Chapter 18                                                                                                         “I don’t like him. Did you see him smirk at me? What does it matter if he practically owns this place? It’s not like it’s going to help when we’re running away from zombies who’ll feast on us when they have a chance. Are you listening to me? Jongdae… Jongdae!” Baekhyun whipped his head around when he didn’t get a response just to see Chen staring at him with a small smile on his face. Baekhyun blinked, making a face just to turn back and keep talking. “And what is on the fifth floor? Why can’t we go there? He’s acting suspicious, what if he’s actually a murderer and kills us when we’re sleeping? I mean, great. He saved us, but we’re going to leave him here anyway. Which is a good thing, right? Right, Jongdae?” Chanyeol had given them rooms to stay in. Naturally, Baekhyun and Chen ended up together being like two peas in a pod. The rooms were as big as Baekhyun’s garage, the soft silk beds and the high quality bathing machine (It was a Jacuzzi but both of them were so awed at the bubbles it could produce that they called it “Transformer”.). They had been away from comfort for so long that being in a place like this made them almost lose it. Even Kyungsoo, famous for his silence, had let out a singing note that surprised everyone. They found out later that he was part of the opera group in his school, according to Kai who looked very proud at his friend’s vocal ability.   “He told us not to go on the fifth floor?” Chen did not know why Baekhyun was acting so bothered by Park Chanyeol. To Chen, he was just another person. “He told everyone in that big elevator. Didn’t you hear?” Chen watched Baekhyun struggle to pull off his shirt, going around trying to pull it off his head. The young boy clumsily moved around, the shirt covering his face making him lose sigh. The puppy boy slipped and landed on his , yelping as he rolled on the carpeted floor. “Come here.” Chen decided to give Baekhyun a hand, kneeling down on the floor in front of him. Chen’s fingers pulled Baekhyun’s shirt down and undid the top button, his fingers pushing it through the hole. “You didn’t undo your collar button, babo-ah.” Once he was done, Chen lifted the shirt off Baekhyun smoothly, putting the shirt beside him. Baekhyun blinked at Chen for a moment, then his face broke into a wide smile. “Jongdae~” Baekhyun’s smile along with his what-seemed-like-seductive voice made Chen freeze. To Baekhyun, he was simply being playful. His top body leaped onto Chen’s, toppling him over onto the ground. “Jongdae~” “Y-yah… w-what exactly are you doing?” Chen took note of his trembling voice, his lips while trying to move under the body weight of the cute boy who was overpowering him. “Byun Baekhyun!” Chen struggled under Baekhyun who was having a great time trying to keep him down while looking down at him, smirking.   “Y-yah… You look exactly like Chanyeol now.” Chen said, flustered at the way Baekhyun was acting. All Baekhyun did was shrug like he didn’t know anything. His bare shoulders lifted up along with his arms that followed. Chen gave a sigh, deciding to play along. “If you want to play this way….” His voice trailed and the high cheek boned guy switched places. He moved his legs, Baekhyun falling backwards. The boy was taken by surprise when his friend lifted his body and threw him on the bed, jumping after him. Chen laughed at the shock on Baekhyun’s face. It was like he did not register what had happened but it did not last that long. Chen had never seen this side of Baekhyun, how playful and how violent he could be. The boy had rolled out from under him, pushing Chen down now straddling him on the bed. “Baekhyun!” Chen said, struggling to move and Baekhyun let out a laugh, the boy lying down on Chen’s body like it was nothing. He must not know the way he was affecting Chen, to Baekhyun it was all play and fun. Baekhyun rolled over Chen’s body over and over again, laughing loudly. “I’m kneading you.” Baekhyun said. “You’re supposed to become flatter.” “Are you trying to bake me?” “Yes, you piece of dough.” Baekhyun said it as if it was an insult, sitting up beside Chen. Chen placed a hand on his heart as if he was hurt. “Was that an insult?” “Yes.” “I understand though. No one wants to be a piece of dough.” Chen remained lying down on the bed, Baekhyun frowning at the sudden change of atmosphere. The puppy boy lowered himself beside Chen, laying his head on Chen’s arm. “Are you talking about something I’m supposed to know?” “The type of people I hate the most are the people who act like dough. Easy to control, easy to follow, helpless people who just follow orders and demands even when they know it’s bad for them. I was once like that, I told you about my parents before.” “I know.” Baekhyun bit his lip, turning to the side to nuzzle Chen. Chen felt his throat turn dry at the increase of skinship but all he did was stay still. Baekhyun kept talking. “You’re the only friend I trust enough, Jongdae. I know you won’t do that to me.” “I may not do that to you but there are many who will. There are people like my parents, the “use or be used” kind of people and those are the people who you have to stay away from.” “But I have you and Young Hyung to talk to, why would I want to befriend anyone other than you two? I trust the others but we aren’t that close. What’s with the seriousness anyway, Jongdae? You piece of dough, let’s go get something to eat. I’m hungry.” “Can’t you eat me? All you have to do is bake me.” “I wish.” Baekhyun’s response was simple and he was then back to nuzzling Chen around the neck, his arms around his friend’s waist. Chen patted Baekhyun’s arm softly, staying still. He stared at the ceiling, taking in that even the ceiling was detailed. The many paintings of statues made it look like Michelangelo’s work of the old times. Baekhyun had shifted softly, Chen feeling the warmth of his skin. Chen closed his eyes for awhile, resting his senses when the door opened and the sound of footsteps approached them.   “Oh.” Chen opened his eyes slowly to see Baekyoung looking down at them. The dinosaur faced guy turned red but the older boy did not seem bothered to see his younger brother half and sleeping while cuddled up to his friend. “He’s sleeping.” Baekyoung whispered and Chen looked to the side. Baekhyun really fell asleep, his eyes were closed and his breathing had deepened. Baekyoung smiled at the guy who was awake and sat at the edge of the bed. He was happy to see that the two found a friend in each other, but looking at Chen he wasn’t sure if it was the best decision to confront him about it. He was older than both and even if Baekhyun was dense, his brother wasn’t. He knew Chen had feelings by the way he acted. “He…” Baekyoung started, shifting his body slowly. “Is starting to speak up because of you.” Chen shook his head trying to not seem pleased at the comment Baekyoung had made. He smile humbly as the older boy continued talking. “My brother is usually playful but he changed due to... some circumstances. I thought I would be the only person who would see the fun and natural side of him, turns out I’m wrong.” “If society made him this way, society is cruel.” Chen replied, his hands absentmindedly Baekhyun’s arm. He knew how influential humans are, how controlling and how easy they could shape a single person. Baekyoung shook his head, a hand going up to scratch his neck. “It doesn’t…” Baekyoung paused, staring at his sleeping brother in Chen’s arms. “It doesn’t take a whole society to destroy a person; all it takes is one person to destroy another. My brother knows the exact feeling of being betrayed and used, I don’t want him to ever feel it ever again.”   Chen did not want to ask what had happened; he knew it wasn’t his place to shoot questions. All the dinosaur faced boy did was nod. Baekhyun moved in his arms, turning away from him and rolling to the side of the bed, on his back. He was still top and Baekyoung was quick to drape a towel over his younger brother. “I’ll do my best to protect him.” Chen blurted out, turning pink at his sudden proposal. Baekyoung chuckled. The older boy turned to look at him seriously, his eyes not fazing. “As a friend or something more?”   The silence between the both of them was heavy until Baekyoung broke into a grin. He gave Chen a nice pat on the back and told him that he was kidding, finally heading to the door to leave the room. Before he left, he turned around and told Chen to go down and eat when he’s ready. The door slammed behind Baekyoung leaving Chen in the room deep in thought at Baekyoung’s question. He glanced Baekhyun sleeping peacefully, sighing.   As a friend? Or something more?   __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Kris had just taken a long and hot shower, the foggy mirror clouded his vision and he wiped it away with his hands just to see his reflection. His eyes were dark but his expression had brightened. He no longer felt tired, and for the first time in a long time he felt as if there was hope. All this time he had been fighting against life with the will to survive with an empty heart but now, the policeman was filled with emotions. It must be the bonds with the people he had met, the relationships he had developed. Kris wiped his hair with a smaller towel- how good it felt to have something clean to use. He grabbed another towel and tied it around his waist, walking out of the bathroom of his hotel room.   “Woah- What are you doing here?” Kris asked in Chinese, surprised to see Luhan on his bed. Luhan had a grumpy expression on his face and his small lips were in a pout. He looked like a spoiled child who did not get what he wanted. Luhan huffed, rolling on Kris’ bed and moving his body violently in a frustrated manner. He sat up as Kris headed to the spare clothes he brought and started pulling on a shirt. Luhan rolled his eyes so hard Kris almost saw it pop out of his head. “Say it.” “It’s Sehun.” Luhan began with fluent Korean, his expression darkening. “I thought I would sleep in the same room with him, but he told me that he’s sleeping with Kyungsoo. Does that make any sense? Those two don’t even know each other!” Kris just bobbed his head to show that he was listening. “Why don’t you tell him that you want to sleep with him then? Instead of wailing to me like a child.” “It’s not that I want to sleep in the same room with that kid, it’s just that he’s-“ “Stop being stubborn.” Kris answered, his Korean accent on point before switching to Chinese. “If you weren’t stubborn you wouldn’t be torturing yourself like this. Tell him you’re worried about his wound, his stomach isn’t fully healed just yet.” “You’re right! I’m a great hyung, I actually care about him.” Luhan slapped his forehead as if he was stupid not to think of that excuse. “And stop switching languages when you talk to me!” He shot back in Mandarin. “Of course you care about him.” Kris answered sarcastically. “You’re switching languages too.” He pointed out in Chinese to the fairy eyed boy. He began walking to the door once he was dressed, listening to Luhan’s yacking. “Wu Yi-Fan, was that sarcasm?! Wu Yifan... Where are you going? Why are you leaving me?” “To check on the others!” Kris yelled back, exiting the door. He shut the door behind him just see a shorter boy walking his way. He raised a hand and greeted the Doctor who seemed like he was nervous about something. Suho wiped his eyes, fidgeting with the bag strap he was holding. He paused in front of Kris and Kris saw him look up at him with what seemed like puppy eyes. “Is something wrong?” “D-Do.. you.. Uhm, Are you sleeping alone?” “Yeah, we were all given a room. Is something wrong with your room?” Kris asked and Suho his lips nervously, a hand going to Kris and pulling him closer so he could speak in his ear. “My room is near the stair case and… Uh, I think I kept hearing a wailing noise coming from the lower floor.”   The floor they were at was the 6th floor; it was the safest floor- at least that was what Chanyeol told them. He did not give them any explanation to why he didn’t allow them to go to the lower floors especially as he stressed: the fifth floor. Kris smiled at Suho, trying to ease the nerves of the apprehended researcher. “It must be from the other building; you saw how the building was filled with those things. The sounds must have been from there, don’t worry about it. “ “Can I sleep with you? I was about to ask some of the others but many of them are already thinking of crashing in another persons’ room. Baekyoung likes sleeping alone, which was what he told me downstairs so….” “Of course.” Kris gave a wave of his hand. “Where are the others though?” “Downstairs, they’re eating. They’re all there except Chen and Baekhyun and the owner of this place. He’s a bit too tall, isn’t he?” “He’s not tall, Suho. Maybe you’re just short.” “Now, that was just rude.” Suho gawked, slapping Kris on the shoulder and Kris playfully ducked the hit. He jerked a finger to the doorway of his room signaling that that was where he slept and Suho nodded . He waited till Suho went in before he walked away hearing Suho yell at Luhan to stop jumping on the bed.    Kris’ footsteps brought him to the end of the hallway, deciding to check on the guy who saved them all. The tall Chinese boy raised his arm and knocked on the door, waiting for a response. He rapped his knuckles against the door again, pressing his ears against the door. When there was no reply, his hands went to the door knob and turned it just to find out that it was not locked. Kris pushed the door open, walking into the room and almost stopped in awe. The room was called a Studio Suite for a reason. It was around three times the size of his hotel room; the only difference was that there was no light. Not a single light bulb was on and the only source of light was from the slightly parted curtains behind a working desk. The room temperature was cold and Kris felt the hairs on his arms stand. He closed the door behind him, his eyes searching the dim lit room just to see a body on the work chair behind the desk. Park Chanyeol had his back to Kris, in his hand he held a lighter that he was clicking repeatedly. The fire went on and off in front of his face and Kris wondered if he even knew that he had company. Chanyeol was staring off in