Chanyeol found it difficult to fall asleep that night. He had grown so used to Baekhyun always being by his side, but tonight, the space next to him was empty, bar for Pinkie Pie and Mister Byun that lay in a heap next to Baekhyun’s pillow.

Baekhyun had promised him that he would ‘only be ten minutes’, but that was three hours ago. Warily, Chanyeol sat up, the blood rushing to his head, his eyes fogging over. What was keeping Baekhyun? Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Chanyeol shook his head.

“Don’t tell me he’s fallen asleep on the ground,” he said quietly, pushing the feathered quilt backwards and getting to his feet.

Feeling his way through the darkness of the bedroom, Chanyeol made his way to the door, flicking on the hallway light. Squinting down the hallway, Chanyeol shuffled his way slowly into the lounge room.  

Instead of finding Baekhyun curled up, asleep on the ground next to the tiny, blanket lined basket, Chanyeol found him on the couch, the caramel pup sound asleep in his arms. A warm smile played across Chanyeol’s face as he stood behind Baekhyun; the other held the tiny puppy so tenderly, as though it might slip through his fingers and disappear at any moment, his eyes never leaving the sleeping creature.

“I thought I might find you here,” Chanyeol breathed, his voice making Baekhyun jump. “You need to sleep.”

Baekhyun lifted his head to look at Chanyeol, dark rings under his eyes. “I was worried that Puppy might leave me, just like Bear.”

“Puppy won’t leave you,” Chanyeol replied softly, placing a hand reassuringly on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “But you can’t stay awake forever. Come now, time for bed.”

Baekhyun’s eyes lit up hopefully. “Can Mister Puppy come?”

“Mister Puppy is a girl,” Chanyeol chuckled, ruffling Baekhyun’s hair. “We can move her basket into the bedroom if you’d like, but she is not allowed in the bed. Understood?”

Offering Chanyeol a bright smile, Baekhyun nodded. He would find a way to sneak her into the bed one way or another and then put her back in her basket before Chanyeol would wake. “Okay, Mister Giant. Puppy can stay in her basket.”

Helping Baekhyun to his feet, the sleeping puppy still tenderly cradled in his Bunny’s arms, Chanyeol allowed his shoulders to relax. He was relieved to see that Baekhyun had taken such a liking to it – the tiny pup (and Bear) had helped him get over his fear of puppies.

“Are you going to name her?” Chanyeol asked as he scooped up the small, blanket lined basket before starting down the hallway, Baekhyun half a step behind him. “Her name can’t just be Puppy.”

Waiting for Chanyeol to put the tiny straw basket next to the bedside table, Baekhyun placed the puppy down gently, a soft smile on his face.

“I will name her Sunny,” he said, wriggling under the feather quilt, welcoming the softness of his pillow. “Because Miss Sunny makes me smile and fills my heart with warmth, just like you do, Mister Giant.”

Waiting for Chanyeol’s soft breathing to fill the room, Baekhyun wriggled his way out from under the warm quilt. This was his chance. Leaning over the side of the bed, he scooped Sunny up in one hand, careful not to wake her, before placing her under the quilt of the bed, her tiny head resting on his pillow.

He wasn’t sure why Chanyeol didn’t want her to sleep in the bed – it was so much warmer than that tiny little basket, even if it was lined with fleece blankets. But Baekhyun knew that she would sleep well there. Snuggling up to the tiny corgi, he closed his eyes.

“This,” said Chanyeol with a sigh, “is exactly why I told you she wasn’t allowed to sleep in the bed.”

The pair had awoken to an eruption of feathers - stuck in their hair, strewn across the room, they would take ages to clean up. Sunny had woken up in the middle of the night, squeezed her way out from under Baekhyun’s arm and chewed through the quilt.

Baekhyun looked down guiltily. “I didn’t want her to get cold.”

Circling his ankles, Sunny lay down across his feet, looked up at him and yipped innocently, her tongue hanging out to one side in a goofy grin.

“Sorry, Mister Giant.”

Chanyeol didn’t want to admit it, but he was becoming jealous of a dog. Baekhyun spent every waking moment of the day playing with Sunny, petting her, brushing her – sewing her cape. The only time he would willingly go to Chanyeol was when he pricked his finger with the sewing needle (and insisted that only a kiss would make it feel better).

But what worried Chanyeol the most was when Baekhyun had told him that he was much too busy playing with Sunny to watch My Little Pony. It was the season finale, something Baekhyun had talked about nonstop for weeks on end.

With a quiet sigh, Chanyeol knew that the only way he was able to spend time with Baekhyun was if Sunny came too. Getting to his feet, Chanyeol crossed the small distance between the lounge and the coat hook, fastened to the back of the door. Taking his winter coat, he called out to Baekhyun.

“Bunny, would you like to take Miss Sunny for a walk?”

“Oh yes!” Baekhyun beamed. “Just a moment, please!”

Gathering Baekhyun’s thick winter jacket and scarf, Chanyeol waited by the door, Baekhyun scampering down the hallway, Sunny in his arms a few moments later.

“Er,” said Chanyeol uncertainly. “What is she wearing?”

“Socks,” Baekhyun replied brightly, “I don’t want her little paws to get cold with all of that snow. Do we have wellington boots? She’ll need four! And a scarf!”  

A small smile played across Chanyeol’s face as he passed Baekhyun is coat. “She’ll be fine, Bunny.”

“You know,” Chanyeol mused as they walked through the icy streets of the city, thankful that the Christmas rush had finally subsided. Giving a small tug on Sunny’s leash, he grinned at Baekhyun. “The whole point of taking Sunny for a walk is to, well, let her walk. Let her exercise.”

Baekhyun shook his head. Sunny had not left his arms since they started their walk. “Her paws will get cold! What if she gets sick, Mister Giant?”

Taking the corgi pup from Baekhyun’s arms, Chanyeol placed her on the ground. Yipping with delight, she snuffled the frosty ground, burying her nose in the thin layer of snow that coated it.

“See?” Chanyeol said, holding the leash out to Baekhyun who took it carefully. “We can look for wellington boots if you’d like, although I doubt they have them in puppy sizes.”

Last update for 2014.
I'm leaving on the 29th to spend New Years at the beach house.
It conveniently doesn't have wifi.
Looks like I actually have to go outside.
D:
(I'm an Australian who doesn't like the sun. Go figure.)

Take care, guys! Happy New Year!
I'll see you all in 2015.