The streets were painted white. The wind was cold and freezing. People passing by as the surroundings buzzed around the small male but he didn't paid those things with attention as he was busy nibbling on his now red lower lip for the past ten minutes while internally debating with himself. "Ha!" He exhaled a little loudly and shook his head off the haywire thoughts that was edging into pessimism. He wanted this didn't he? He was the one who accepted the invitation so why was he thinking twice in entering the goddamn restaurant?

Closing his eyes again and biting down on his already abused lips, the images of his friends flashed through his eyes and another weird and odd feeling coursed through his veins yet again. The feeling wanted him to cry and laugh all at the same time but there's still something more to it that he couldn't pinpoint what but nonetheless, the feeling wasn't unwelcomed. If he was being honest enough, it was the same kind of feeling that had been haunting him the past weeks and it was what had urged him to finally meet his friends. His friends that he had last seen years ago. The people he had been unpurposely neglecting but never really stopped caring for him still. Taking another deep breath while embracing this unnamed feeling, Baekhyun lifted a hand and finally pushed the door open, entering their meeting place. 

Before he even had the time to regret anything, he was immediately engulfed in a big embrace. It felt warm.

"Baekhyunnie, you finally came!"

"You're alive!"

"We missed you, you little rascal."

"Where have you been hiding all this time? You've got a lot to catch up!"

"Baekhyuuuuuuun hyunggggggg! Uwaaaa! I missed you so much!!"

"Hyung, welcome back!"

"Good to see you again, Baekhyun."

Greetings after greetings. Hugs after hugs. Others even playfully punching him by the shoulders but he didn't mind. He himself wanted to pinch his skin to know if this was true. If what he was experiencing was real or if everything was just another wishful dream he has.

But the moment someone ruffled his hair, he knew this was all his reality. His reality that he once failed to see and appreciate.

"Kris hyung," he croaked out. 

The blonde chuckled, looking at the smaller with eyes full of adoration. "Still a crybaby, I see."

With those words, Baekhyun only just realized the fat warm tears cascading down his face and the realization only made him sobbed harder but with a whole different reason this time. For the first time in so many years, he wasn't crying because of loneliness or sadness or pain. He was pouring out all the happiness that suddenly filled his being. The happiness he never thought he'll get to feel again. 

"Aww. Who made our Baekhyunnie cry?" A doe-eyed pink haired male cooed.

"Luhan hyung, I hate you," he sobbed as he burried his face into the older male's chest without hesitation, feeling the latter's body vibrate from laughing.

"What a nice first words to hear from you after so long." Luhan regarded but his smile was wide as he wrapped his arms around the sobbing male, laughing when the others joined the hug. 

"Hyung! Where's my hug too? Not fair." The youngest of the group whined. It would be a rare sight to see Sehun pouting and whining for anyone's attention but Baekhyun finally showing up in their gathering was a rarer sight so everyone was legit high with their own euphoria that even Kyungsoo was smiling so brightly at the sight of their petit friend he could rival the sun's rays. 

After all, they were finally complete again. 

Well, almost.

But still. Complete as they can ever be.

The gathering between their somewhat big circle had never been this lively the past years of celebration. Yes, they were always elated to see each other but now that one of those empty chairs were finally occupied with the very person they've been aching to be with was there, this year had been more joyful than the past. 

A lot has changed. A lot had happened but Baekhyun was happy to know that some things never really changed for the worst and only for the better. Their friendship only seemed to get stronger over the past years. Even more now that he's finally back. Back to his own feet. Alive and breathing without feeling like he was out of air. 

There was a lot he needed to catch up but this time, he won't hide from them again. He was thankful the guys was already happy in telling their own stories over the table as they tried to fill him up with the things he had missed, and not bombarding him with questions after questions. They were satisfied for now with the knowledge that Baekhyun was doing fine and was even more satisfied and happy with the assurance that the small male would join their other meet ups and hang outs soon.

"Bye, guys! Bye, Baekhyun! See ya again soon! Happy holidays~" Tao bid them goodbye and left the group first, saying he needed to be early tomorrow for some family event. 

One by one, everyone slowly left. Some even hesitant to leave, wanting to still spend time with Baekhyun, specially Jongdae.

Baekhyun chuckled as Junmyeon shoved the overly hyperactive grown man inside his car. If he wasn't such a nice hyung, he would have left him already to fend for himself a ride home but he wouldn't do that. This time around he knew why Jongdae was acting like a kid again. "Jongdae, please. You'll see Baekhyun again and for pete's sake you can contact him now!" He exclaimed exasperatedly as he slammed the car door closed, not even caring if Jongdae would be hit or anything. 

"True," Jongdae hummed and for a moment everyone thought he would stop acting like a child already only to shatter those quickly as he dramatically tried to reach out for Baekhyun by the car's opened window. 

Junmyeon sighed aloud and Baekhyun couldn't help the small laugh escaping his lips as he watched his silly friends.

After a few more coaxing, Jongdae finally calmed down as he waved the rest goodbye with a pout as Junmyeon drove into the street after nodding at them with a smile. 

They watched until the car was out of sight before Kyungsoo turned his gaze towards his friend beside him who was adorning a small but obviously genuine smile. His eyes sparkling ever so slightly. The light was small but it was enough. For now they know its a big thing already. Their friend's fire was slowly coming back. With this thoughts swimming in Kyungsoo's head, he was a second too late in holding himself back from hugging Baekhyun tightly that it caught the latter by surprise. 

"Kyungsoo?" He called but when the other male didn't responded and only tightened his hug around him, he slowly lifted his to wrap around the significantly smaller male. 

"I missed you."

Baekhyun chuckled hearing those words. "I missed you too and the others. A whole lot."

Kyungsoo pulled away, sniffing but when he looked up there's no more tears present as he had wiped it away already. "You better not hide from us again, you little ." He punched Baekhyun by his chest a little too hard to the vixen's liking. 

He wheezed from the punch but nodded with a smile nonetheless. "I'm done sulking already. Don't worry."

Kyungsoo snorted at that but smiled after before bidding him good bye with one last assurance that he'll stay in contact with everyone. 

"Merry Christmas. Take care, hyung." The tanned-skinned male, Jongin, finally said after just watching the two by the side, giving Baekhyun one of his warmest smile that the latter appreciated so much. 

"You too, guys. Happy holidays." He waved them goodbye as the two walked away hand in hand. He also watched the two until they were far enough from him before turning on his heals and start walking to a different path from his house.

"Hey, Chanyeol." He breathed out softly, thick fog coming out of his mouth as he spoke. He adjusted the red scarf around his neck before sitting down on the patch of grass that still managed to stay alive despite the harsh weather of winter.

Baekhyun breathed out when he was answered with silence. He then decided to just fixed his gaze a far, watching as the sun slowly starts to set. 

"I met with the guys." He started again, a small smile dancing across his lips as he reminisced the earlier happenings. "They've kinda changed. They became more loud and rowdy." He chuckled, eyes still fixated by the slowly going down sun.

Baekhyun didn't said anything after as he closed his eyes, drowning in the silence of his once loud and messy mind. He oddly felt calm.

The wind blew. The small patch of grass beside him rustled as if someone was shifting on their place and Baekhyun was yet again engulfed with the feeling of nostalgia as he faintly heard some christmas carolling. The sound was far and he could only make out some words but the hymn and melody felt crystal clear in his ears.

He smiled and fluttered his eyes open again, looking at the sky. "It's been a long while since." He whispered through the air but he knew that his giant would still hear him even the faintest of sound he made. "I could never imagined myself before in this but here I am now, visiting you again with a light heart."

Baekhyun didn't want to cry in front of him but his eyes still watered a little.

He smiled at him.

Baekhyun glanced down again and brushed his nimble fingers on the cold stone. "Merry Christmas, Chanyeol. I miss you."

Park Chanyeol
Nov. 27, 1994 - Dec. 23, 2012
The giant happy virus of everyone.
The sweetest lover one could ever have.

"Five years passed by so fast. I hope you're happy already wherever you are." Baekhyun gave him the sweetest smile. He lifted a hand and put his middle and index finger on his lips before bringing down his fingers over the thombstone, right where his late lover's name was engraved before standing up on his feet.

He unjusted his scarf again, gazing up at the now slowly darkening sky before turning on his heels to walk away from the hill top where he was burried. 

Unseen. Unheard. Unfelt. Chanyeol stood by the top, watching the back of his small lover grew smaller and smaller by the distance between them.

"I miss you too, Baekhyun," he whispered through the air with a sad but relieved smile. 

Baekhyun shivered by the sudden chilly breeze that passed him, making him burry his hands inside his thick winter jacket more as stopped on his track, briefly glancing back as if he heard the words the winds tried to deliver before looking forward again with a smile on his lips as he continued his walk back home.