned. Being with Chanyeol felt more like heaven than Haven ever did. Baekhyun wanted to get used to this. He wanted to stay with Chanyeol forever.

And he wanted them to always be like this.

Baekhyun leaned into Chanyeol’s chest as their conversation died out. The sound of Chanyeol’s heartbeat resonated in his ears, and he sighed sleepily, sinking into his position. This is how it should be. Baekhyun suddenly recalled the night before the accident, when they lay on the couch in a similar position, and Baekhyun was thinking about how beautiful Chanyeol looked half asleep and the thought of his soft, pink lips.

A small smile graced Baekhyun’s lips as he sat up and turned toward Chanyeol, who glanced down to him over his glasses with half-lidded eyes. Baekhyun slowly slid his hands up to Chanyeol’s glasses and slid the frames off him before folding the glasses and placing them on the sofa beside them. With no further warning, Baekhyun leaned upward and captured the other’s lips again. Chanyeol’s arms slowly tightened a little around Baekhyun’s waist as he leaned down further and Baekhyun pushed himself up. Baekhyun’s senses were overwhelmed. The world felt like it paused around them just to allow the two of them to enjoy this moment. Tingles danced down Baekhyun’s spine when he sank into Chanyeol’s lap as Chanyeol’s hushed, delighted moans created a melody that matched his heart’s rhythmic beat as it pounded steadily against his chest, leaving Baekhyun with a giddy, light-headed feeling. As he drew closer to him, the familiar scent of Chanyeol’s aroma filled his mind, and the heat of his arms around his waist calmed him into a state of serenity and peace.

Baekhyun felt safe in Chanyeol’s arms like this. He was in a completely different world that only held the two of them. There were no worries in this world when he was with Chanyeol. There was no uncertainty, no pain, and no sorrow. Just… Chanyeol. And that was all Baekhyun needed.

Chanyeol readjusted Baekhyun’s position as they both released a small moan into the other’s mouth before slowly pulling away each other. Chanyeol leaned over slowly to trail small kisses down Baekhyun’s neck and Baekhyun nuzzled his nose into the warmth of the crook of Chanyeol’s neck and pressed small pecks against the underside of his jaw. Baekhyun ran his fingers through Chanyeol’s soft hair as he leaned over to kiss Chanyeol’s temple before Chanyeol pulled Baekhyun further into his lap and intertwined their fingers as he drew the boy in for another kiss. Baekhyun’s fingers fit perfectly in the spaces between Chanyeol’s, and the connection of their lips were like puzzle pieces that were made for each other and never meant to be separated.

It was bliss. Sheer bliss.

Their kiss was soft. It was full of love. It wasn’t rushed or desperate, nor was it lusty or guilty. It was… perfect.

“Baek… Baek!”

Baekhyun pulled away suddenly at a tug in his hair and a harsh whisper near his ear from a voice that was undeniably Jongdae’s. “We have to go. Now. Or else they’re going to send people in.”

Baekhyun looked to Jongdae as he stood up slowly, pulling his hands away from Chanyeol’s. Feeling as though they were missing something from the loss of connection, both shuddered a little from how cold their hands felt without the other’s. Baekhyun curled his fingers to get rid of the feeling and shook his head quickly. “But…”

“Baek now! Say your goodbyes!”

Baekhyun looked back to Chanyeol’s confused face with frustrated tears starting to pool in his eyes. “But… but there’s so much more I still want to do with you…”

Jongdae groaned as Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun’s hands and kissed his knuckles. “We still can…”

Jongdae growled from Baekhyun’s side. Baekhyun shook his head and wiped away his tears with his wrist, realizing how serious he should be about this. “I can’t, Chanyeol. I have to go…”

“… Go where?”

“Back.”

“Forever?”

Baekhyun looked away.

Chanyeol stood slowly and ran a hand through his hair cautiously. He took a moment to think before he sighed. “Do you… have to…?”

The regret, the longing, the pain in Chanyeol’s soft voice made Baekhyun shatter on the inside.

Baekhyun allowed a small, apologetic smile to grace his lips, but as he stared into Chanyeol’s sad eyes, his smile fell as his eyes filled with tears. He gasped twice softly, squeaking a little as he tried to keep his tears from falling, but they rolled down his cheeks anyway. Baekhyun felt the world crash around him as pain shot through every part of his being. It hurt. It hurt so badly having to leave him again like this.

Chanyeol blinked twice and pulled the boy into a tight hug. Chanyeol couldn’t help but notice how nicely that Baekhyun fit tucked in his arms underneath his chin as Baekhyun hid his face in Chanyeol’s chest. He balled up his fists in Chanyeol’s shirt, crying into the cloth as Chanyeol whispered softly into his ear to soothe him.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Baekhyun mumbled into Chanyeol’s shirt amidst his tears. “I don’t want to leave you…”

Chanyeol put his finger underneath Baekhyun’s chin and smiled softly, wiping away his tears with his thumb. “It’ll be okay, right? It’ll all be okay…” Neither of them believed that, but they both refused to acknowledge it.

Chanyeol’s smile didn’t fade as he said, “At least I got to see you this time, right?” He put his hand over Baekhyun’s heart. “And I’ll always be with you. Right here.” Baekhyun’s frown remained as he glanced away, and Chanyeol leaned downward to kiss away Baekhyun’s frown. “You should smile more often. You were always so beautiful when you smiled.”

Baekhyun slowly nodded with a small, remorseful smile. “Thank you, Chanyeol. For everything.”

Chanyeol smiled softly in response as Baekhyun disappeared.

Then he slid to the floor and cried into his knees. It felt like he was losing him a second time.

---------------

Baekhyun received a letter from an anxious-looking Jongdae the next morning.

He hesitantly took it from Jongdae with shaky hands as he read it aloud.

‘Byun Baekhyun,

You are invited to a meeting with the council to discuss an issue that has come up recently. Your attendance is required. Guards will be sent to retrieve you in the evening.

Signed, Fate and Destiny.’

A formal invitation. And an . That definitely wasn’t good.

---------------