"Something happened?" Chanyeol asks the second Baekhyun walks out of his dorm building at half past nine. 

After the initial text sent form the girls' room, they promised to meet up just as Baekhyun was finished with the wine. Chanyeol agreed easily, just as he always did, only asking if Baekhyun was okay. 

"Yes, but I'm fine. I need to talk to Junmyeon." He replies, observing Chanyeol's face closesly. He sees worry and surprise flash through the taller's features, and than a frown graces his handsome face. Baekhyun knows what's coming.

"What about?" Chanyeol demands softly, even if his eyes start getting defensive.

Baekhyun sighs under his breath and pushes a hand through his hair. Warm, spring air tickes his face and as much as he appreciates it, it's not the best time to focus on nature. He knows Chanyeol hates secrets, Baekhyun himself is not a fan of them; they tend to slowly drag relationships down, drowning trust in insecurities and unnecessary questions. "I'll tell you as soon as I'm finishes with Jun, I promise." He responds, locking eyes with Chanyeol. He's honest, Chanyeol has to trust him.

"Can't you tell me now?" The taller asks, leaning against the driver's door and crossing his long arms on his chest. Baekhyun lowers his gaze.

"I want to talk with Junmyeon first. Please, Chanyeol."

His lover shifts slightly and Baekhyun's eyes are on him in a second. Instead of being upset with the answer, the younger seems anxious and unsure. The winds blows his bangs into his eyes and Baekhuun wants to reach out to move the hair into it's place.

"It's not about... us, is it? You're not tired of... you know."

Baekhyun's heart misses a beat, because what?

"No! No no, baby, it's not it, I swear." He denies quickly, taking a step forward to place a hand on the side of Chanyeol's neck, slender fingers caressing the skin. "I love you." With this, Chanyeol finally relaxes, shoulders slumping a little and arms falling to the sides of his lean body. He closes his eyes for a second and Baekhyun, ever attentive, doesn't miss the deep breath he takes in. "I'm not planning on leaving or anything like that. I just need to talk with Jun and I'll explain everything later, okay?"

Chanyeol finally gives in, nodding tiredly against Baekhyun's hand that somehow moved to rest over his cheek. Heavily, he pushes his back off the side of the car and gestures lazily for Baekhyun to get it.  Baekhyun doesn't waste a second.

Baekhyun picks at his sweater anxiously as he's standing in front of the door to Junmyeon's office.

Just knock and go in, Yifan instructed from the couch, not really paying attention to Baekhyun as he was busy watching Jongin and Sehun wrestle agreesively on the floor. Chanyeol pointedly ignored Baekhyun's unsure glance, averting his eyes and fishing his phone to scroll through instagram again. Baekhyun's legs trembled as he climbed the last fight of stairs. He took a second to stare longingly at the entrace to Chanyeol's room; his happy and safe place, where he can dive into Chanyeol's sheets and the feeling of security that Chanyeol's scent brings with it. 

He takes a deep breath and  traces the wooden door with his fingers before knocking. The wood is smooth and cold beneath his fingertips, and the sound of two knocks echoes around the empty hall. He inhales again.

"Come in." is what he hears from the other side after a moment.

Well, no turning back now.

He slides his hand lower on the wood and reaches for the gold handle, pressing a little to peek inside the room. Junmyeon is seated behind his cherry-coloured desk, surrounded by miles and miles off shelves filled with books, papers and binders. Baekhyun forces a small smile onto his lips as he shuffels quietly to stand on the emerald carpet in front of Junmyeon's desk. He notices a small, black couch on his right and he already knows where they'll end up in a moment.

"Baek, I didn't expect to see you here today, don't you have a morning class tomorrow?" Junmyeon inquires, putting his pen away and closing the notepad he busied himself with.

Baekhyun rushes too quickly into an explenantion. "I-I..." he pauses to look away from the older's calm features and focus on gathering his thoughts. "I needed to see you."

As soon as he's done he glances back at the alpha and sees worry clouding behind his brown eyes. Junmyeon stands up slowly, as if not to scare Baekhyun away, and gestures at the couch. 

How predictable, he thinks.

A strong feeling of deja-vu hits Baekhyun when they settle on the cold leather and he plays with his fingers, a nervous habit of his.

"Take you time, Baek. I'm here."

Baekhyun looks at Junmyeon, really looks at him, and lets himself realx a little. This is Junmyeon. A man that has been nothing but patient and gentle with him, the one who pressed to let Baekhyun know about them. Junmyeon, who guided him through the shifter's world and accepted Baekhyun's presence in the pack with open arms. And now, finally, Baekhyun has found a way to repay for all the kindness. No backing off.

"I saw a shifter today." He starts, moving a little to face Junmyeon. The older's shoulder's slump a little. "I'm sure it was none of you, I would've known immediately. The shifter, they seemed... angry, furious, at first, but I think... I think it was fear, Jun. They were terrified and starved and dirty and-"

"She." Junmyeon cuts in, lowering his head, as if embarrassed. "She was terrified and starved and dirty." Baekhyun's heart punds in his chest. She? "Did you notice anything else? Was she hurt?"

It takes a second for Baekhyun to proceed everything. "No. But she was so close to the campus, Jun. What if anyone saw her? What if it wasn't me but a stranger seeing a huge wolf?" He stops again, throat tightening. He tries taking deep breaths, but noting is working and soon, Baekhyun finds it hard to breathe at all. His eyes sting and his hands shake, the trembling soon overcoming his whole body. "Jun-"

"Shh, it's alright. Baekhyun, look at me." Suddenly there are fingers under his chin, pushing his head up. The image of Junmyeon's face is blury and Baekhyun realizes his eyes are full of unshed tears. He can't really pinpoint why he's crying and the hurricane of emotions playing around in his mind done't slow down even when he tries to focus. "Baek, inhale slowly and hold your breath for a moment." Confused with his own reaction, Baekhyun finds it in himself to obey, despite the soft command barely making it through the storm in his head. "What are you feeling right now?"

Baekhuyn chokes a little. "I d-don't know? Fear?" he pants out, but shakes his head right after. It's not fear. He looks down, letting the tears fall freely for now and stares at his trembling, open palms, searching for the answer. It's definitely not fear, Baekhyun hasn't been scared of her ever since she approached him to take whiff of, what he assumes, was Chanyeol's scent lingering on his sweater. He's not scared of her, he's scared... " -for her. I'm scared for her, I'm worried." As soon as the words make it past his lips, something clicks in his mind. He's not any more collected after that, but he finds it easier to breathe. "She clearly hasn't eaten in days and she was terrified of something and... I want to make sure she's safe." He lifts his head to peek at Junmyeon from behind his bangs.

The older relaxes slowly into the leather cushions, eyes never leaving Baekhyun's.

"I'm afraid that there is nothing we can do about it, Baekhyun." The younger feels sick, stomach twisting and heart rising to his throat. He parts his lips to argue, but Junmyeon sits up and cuts him off. "We tried to persuade her to join us, or at least stay here for a while to eat and sleep peacefully. I sent Chanyeol to talk to her, than Jongdae and Kyungsoo. You have seen the results of that with your own eyes, Baek." Junmyeon's eyes are soft and open, disappointment flowing in them heavily; whether it's because his plans failed or he himself failed as a Prime Alpha, Baekhyun doesn't know. "I can't risk the well-being of my pack anymore. As much as I'd want her to be safe, I need to think about my family first."

And Baekhyun understands it, he really does. He leans against the armrest behind him thickly and lets out all the air he's been holding. His eyes search Junmyeon's for suppoert, but the elder seems to be as helpless as Baekhyun. Or is he?

It takes a few seconds before Baekhyun collects himself enough to sit straight again, a newfound determination pumping through his veins. He counts to five to see if his heart will stutter at the throught of the decision he's making. It doesn't.

"What if... what if I told you that you have one more chance, one last attempt at talking with her?"

Jumnyeon, visibly taken aback, blinks at him curiously before speaking. "I'd be very interested, to say the least."

Baekhyun takes a deep breath to come out less shaken than he really is. " You sent Chanyeol first to intimidate her; Chanyeol is a big wolf and an alpha to that. But it didn't work, she didn't budge. So Jongdae was next in the line; a friendly beta that seems to get anyone out of their shell. Anyone but her. So Soo was the last option. You chose an omega, because no one hurts an omega, so maybe she'd listen this time. But she didn't." He keeps his eyes on Junmyeon's, feeling a lot braver when he sees the elder's attention peaking. " So Jun, who is even more vulnerable than an omega?"

Junmyeon understands him right away, but hesitates after opening his mouth. "A non-shifter omega."

Baekhyun leans back again and lets Junmyeon take it all in. The older doesn't lower his gaze, focusing on Baekhyun as he weights the pros and cons. Baekhyun throws one leg over another to look more nonchalant, as if the perspective of being face to face with an unknown shifer doesn't make his blood turn cold.

"Baekhyun..." Junmyon lets out just as the younger is starting to feel restless. "You've done a lot for us already, I could never ask you to do something like this. And besides-" He rushes when Baekhyun makes a move to interrupt. " We have fangs and claws and strong muscles to protect ourselves. All you've got are weak human senses and, very clearly, your courage."

Baekhyun wants to snort at the last part. What courage?

"Jun, I saw her today, I talked with her. She knows me already. If she wanted to hurt me, she'd do that when we were alone today." Junmyeon doesn't look as asured as Baekhyun is trying to sound. "And yeah, maybe I'm not a shifter and ripping me apart would be the easiest thing to do for her " he shudders at his own word choice. Junmyeon doesn't look that happy either. "but I can't possibly just go on with my life as if she's not there, basically dying."

Holding Junyeon's gaze after he's done talking might be the most difficult thing he's ever done; the older seems to scan h