AN/ I'm so sorry for the delay T^T I have a throat inflamation right now and doing anything aside from sleeping hurts. I'm posting this 4k monster instead of a normal-length chap so don't be mad at me, okay? Q.Q

Three weeks pass like that. Baekhyun always eats lunch with Jongin and the rest of them, getting more comfortable every day. He feels attachment growing in his heart with every smile he receives and to say he likes it would be an understatement. As a guy who's never had real friends or someone to lean on outside of his family, he regrets not trying harder when he could. The relationship inbetween the clique is something else, really, their firendship is so strong Baekhyun can actually see it in the way they bricker, laugh, talk. He feels out of place, sometimes, but whenever he tries to step back a little, they pull him closer, engaging in nonsense agruments (Jongdae is good at this) or just touching him (also Jongdae). Baekhyun gets to know each one of them (Yifan appearing the day after the 'lunch event', all inapproachable stares and gummy smiles) and it amazes him how many things can't be observed from afar.

Jongin is the cute one, at least for Baekhyun. His smiles are shy and he pays a lot of attention to how Baekhyun feels. He somehow wiggles himself into Baekhyun's heart without the latter knowing it and before Baekhyun notices, Jongin is already someone who he looks after. He's two years younger than Baekhyun and it only enhances the older's feelings. Even if it's Jongin protecting him most of the time ( he witnesses Donghan's bulling once and his exterior changes from cute younger brother to a white dog from Baekhyun's dream; hard and protecive), Baekhyun makes sure to buy additional pack of gummy bears or one more can of soda for Jongin every time he enters a grocery store. Sometimes he wonders if Jongin has ever done any harm to him, the way the younger behaved makes him feel as it Jongin owns him something, but he dismisses those thoughts right after they appear. It's probably just the way Jongin is. The apple of Jongin's eye, however, is Kyungsoo. Baekhyun finds it endearing, not questioning the affection between the two. He's not in the place to do so.

Yifan, despite his intimdating looks, is a softie. He's two years older than Chanyeol (three than Kyungsoo), but complies easily with his friends wishes, goofs off comfortably and doesn't hesitate with cracking bad jokes just to make them laugh. He loves his clothes and always calls himself cool, even if the others just brush it of as another joke. Baekhyun supposes Chanyeol might be the only person in their little circle who actually does find him 'cool'. Yifan is like a father to them (and now also to Baekhyun, somehow), clearing any kinds of misunderstanding that might appear before they have yet to do so, ensuring good relation between them and keeping their unity stable. He keeps a track of all their achievsments, smaller and bigger ones, and makes sure to praise them when they deserve it (and to criticize their actions if needed). His care is practically visible in the way he looks at them, eyes shining with pride and affection. Baekhyun feels his self-esteem swelling when Yifan points out how good he is with his words. It's refreshing.

Sehun is probably the biggest surprise for Baekhyun. The kid, being the same age as Jongin, is reserved and has a chronic face. He thows comments here and there, barks out answers when asked and sasses his older friends anytime given. At the beginning, Baekhyun thought Sehun is just disrespectful, but Sehun proved him wrong. He's been wondering ever since he learned about their group how do they tell how Sehun is feeling, what he thinks, if the kid is so quiet. But Sehun has those little things he does and certain, meaningful glances. He his lips when uneasy, plays with his phone when bored and looks people straight in the eyes when curious. After seeing through Sehun's habits, Baekhyun can't help but adore the guy. Sehun turned out to also be a prakser, alongside with Jongdae, changing Baekhyun's background photo from the cover of his favourite book to their ugly selfies multiple times and setting Sehun's horrible singing as his alarm tone. The first experience with the latter was purely horrifying at first, but after jumping out of his bed Baekhyun couldn't stop laughing. Sehun is complicated, but lovable. 

Jongdae is crazy, Baekhyun figures. He's loud, rowdy and his ego is a size of a whale. He throws dity jokes and has a talent to change everything one says into a reference. But he is also like a walking pill of happiness, brightening the mood and teasing everyone. He's really into reminding Baekhyun that he, Baekhyun, had with Chanyeol (claiming that he could practically smell Baekhyun all over Chanyeol when the taller came home that night; he gets hit by Kyungsoo right after, so it's fine), getting Baekhyun flustered every ing time. It's annoying, but the good kind of annoying. Jongdae is also the person who sends him Chanyeol's childhoos photos and trashes evey each of his clique members ("Baek, you need to know they're idiots."). The serious Jongdae, however, is always there to answer Baekhyun questions or to hold his hand when Chanyeol's not there and Baekhyun feels uneasy. And for a guy who's the same age as Baekhyun, Jongdae is really weak to his aegyo. Baekhyun uses this adventage shamelessly. 

Kyungoo is no longer scary to Baekhyun. His death glares are not aimed at Baekhyun anymore, substituted with silent care and heart-shaped smiles. Kyungsoo loves cooking, Baekhyun discovers, and after praising his stew the first time he's tasted it, the meals started arriving, occasionally, but regularly. Kyungsoo watches his reactions with careful eyes, always nagging if he notices any kind of discomfort. He also has his satan side, hitting and smacking his friends when they say something nasty or improper. Baekhyun laughs every time, alonside with the rest of the friends, when Chanyeol gets his shoulder slapped for sending Kyungsoo 'the glace', as the younger calls it, and moving his eyebrows at him. The only one who can get away with nearly everything is Jongin, his only punishment being a glare or Kyungsoo's ignorance. His puppy eyes never fail to soften Kyungsoo's already soft heart and bring a smile to the latter's lips. Again, Baekhyun doesn't question it.

And of course, there's Chanyeol. Confident, funny and caring are three words Baekhyun would use to describe him if asked, leaving the 'ing ing handsome' to himself. Chanyeol likes to sneak soft kisses, in public or private, touch Baekhyun and smile at him. He buys Baekhyun coffee twice a week, dismissing every 'I'll pay you back' (Jongdae is there to add his 'in nature' or 'in bed'). He also likes to wait for Baekhyun after his classes when he can (Baekhyun doing the same for him, despite judging stares he gets from other students, word travels fast indeed), usually scrolling downs his Instagram feed before he notices him or just playing games on his phone (Temple Run is his favourite). He has three kinds of smiles he gives Baekhyun: the amused one when he makes fun of the shorter, the y one when he checks Baekhyun out shamelessly and the 'Baekhyun smile', as Baekhyun calls it, when the smile itself is soft and his eyes are bright with affection. He wonders is he has a special smile for Chanyeol too. Chanyeol likes using nicknames when what he says is adressed to Baekhyun, abandoning 'cutie' for multiple 'babys', 'babes' and 'sunshines'. Baekhyun feels his heart melting everytime. He does it too, but not as frequently as the taller, still too embarrassed and self-conscious. Chanyeol is kind to everyone, but even kinder towards Baekhyun. He carries Baekhyun's backpack for him after their... long nights ('you mean hard nights?' Jongdae comments) spent in Baekhyun's dorm room, the shorter always ending up sore, he scares off Donghan at every opportunity given and lets Baekhyun read in peace when the latter asks (he, himself, sketching in silence next to Baekhyun, pencil sliding across the paper of his sketchbook being the only sound filling the scilence) and Baekhyun apreciated every single one of those things. He obeys to Chanyeol's shenanigans instead of voicing his gratefulness, allowing the PDA Chanyeol likes so much and believing every 'you're gonna like it, I promise'. He feels naive, sometimes, trusting a person he knows for a little over a month so much, but then is it really that bad is the person takes care of him well? They never put a label on their relationship, but Baekhyun doesn't really mind.

There are also weird things about Chanyeol.  He always seems to notice Baekhyun's uneasiness, even if he's currently conversing with someone else and not staring at Baekhyun to understand his emotions (it happened many times, Chanyeol engaged in a quarrel with Jongdae, not even looking at Baekhyun, but his hand finding Baekhyun's leg under the table, soothing touch and gentle caresses bringing tranquility back to Baekhyun's mind). Also, while waiting for Baekhyun after classes, Chanyeol always looks up from his phone when Baekhyun is at a 10 meter range from him, eyes never failing to capture his as if Chanyeol knew where and when to look. He reads Baekhyun like an open book with just one look at Baekhyun face, as if they've known each other for ages. Chanyeol never invites him over, despite complaining about Baekhyun's bed. Baekhyun doesn't question either of those things, all worries pushed to the back of his mind when he's with Chanyeol either way. It's okay, Baekhyun thinks and it really is.

The time when Chanyeol has classes or just isn't with him Baekhyun spends in the woods, undeterred by the cold weather or shortening days. He wanders around aimlessly, caressing cold bark with his slender fingers and collecting amber coloured leaves, the shade painfully familiar. He never sees his wolf again, though. The animal appears only in Baekhyun's dreams, only then he can glide his hands against it's fur and look into it's incredible eyes. It's sad, but Baekhyun bears with the thought of never meeting his wolf again. He promises himself to always remember it, his new friends very helpful with fulfilling the vow; they seem to have a weird wolf , starting with Sehun's phone case and ending with Jongin's tatoo, paw marks inked into the skin of his hipbone (Baekhyun notices it accidentally when the latter streched during lunch). Baekhyun doesn't judge, he'd tota