A/N: Hello~ Sorry for the late update! I had some technical difficulties as the site wouldn't let me add a chapter :c I apologize for that and also if this chapter appears odd, the sentences/paragraphs jumbled around while I was changing the font size. I have fixed it and rearranged the story to its correct sequence now, but if there is something off still or if you feel something isn't right, please let me know!

Hope you guys have a great day ♥

"...Baekhyun-ah?" Chanyeol peered into the hall towards the bathroom. It wasn't lit or closed. He turned to their bedroom.

"Baek-hyung?" He opened the door and scanned the room. It was dead silent and dark, empty. He walked in toward Baekhyun's side of the room. His hamper didn't have the clothes he went out with, nor was anything in his wardrobe taken out or moved.

He couldn't have left, right?

Chanyeol closed the door after finding that Baekhyun's luggage and backpacks were still in the room. Chanyeol lingered, holding the doorknob, deep in thought of Baekhyun's whereabouts.

We've had worse fights... If he left, he couldn't have gone too far and he can't be gone too long if he didn't bring anything. But...I didn't check if his wallet was in the room. ...Mm... I doubt he would just leave and worry everyone. ...Did he even bring his wallet today when we went out? Aish...

He pondered his own actions that day. Chanyeol couldn't even figure out why they were tense in the first place, why things had gone wrong so fast... They hadn't even argued today, save for telling Baekhyun to stay home...but Chanyeol concluded that wasn't enough to set Baekhyun off.

He leaned against their bedroom door, crossing his arms, staring at the wooden floor absently.

Would that really have bothered him...? I just wanted him to be rest more, it was ridiculous of him to work after- ...after everything..he..went..through...

Chanyeol sighed irritatingly. He shut his eyes closed in frustration from his own idiocy.

I keep messing up! I'm making things worse and making it harder for Baekhyun... Baekhyun has been through enough and endured a lot, I can't expect him to act the same as before! He's been at his limit for so long... Plus the things online... Stupid Chanyeol, stupid! I-I...I just wanted to protect him...from everything. I just want to help... But I can't keep Baekhyun at home forever...he's part of EXO.

“Ugh...!” Chanyeol was wasting time again berating himself. He wished Baekhyun would just tell him or give him a list of what to do and not to do, but he knew that was impossible and would be way too long.

“Goodnight Chanyeol,” Suho patted Chanyeol's shoulder, “sleep well tonight, ah?” Xiumin and Kai followed suit through the hallway, waving and hugging Chanyeol, congratulating him again and bidding him goodnight.

Chanyeol bit his lip, deciding to tell the members or not of Baekhyun's disappearance. He didn't want to bother them if it wasn't a crisis, but at the same time, it worried him.

D.O exited the bathroom rubbing a towel in his hair, he looked at Chanyeol and was about to simply greet him, but Chanyeol's expression stopped him. “You okay, Chanyeol? Something wrong?”

Chanyeol smiled and shook his head. “Ah, just thinking about my accomplishments and what to do next to make you guys proud. I want to surprise you so much that you say, 'Wow, Chanyeol...So great,'” he nodded while placing his hand under his chin in a contemplating pose with stars in his eyes.

D.O laughed, hitting his arm. “Alright. Goodnight, Chanyeolie. Make sure you actually sleep tonight. Let me know if you want me to watch Baekhyun-ah for you, okay?”

Chanyeol nodded, “De! I will, goodnight Kyungsoo-yah!”
 

All of s were in their rooms, retired for the night, leaving Chanyeol to find his roommate so they could go to bed. Chanyeol thought about leaving Baekhyun alone for the night, it wasn't like he couldn't sleep without Baekhyun...but it was much more preferable after he had gotten used to it after so many nights. He also wouldn't be able to go to bed knowing was missing.

Chanyeol needed to be alone to think. He was about to walk into their bedroom, but as soon as he touched the doorknob, he remembered the events of this morning with Baekhyun.

W-Was it that, that upset him...?

Chanyeol ran a hand through his hair. He still couldn't comprehend what had happened that morning.

He shook his head out of his thoughts again. Chanyeol decided that he would be too distracted trying to remember what happened, rather than figuring out where Baekhyun would go at this time. He chose to go sit in his studio.

A light bulb went off in his head on the way there. He hit his forehead.

If I were Baekhyun and I wanted to hide from Chanyeol, I'd be where he wouldn't look first!

Chanyeol dashed so fast to his studio, he had skidded to a stop, passing it a little bit. He quickly turned the knob. “Baek-!”

As he called his name, Chanyeol had found his best friend facing the corner of the room, hunched over in the dark. His eyes widened, his smile disappeared. “Baekhyunnie!”

Chanyeol ran in and dropped to his knees on the floor behind Baekhyun. His arms wrapped around him, enveloping his entire being in his wide arms. He wanted to start crying. “D-Don't! Don't do it! Don't you dare, got it?! I'm here now, it's okay... I'm sorry, ah? I'm sorry Baekhyun-ah, I'm stupid and I shouldn't have acted this way the whole day. I-” He stopped once he heard Baekhyun lightly chuckle.

“Yes... You are stupid. You don't want me to finish fixing this? I thought you wanted it really badly after talking about it for so long...” Baekhyun said quietly. He picked up another large piece, squeezed glue on it, then stuck it on the other pieces. “You're lucky that when you dropped it, it only broke into five pieces. It's a little chipped on some of the pieces though... But look, your name still shows-”

Baekhyun lifted Chanyeol's completed award and nearly dropped it as Chanyeol held him tighter.

Chanyeol pulled Baekhyun closer, fitting him in his lap as his legs surrounded Baekhyun. “I was so worried...” Chanyeol whispered into Baekhyun's shoulder.

Baekhyun slowly put down the award on the floor before ruffling Chanyeol's hair briefly. “Hey... That's- That's...part of the past now, okay? It's okay now... I'll be okay. Don't cry you big idiot. It's not like I went anywhere. I wanted to surprise you and you don't even want it.”

Chanyeol laughed and lifted his head off of Baekhyun's shoulder, peering over it to look at the award. Easily, he grabbed the award with one hand as the other arm kept tight around Baekhyun. “Thank you... I completely forgot about it...”

Baekhyun was right. The award from far away would look perfectly fine. From up close, the cracks were deep and the chips were obvious all over the award. It even missed tiny pieces in the middle of it, but his name and the award's title and date still showed. He smiled.

Baekhyun leaned back into the hug, closing his eyes. Chanyeol was warm...always there, warming Baekhyun's cold, cold heart. He let his smile grow on his face, relaxing in the embrace, feeling safe. He gave in, he couldn't fight it. “How could you forget about it...? It's a special award. Only a handful of people is selected every year to perform... That's why you've been bragging about it for the week...”

Baekhyun pictured Chanyeol's lips for the nth time that day. He smiled sadly.

I can live with this... Just feeling this...

Chanyeol adjusted to Baekhyun's comfort, supporting all of his weight as he leaned against him. He snuggled into his shoulder again, leaning on it while his face lightly brushed Baekhyun's. He felt his chest tense. “Because... You're more important to me... I was so worried about you. That's...That's why I told you to stay home... I didn't mean it to sound like that. I don't want to tell you what to do with your time... I just wanted to protect you...from things like today at the recording studio.”

I want to protect you too... That's why I have to do this Chanyeol. I have to change... Please understand... Just understand this part of my heart.

Baekhyun swallowed and nodded. He forced a smile. “I know... I'm sorry I snapped at you. I will be fine. ...You trust me right?”

I'm sorry, Chanyeolie.

“De! Of course!” Chanyeol answered with such confidence. He was so happy that they reconciled that he had tumbled them onto the floor, lying them sideways. “Wahh..!” He smiled widely.

Always stay like this.

“Yah! Let go of me!” He laughed out with Chanyeol, trying to pry his fingers off of him.

“No! No!! I'm never letting go! You're stuck- with me!” Chanyeol fought against Baekhyun's attempts at escaping.

They rolled around laughing and laughed even harder after having a mini heart attack when they accidentally almost knocked over Chanyeol's award.

After their laughter finally died, Chanyeol stood and placed the award on his desk. He then slung his arm around Baekhyun's neck as they walked to their bedroom to finally get some well-deserved peace and sleep. On the way there, they joked about how they acted at the recording office and how lucky they were that they never got caught. They continued snickering in their room.

Chanyeol arrived at his wardrobe first, he pulled a shirt off of a hanger, ready to toss it at Baekhyun. “Here, you can wear this one tonight,” he offered.

Baekhyun gave a small smile, then walked to his own wardrobe. “It's okay, thanks, Chanyeol. I have my own clothes, you know? I don't always wear yours,” he laughed while picking out a random t-shirt and pants to change into.

Chanyeol stood there a little disheartened. “R-Right,” he laughed awkwardly. He laughed at himself for being silly and overre