“You’re out of bed?” Chanyeol asked with a yawn as he entered the dimly lit library in the west wing of his mansion.

He had originally crawled his way out of bed, stumbling blindly with his eyes closed, in search for a glass of blood before slipping back under the covers. However, as he entered the hall, he was annoyed to see a light shining from one end and wondered who in their right mind would be awake at such an ungodly hour. Figuring it was Yixing working on finances again, he was prepared to lecture his butler when he discovered Baekhyun hunched over a pile of books and papers.

“I am,” Baekhyun hummed, his eyes still trained on the words on the documents in his hands, “As are you.”

Chanyeol stretched out his back until it snapped and he sat across from Baekhyun, “I was thirsty.” he defended sleepily as he brought a wine glass to his lips, “What’s your excuse?”

“I’m working,” Baekhyun replied, still reading over a document and Chanyeol quirked a curious eyebrow, but said nothing.

“Get out of my head,” Baekhyun sighed, putting the papers down on the desk, “Stop trying to pry into my thoughts.”

Chanyeol chuckled tiredly and shrugged, “Can’t help it. You’re being cryptic.”

“Cryptic,” Baekhyun repeated with a snort, “I said exactly what I’m doing.”

“It’s so early,” Chanyeol whined and stretched back in the armchair, “Too early to work. What are you working on?”

“Oh,” Baekhyun glanced up at Chanyeol with a half amused smile, “Have you learned some etiquette about reading people’s minds then?”

“You won’t let me,” Chanyeol pouted and gave Baekhyun a wide puppy-eyed stare, “You closed me out.”

Baekhyun stuck his tongue out at the pouting King and then sighed, “I’m putting together a syllabus. I managed to pull together a last minute job after the holidays.”

Chanyeol, a little more awake now having drank the rest of his blood, was becoming more interested by the second, “You simply have connections everywhere, don’t you?”

“That can’t be helped,” Baekhyun shrugged, “Comes with age.”

Chanyeol laughed then, loud and boisterous, “Well then, how’d you do it?”

“You know, just made a few phone calls,” Baekhyun grinned.

***

Baekhyun had been thinking about doing this for a while now, ever since that incident with Minseok at the bus stop. He had connections everywhere and it was almost too easy for him to contact these people and finally have them return their favours. Some were much greater than others, but this one, Baekhyun figured, would be the most important one of all. So, he dialed the number he had located in the phonebook and sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath as he waited.

Three rings went through before a voice came from the other end of the receiver.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.” Baekhyun said as he twirled the landline cord between his fingers, “I have a favour to ask of you.”

Hesitation, a sigh and then, “I’m listening.”

“You owe me,” he began slowly, “You owe me for saving your life.”

“What can I do for you, Baekhyun-ssi?”

“I need… a job.”

“A job?” the voice asked surprised, “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“I suppose I could arrange that…”

***

Chanyeol pulled his legs up into the chair, looking comically too large for it as he did so, and leaned forward just slightly, “He hired you just like that, huh?”

Baekhyun nodded and looked back down at the papers spread out on the desk, “This will give me a chance to get closer to him, don’t you think?”

“Oh,” Chanyeol realized Baekhyun’s goal finally and smiled warmly, “You’re going to win him back are you?”

“I’m not going to waste my time anymore.” Baekhyun whispered, but his determination was more than evident in his voice, “I’m not going to let him slip through my fingers so easily.” he dropped his eyes down to look at the papers on the table once more - news articles from the past, “The fight isn’t over yet.”

Chanyeol grinned wide, “There’s the Baekhyun I used to know. I’ve missed you.”

Baekhyun chuckled and picked up an article with his photograph, “I’ve missed me too.”

***

Minseok flopped down onto his bed with an indignant groan. Luhan peered over at him from behind his book and tried his best not to laugh, but Minseok was really just so cute and being whiny was not helping his case. The muffled giggles did not go unheard by Minseok, who looked over his shoulder to glare at his roommate.

“Sorry,” Luhan chuckled, “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m graduating finally this spring,” Minseok sighed, “I thought I was graduating this spring. But I need an elective, apparently.”

“Oh,” Luhan pouted, “I take it that the meeting with your academic advisor went well then.”

Minseok rolled his eyes and sat up on his bed in order to face Luhan, “You could say that.” he muttered.

Luhan pondered for a moment before he had a semi-decent idea. It was only semi-decent, because while the course he was thinking of still had openings available and could easily pass as Minseok’s elective, he realized that the latter would rather postpone graduating than attending it. Maybe if he could just convince him that it would be worthwhile, then-

“Ah!” Luhan shrieked as a pillow came into contact with his face, “Did you just throw that at me!?”

Minseok snickered, “You were spaced out.” he said innocently as if that were enough of a defense.

Luhan pouted and threw the pillow back, “Don’t be mean. I was thinking.”

“About?”

“About a course that is still open for registration…” Luhan hummed and twirled a pencil between his fingers before dropping it between the pages of the book he was reading and slamming it shut, “I’m sure it could be useful to you as an elective, because it’s in a field you haven’t studied before.”

Minseok looked at Luhan curiously, “What course would that be?”

“Technically, it’s a history course…” Luhan began slowly, “So you’d probably find it at least partially interesting, since you’re a nerd and all.”

Minseok guffawed and prepared to throw the pillow again when Luhan put his hands up in defense, “I’m teasing! I like how nerdy you are!”

And so the pillow was