~ Sehun's POV

 "Jongin, sit your back down", I mumble and reach to Jongin's hand, pulling him back on the mattress next to me. Jongin has been itching to run out to the police station and demand that they let Baekhyun go. Obviously, that wouldn't be a good idea considering the fact that Jongin himself has been missing for years and would probably cause some commotion by appearing out of nowhere demanding the release of an arsonist. He looks up at the high ceiling and sighs. "I'm worried. Can you ing blame me?" he mutters and crosses his arms on his chest. "I need to find Taemin and you two need to ", I sigh and Jongin shoots a mean look in my direction. "Yeah and I need to get Luhan to distract you while I sneak out and get our best friend back from the cops before they kill him!" I laugh a little and lean on Jongin's shoulder. "Mommy, you don't have to do that. Lulu is a nice little boy, he'll do it without you asking him to", I mumble and close my eyes. "Lulu? You have nicknames now? You guys are getting further and further away from the 'just friends', I'm telling you, before you know it he's going to be asking for rings", Jongin says to me with an amused tone and I smack his face with a dirty pillow.

"You're getting more violent than Jongin", a woman's voice reaches our ears. We both flinch and look up at the person speaking.

"Taeyeon. What's up?" Jongin speaks up with an alarmed undertone in his voice. Our dear leader smiles a little. "You've probably noticed that Baekhyun has been gone for a while now. I don't like that very much", she explains and sits down next to Jongin's feet. "What do we have to do with that?" I ask bluntly. I've never really liked Taeyeon, but it's what I have to deal with to stay here. "I need you two to find him and bring him back... To me", she says and looks at us with a cute little smile. "Why would you want to get him back? I mean, one less criminal for you to worry about", I point out. "You idiot! Baekhyun is weak. He'll tell them everything about this place! I'd be surprised if he hadn't already!" she says and her face twists with anger and frustration. Jongin shuffles a little closer to the wall behind us and speaks softly: "We have no clue where he is now. He was taken to the police station, but after that the news have been dead silent. He could be in jail already!" Taeyeon takes a deep breath. "Find him. Bring him back. Or you two are out of here. Permanently", she says calmly, gets up, and leaves us with no choice.

~ Chanyeol's POV

The paperwork seemed endless. The interviews and appointments took a long time to even schedule because of my shifts at the fire station, and when a good date was accomplished, the meetings took hours and I would come home tired and starving.

Through all of the stuff I complained about, all I could think about to feel a little calmer was Baekhyun, and how being held in a small cell and being fed something food-ish must've been like, knowing his mental state. I'm doing this for him, he needs this and I can't let myself be so selfish. I had met him a couple of times with just the two of us in a room, but never without a security camera recording everything we did. Everything had gone pretty well, I think, I feel like I've gained the authorities' trust and convinced them that it was best to let Baekhyun live with me.

Today is the day, screams out my first thought when I wake up and turn around hastily in by warm bed to reach for my cellphone. I squint at first at the bright light that emits from the screen, but after my eyes get accustomed to it, I can clearly read the numbers on the top of the phone; 5:23am, Wednesday, December 3rd 2015. Today was the day. The day that Baekhyun could finally move in.

My hands are shaking violently as I get up and rush out of the bedroom in my pajamas with my hair sticking in wildly different directions. I stop at the bathroom door to think about what I was actually going to do there, now, at this hour. At something over five in the morning, there's not much for me to do. I wouldn't have to go back to work for two days, so I'm not busy getting ready for work.

I walk around slowly and into the room right next to my bedroom. It's small, but it has a few narrow bookshelves on the right side of the room, a desk with my computer on top of it by a big window and a sofa bed. The round mat feels warmer underneath my feet compared to the wooden flooring that covers all of the floors in my house, except for the kitchen and the bathroom.

I'll make this Baekhyun's room. I've cleaned it a thousand times, and I've checked all the closets to make sure everything is in perfect shape. I'm going to have to take the computer to my room, I wouldn't want to bother Baekhyun's sleep when I have to check something online. I look out the window to the house next door and take a deep breath. I'm nervous, excited, scared, God knows what, but now there's no turning back.

~ Baekhyun's POV

The clock on the dashboard shows 10:24.

I look out of the car window, playing with the hem of my shirt. I glance over at the driver, who's just as serious and calm as always. "When are we there?" I ask quietly and scoot a little closer to the center of the backseat. "In a few minutes", he says and looks at my reflection in the mirror. I quickly look away again and take a few deep breaths.

Chanyeol. I don't know why his presence makes me feel so much better, why do his huge arms around me make the panic attacks go away, why does his smile radiate the happiness onto me? What is it about him that makes me feel like I don't belong with Jongin and Sehun and Taeyeon, why does he make me feel so normal, like every piece in my body just fits with him?

Is he afraid of me? What does he think about having a dangerous criminal to look after and take care of? I know what I am. I'm more scared of it than Chanyeol seems to be. I wouldn't want to live with me. Why does he?

The car stops suddenly and I flinch to focus my eyes on the house outside. It's a pretty, light gray plaster house with a black roof. The huge windows facing the front of the house are huge and round, but at the moment the flowy curtains inside prevent me from seeing what's inside. The guard who drove me here covers my view and opens the car door for me, pulling me out. I look at the door with wide eyes when it opens and Chanyeol's tall frame appears from behind it. He's smiling, and I want to smile back.

He walks closer and exchanges a few words with the guard before the latter one lets go of my arm and I immediately hug Chanyeol. He wraps his arms around me and I take a deep breath. A few more words that sound far away, and the car drives off. Chanyeol takes my hand and walks me closer to the house.

"Are you nervous?" he asks and smiles warmly to me. I nod a little and he pets the back of my hand with his thumb. "Don't worry. It'll be fine. I promise", he says and pulls the door open, gesturing me to step inside first.

My eyes start wandering around the room, all the way from the wooden floors to the light green wallpaper and the matching furniture, the fireplace (my heart twitches a little) and a television above it, bookshelves on one side of the wall and an archway into another room. Three huge windows on each wall let in light from outside. "Welcome to my home", Chanyeol's deep voice says behind me and I turn to look at him. He's smiling again, and I gather up the courage to smile a little, too. His eyes stay on my face for a second that confirms that he was surprised by the smile, and I turn away. My smile probably isn't that pretty, it's probably scary and I don't want Chanyeol to be any more afraid of me than he probably already is.

Chanyeol takes me through the small kitchen, which follows the same color theme as the living room, with light greens and gray marble tiles on the floor and behind the counters and overhead cabinets. It's really clean, I think to myself as he shows me the bathroom. Oh god, I want to get into that bathtub already. I tug down my sleeves again when Chanyeol shows me his room. It's big and open, but his wide bed takes up most of the space. "You lived alone, right?" I ask and look up at Chanyeol. "Why do you have a king-sized bed?" Chanyeol laughs a little and rubs his neck. "I just, um. Just a personal preference", he says and smiles. I nod a little and take a deep breath. Well, if I have nightmares, I might as well just slip in and sleep with Chanyeol, right?

Chanyeol opens the last door, and I step into the smaller room. "This is your room, if you like it", he says and looks at me, I can feel his eyes on the side of my head. I look around and bite my lips. It feels amazing to have my own room again, even if it's this simple. "I like it", I say and drop myself on the bed. Chanyeol nods and smiles like a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders. "Are you hungry? Did they give you breakfast today?" he asks and I shake my head a little. "Oh. You're probably starving. What would you like to eat?" A silence falls between us, I have no idea what kind of food I'd want to ask. "I don't know", I mumble and look down at my lap. Chanyeol quickly walks up to me, crouches down to my eye-level and holds my hands. I flinch a little when his fingertips graze over my wrists. I look up at him, and my heart feels like it's smiling when I see his smile again. I can't get enough of it, it's all just so warm and cute. "I'll make you something good. You just get settled in, okay?" he asks and gets up after I nod.

I toss my feet up on the mattress and take a deep breath. Holy crap this bed feels softer and warmer than anything I've slept on in a decade. The smell of noodles and bacon soon fills the entire house, and I get up and walk into the kitchen to watch as Chanyeol cooks for me. Because I was hungry and he wants to take care of me.

Chanyeol is amazing.

~ Jongin's POV

I slip my hands into my pockets and look at Sehun. "We're never going to find him, we've been looking for weeks!" I moan and look around the busy street. Sehun doesn't answer. His eyes are sharp and awake, whereas mine are almost closed. I'm exhausted, I want to go home and sleep for a hundred days. "I mean, if he's not at the police station anymore, where else could he be? In jail? In a ing grave because he was too crazy? Sehun this is hopeless!" I complain and look around lazily.

Through the crowds, I see a small tuft of hair. A short man turns around to look at a much taller guy, and I recognize the faces. Baekhyun. What in the world... What the heck is Chanyeol doing with him?! "Sehun!" I hiss and he turns around to look, too. "We found him! Holy..." he says and we stare in disbelief when the two men start walking away from us. Without any words exchanged, we follow.

They walk away from the skyscrapers and huge roads, we follow them to a small park by the river. It's slowly getting darker, and the sunset bathes the entire city in a warm orange blanket. The couple sits on a bench and Chanyeol talks to our friend in a hushed voice. Sehun and I exchange worried looks before quickly walking up to them.

When they notice us, Baekhyun is the first to get up. His eyes are wide as Sehun runs to him and hugs him tight. "Holy Baekhyun. We thought you were in prison, or dead!" he says and Baekhyun hugs him awkwardly. I turn to look at Chanyeol.

"So. What did you do? Did you kidnap him? Why is he with you?" I ask and walk towards the man who gets up from the bench. , he's taller than I remembered. "Look, it's difficult to explain..." he starts, but I cut him off by grabbing the collar of his coat. His expression is similar to Yixing's. I'd only learned that name from the news reports after I killed him, but the name and the face were stuck to my head forever. My first victim ever. I smirk a little.

"I swear, if you've done anything to hurt Baekhyun, I will beat you up and throw you to that river just like I did to that filthy little Yixing", I growl.

Chanyeol's eyes lock to mine and he freezes.

"You... You killed Yixing?" he asks quietly and his eyes fill with horror. I laugh and let go of his collar. "I have been waiting for you to figure it out!" I say and back away a few steps. His eyes turn darker, his mouth twists into an angry frown and his eyebrows furrow. "YOU ER!" he screams suddenly and lifts his arm, squeezing his hand into a fist. I back away a few steps and lift my hands to protect my head.

"Chanyeol! NO!" Baekhyun's voice screams and I can see his dark hair before I close my eyes tightly. Smack.

~ Baekhyun's POV

I stumble back against Jongin's chest a few steps and close my eyes from the pain. I breathe deeply and press my hands on the left side of my jaw. Even the slightest graze over the area stings like hell and makes me wince. I look up at Chanyeol - his face is filled with horror. My body starts shaking and my mind races. He hit me. Chanyeol hurt me. Why would he hurt me? I thought he was supposed to protect me.

"Baekhyun!" Jongin's concerned voice calls out and my knees give way, I fall on the ground. I start hyperventilating and my eyes are soon filled with tears. "Baekhyun, I'm sorry", Chanyeol's voice says above me and his hand lands on my shoulder. "Don't touch me!" I screech and shuffle away. Jongin hugs me tight and lifts me up on my feet. I bury my face in his chest and start sobbing. My heart is racing like hell and my head hurts. Someone pours gasoline down to my lungs and lights it. Jongin's fierce eyes are fixed on Chanyeol.

"I swear! I didn't mean to hurt Baekhyun!" Chanyeol protests and looks at Jongin with desperation. "I just... I'm sorry", he says and even I can hear his deep breaths. I turn around to look at him over my shoulder with tears rolling down my cheeks. Our eyes meet. "Hey, Baekhyun. I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me", he says calmly. He's telling the truth. But it doesn't change the fact that the person I chose to live with, who usually takes away my panic attacks, now caused one. My head hurts even more. Jongin's arms tighten around me. "Jongin. Let me go", I whisper and Jongin looks at me with disbelief. "Baek... Are you sure?" he asks and I look up at him. "Let me go", I repeat and push myself away from Jongin. Instead of turning to Chanyeol, I start walking away. I need to go home. Right now. Sehun looks at me with concern when I walk past him. "I'm fine. It was good to see you", I mumble to him silently and start walking away quickly. My head is screaming again.

I wanted it to be over so bad.

~ Chanyeol's POV

I look at Jongin. "This isn't over", I growl at him before I follow Baekhyun, I can't leave him alone. Baekhyun is having a panic attack - that's happening right now. My ex-boyfriend's killer just confessed - that can wait.

I follow Baekhyun a few feet behind, never letting him out of my sight. He waits by the car and gets in the front seat when I jump behind the wheel. The way back home is silent, not even the radio is on.

When I pull over, Baekhyun gets out of the car as soon as he can and storms inside. I sigh and get out of the car slowly, following him inside. I can hear the bedroom door close as I step into the kitchen. , he must be really hurt. I take a quick look at the clock and the pills on the table that the police gave me.

I put a small bowl of ramyeon on a tray with chopsticks, a big glass of water and the pills next to it. I walk over to Baekhyun's bedroom door and knock on it. "Baek? I know you're hungry. I cooked for you", I say quietly and hear a little shuffling. Baekhyun opens the door and looks at me for a moment before stepping aside and letting me into the room. I set the tray down on the desk and our eyes meet.

"Baekhyun, I-" "Get out." Baekhyun cuts me off and looks down to his feet. He's been crying, a lot I'd assume, his eyes are red and puffy, and streaks that the tears left behind are still on his cheeks. It breaks my heart to see him like this. "I'm sorry", I say quickly before walking out of the room hesitantly.

I have to go back to work tomorrow at 6:00pm. I hate to leave Baekhyun feeling like this, betrayed, sad, angry. But what am I supposed to say? Sorry isn't enough, but there's not much more I could think of. I hurt him, there's no excuse for that. He trusted me, and trust is one of the easiest things a man can break. I seriously ed up this time.

I have to make things right. In the worst case scenario, he marches to the police station and gets thrown into jail while I get in other kinds of trouble for abuse. I shake my head quickly and grab the headphones on my night stand. The soft music playing in them lulls me to sleep within ten minutes.

I wake up tired. My sleep had been very brief, and I woke up several times just to stare at the ceiling and worry about Baekhyun. When I finally get up, my first destination is the door to Baekhyun's room. I knock on it and mumble with a raspy morning voice: "Baekhyun? I'm sorry. Breakfast will be ready soon." No response. I sigh and walk to the bathroom to take a quick shower. I wrap the towel around my waist and head to the kitchen wearing nothing more. When the food is almost done, I walk to Baekhyun's door again. "Baek. Breakfast is ready", I say and wait. No response. "Baekhyun, I'm sorry. Please answer me", I ask again and sigh when he remains silent. "I'm coming in, okay?" I ask and turn the handle.

His bed is empty, the window is open and the cold air that has filled the room surrounds my body. The food on the tray is gone. The pills are still there.

---