A small smile played across Kris’ face and he lifted a hand to touch the cheek that Chanyeol had painted on. He hadn’t painted anything extravagant. Just a simple heart. But to Kris, that meant more than anything.

Getting his nine tiny house guests as well as Baekhyun all cleaned up and ready for bed was a task far more difficult than what Chanyeol had counted on. He was determined to have them bathed and clean for when Joonmyeon collected them in the morning. But they seemed quite unwilling to part with their face paint.

Kris had already decided that he was keeping his, taking himself to bed a good hour before everyone else. Baekhyun, however … Chanyeol should have known.

Baekhyun knelt in the bathroom sink wailing as the paint coloured water began to drain. Again and again, he scooped up a handful of water and splashed it back onto his face, as if hoping that his puppy face paint would return.

“Puppy! No!” he cried desperately. “Come back, please! Woof, woof! Don’t go!”

With a roll of his eyes, Chanyeol tugged a towel from the rack and wrapped Baekhyun up in it. Taking the corner of the towel between his fingertips, Chanyeol gently dried the crying Baekhyun’s hair.

“It’s okay,” he soothed. “We can paint your face again tomorrow, if you’d like.”

Baekhyun sniffed quietly, snuggling into the warmth of the towel.

“And the day after that, too?” he asked and Chanyeol smiled.

“Maybe.”

The atmosphere was different in the apartment the next morning. Nobody spoke, nobody smiled. Baekhyun felt his stomach churn sickeningly as he sat on the couch, his eyes on the front door. He didn’t want to cry – his friends couldn’t stay with him forever. It would be wrong to make them.

Joonmyeon had promised to come by at eight thirty that morning to collect everyone. And, at eight fifteen, Baekhyun knew that he had only minutes left with his friends. Getting slowly to his feet, Baekhyun made his way slowly across the couch, his eyes downcast, until he reached Jongdae.

“Are you alright, Baek?” Jongdae asked slowly.

Baekhyun threw his arms around his friend and closed his eyes.

“I’m going to miss you all so much,” he whispered, trying his hardest to hold back his tears. To his surprise, Jongdae let out a small sniff, his arms, too, wrapped around Baekhyun as he returned the hug.

“And we’ll miss you, too.”

A loud knock on the front door made everyone freeze and almost immediately, Baekhyun felt his heart sink. Joonmyeon was here.

“Chanyeol?” he called, opening the door. Before Joonmyeon had a chance to close it behind him, Kris wrapped his arms around his ankle, burying his tiny face into the fabric of Joonmyeon’s trousers.

“I missed you too, Kris,” he chuckled, scooping the other up in his hands. He cast a glance around the lounge room, where nine other little faces sat, watching him. “Did you all behave yourselves?”

“Oh yes,” Jongin grinned. “We were angels.”

“I have no doubt,” Joonmyeon smiled before he made his way down the hallway to where Chanyeol sat in the kitchen. “Thank you for looking after them.”

“It was no problem,” Chanyeol replied, getting up to greet his friend. “Only, I don’t think Baekhyun wants them to leave.”

“That means he will have to come and visit,” Joonmyeon nodded. “A play date. I’m sure my sister would love to meet Baekhyun, too.”

“Er,” said Chanyeol. “Sure.”

Chanyeol had spent the morning away from the group, giving Baekhyun time to say goodbye to his friends. In the meantime, he prepared the large box that they had first arrived in, lining it with soft blankets for their journey home.

“You know,” he said smiling up at his friend. “I’m really going to miss having them here.”

Baekhyun sat on the windowsill, his nose pressed against the glass; waving slowly. He watched as Joonmyeon disappeared down the apartments long driveway, the large box in his hands. Even long after he had disappeared from view, Baekhyun continued to wave.

He felt empty.

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said softly, lifting him away from the windowsill. “You don’t need to be brave. Sometimes, it’s okay to cry.”

At Chanyeol’s words, Baekhyun collapsed to his knees as he was overcome with sobs. Cradling him gently to his chest, Chanyeol tried his best to sooth Baekhyun, but to no avail. Nothing seemed to work.

Baekhyun’s tiny body began to shake violently as he continued to sob; Chanyeol bit his lip. Seeing Baekhyun like this broke his heart.

“Shhh,”Chanyeol soothed, wrapping his hand gently around the others waist and lifting him once more. “Don’t cry, Baek.”

 Holding him close, Chanyeol’s lips brushed gently against Baekhyun’s closed eyelids, kissing away his tears. It took just over a second for Baekhyun to realise what he was doing, but even longer for Chanyeol himself.

“U-uh,” he stammered, looking away. “You stopped crying.”

Baekhyun nodded silently, his watery eyes watching the small tinge of pink that crept across Chanyeol’s face.

Holding Baekhyun close to him, it took quite some time before Chanyeol was able to speak once more.

“Baekhyun,” he asked quietly as the other snuggled into his chest, closing his eyes. “Where’s your cape?”

“I don’t need it anymore,” Baekhyun murmured, wrapping his tiny fists around the fabric of Chanyeol’s jumper. His voice was hoarse from crying, his eyes stung.

“And why is that?”

Lifting his gaze, Baekhyun offered Chanyeol a watery smile.

“I just watched my friends leave,” he said in no more than a whisper. “They left, and it hurt. But, you said it’s okay to cry. I don’t need a cape to pretend that I’m brave. I know I am.”