A/N: *this is 2 years after the last chapter (they are 18 here)

--

Baekhyun feels absolutely nauseous. His stomach is churning and his throat is collapsing on itself. His mask is constricting against his face, forcing him to breathe even if he’s already hyperventilating. The fact that he’s about 8,000 feet in the air and grazing mountain tops in his cruiser isn’t helping either.

“Ah, !” Baekhyun jerks as Kyungsoo’s X-wing flies from above and cruises in front of him.

“Your comm is hot,” Kyungsoo’s crackled voice warns over the communication link. He’s always been a stickler for the rules, even 8,000 feet above the Temple.

“Well don’t drop out of the sky in front of me next time! You almost gave me a heart attack,” Baekhyun ripes the oxygen mask off of his face. He gasps for a huge breath and finally feels his lungs expand properly

Kyungsoo insists on flying with Baekhyun on Tython. One reason – because all the Jedi Knights were being tested on their abilities to coordinate flight attacks, and Two – Baekhyun is at flying. He’s certainly not the worst, but he’s nowhere near the other Knights abilities. He’s not as tactful as the Masters would like him to be. Baekhyun could barely keep his head level when flying the B-wing. He swears that ship just flips on its own.

So, here they are, flying too close to mountain peaks and dodging the tall trees on Tython. Baekhyun thinks that if he survives this, he’ll be able to survive an Eko attack. Practically all the battles were done in space, and there was a lot more distance between ships than dodging trees on Tython.

Baekhyun just dreads this. His R5 unit is beeping incessantly that they are flying too low, and Baekhyun has given up shouting at the poor astrodroid. To be fair, the poor yellow guy just doesn’t want to be broken in half with the ship and burn in a fiery death. Neither does Baekhyun.

Baekhyun now closely follows Kyungsoo’s tail, which is even more nerve wracking than flying with the path revealed. This way, Baekhyun has to blindly trust that Kyungsoo knew the pathway through tall trees and mountain tops, and Baekhyun has to fly exactly the way that Kyungsoo has laid out. It’s absolutely terrifying.

“There will be situations where you have to time your flight pattern exactly right so that your team will be able to pass through without harm,” Kyungsoo explains over the comm so calmly that Baekhyun thinks that he has the flight pattern on autopilot. “For instance, your leader’s plan is to invade enemy ships. The way to avoid their cannons is to get extremely close to their ships. Meanwhile, the Government’s cruiser is attacking the said ship-“

“Yeah, okay. I get it. Explosions and fire and metal shrapnel to avoid,” Baekhyun breathes heavy. He can feel Kyungsoo get frustrated, especially when the comm is dead for a couple seconds. Kyungsoo is definitely holding mute. In front of Baekhyun, Kyungsoo’s ship pulls up into the sky, clear from the mountain tops. Baekhyun can breathe a little better.

Baekhyun reaches Kyungsoo’s same altitude and sees Kyungsoo visibly glaring at the other Knight. Baekhyun screws his face, “What?”

Kyungsoo huffs with a not impressed face. He says haughtily, “Well, since you know everything there is about flying in tight spaces, make a plan for me to follow. You’re the captain. Lead away.”

Kyungsoo points to the mountain ridges coming up ahead. Baekhyun swallows hard when he looks beyond. There’s a denser population of trees up ahead, and Kyungsoo is pointing directly to the packed forest below.

There’s an exhilarating charge in his chest. Baekhyun can’t resist the challenge even if he’s scared out of wits (and of Kyungsoo). He nods and charges his fighter ahead. His heart is pounding as his fighter races toward the tree line. Baekhyun can see a whir of green swipe past him as his fighter tears sideways into the tree line. His vision is focused on the close quarters of the forest, dipping his wings slightly to avoid the needles on the trees. He doesn’t even know if Kyungsoo is behind him. He can only trust that the other Knight is trailing him dutifully in the simulation.

As Baekhyun whips past the tight forest, it gets a lot easier for him to breathe. Even his R5 unit isn’t whistling at him to stay clear of the trees. Baekhyun is feeling a lot more confident as he heads towards a little clearing.

“R5, pull up a map of the mountain ranges,” Baekhyun requests, immediately getting whistles from the atrodroid. There’s a holographic projection of the topographical surface of Tython and their relative location of the planet’s surface. Baekhyun scans the image with a small smile settling on his face when the gears turn in his head.

He breathes into his comm, “Okay, I’ve got a plan. I’ll send you the coordinates and the route we’re taking.”

“Roger,” Kyungsoo calls back. Baekhyun speeds off ahead to the direction he wants to go. There’s a passageway of ravines with tight spaces just ahead. From the maps data, Baekhyun is sure that the ships will fit through the tight spaces, just like on any Eko cruiser ship. He just prays that the maps are accurate enough, otherwise they would be a crumpled mess.

In the view where Baekhyun’s wings barely scrapes the mountain tips, the expanse below is absolutely incredible. Tython is such a beautiful planet, much different from Baekhyun’s memories on Kamar. Kamar is plain, where Tython has so much to offer. The planets surface is dark because of the tall trees and mountains creating shadows on the villages. Above, Baekhyun can actually see the color of the planet. It’s luscious green with plenty of blue tipped mountains with sparkling crystals hidden within the flat rock. There’s a winding river with white rapids foaming below.

Baekhyun’s target is the waterfall the river pours from about 50 miles down. However, there’s many blue tipped mountains in the way which would trap the ships if they stayed at the altitude. It would be easy to just go over the mountains – probably a lot safer too – but Baekhyun knows there’s another route. Plus, Kyungsoo would probably yell at him if he took the easy route in the simulation.

Baekhyun pushes his ers forward toward the mountains, gaining speed quickly to the mountains. He can’t hear any chatter from the comm, but Kyungsoo is bound to be behind him moving just as fast. Baekhyun can hear his astrodroid beeping and roaring as the blue mountain is approaching way too fast, but Baekhyun pushes forward. He’s going so fast and feels the rush when the mountain is just barely 100 feet from the nose being crushed in.

“Engines off!” Baekhyun barks, and the R5 unit doesn’t hesitate when the nose is barely scraping the flat rock. The ship suddenly is falling out of the sky. Baekhyun does anticipate a little bit of tumbling, but the bumpy ride is a little rougher than expected. Gravity is pressing Baekhyun upward, and he offsets by placing a palm up on the glass overhead of the ship. The sound of the weightless ship falling down makes Baekhyun’s heart slightly race.

“On my command, turn the engines on. Okay?” Baekhyun stares sternly at the yellow unit at the nose of the ship. It beeps in affirmative, appendage locked into the mechanisms of the ship. Baekhyun breathes as the world is streaming past him. It’s risky, but Baekhyun is secretly loving the rush.

The blue mountains are getting darker as the ship falls deeper into the forest. Shadows creep in as he falls so fast, but Baekhyun knows he has to hold just a little longer. A little bit more and finally –

“Now!”

The breath is knocked out of him as his engines kick on again. Once it lights, he’s rocketing forward into a cave almost at the ground level. Baekhyun falls hard into his seat as gravity throws him back, but his fingers automatically grip his handles and forward. There’s a huge grin on his face as he dodges cave crystals. He feels adventure running through his veins as he navigates the twinkling cave with light blinding him at the end.

When he exits the cave and into the expanse, and notices the ravine is a little closer than he expects, especially with a wall of rock blocking most of the lower entrance to it. Baekhyun pulls up and spins his ship sideways to fit. The ravine is dark as he zooms through the tight space. The walls look like they are closing in when Baekhyun’s ships lights illuminate the flat grey stone. Baekhyun holds his breath as he presses further forward, even when the grey wall is narrowing closely to his glass ceiling.

Baekhyun then suddenly pulls up and feels his ship struggling when he’s shooting up vertical. But finally, after moments of tight quarters, Baekhyun’s ship shoots up into a forest and high into the clear sky. Baekhyun finally gasps a breath when he sees a clear blue sky and not grey. His ship is steadying in the sky and he takes a moment to not forward.

He hollers in delight and can barely hear his comm crackling, “What kind of detour was that?”

Baekhyun laughs, “What are you talking about? That was the plan all along.”

Kyungsoo’s ship hovers next to Baekhyun’s and he can finally see Kyungsoo’s face. He finally throws off his oxygen mask and has his signature stagnant face. Baekhyun swears he can see a little smile twitching at his lips, though it could be just the warped glass.

Baekhyun nods his head forward, “Let’s land?”

The two Jedi Knights land at the clearing near the waterfalls end. It’s misty from the white rapids foaming at the start of the river. There’s green everywhere in the clearing. The blue mountains surround them in the canyon. Baekhyun can’t wait, so he practically bounces out of his ship once he lands. He stretches high, and breathes in the fresh air, smelling the fresh mist. The cold water bounces off his skin and he feels refreshed in the cool air. It’s absolutely peaceful and quiet, so serene that it felt like a dream.

Kyungsoo crosses his path and stands by the river. Baekhyun follows, taking in the green beauty of the surrounding area.

“So, how’s my aerial leadership?” Baekhyun flicks his wrist through the water.

“Master Shiik might take points off for being reckless,” Kyungsoo shrugs, eyes glazed to the water. “But you did fit your ship in close quarters.”

Baekhyun can feel a grin spread across his face, “You think I did really well.”

He looks up to Kyungsoo, who is still flat faced and looking at the water. He snorts, “You did okay.”

Baekhyun still smiles though, knowing that a praise from Kyungsoo is one of the rarest gems to come by. They slowly became friends, only first by association. They grew together as training Padawans, and only hung out with Jongdae. But Jongdae was their glue. When Baekhyun sees Jongdae and Kyungsoo together alone, he can tell they’re close. Kyungsoo and Jongdae have an understanding between them that is different, like family. They touch and tease, but not too far. They help each other to the end and work together really well.

Baekhyun wishes he can work seamlessly with someone like that. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun haven’t always seen eye to eye with strategies. Baekhyun likes to take risk, whereas Kyungsoo believes in his solid knowledge and strategy. Baekhyun thinks it’s irritating when Kyungsoo wants to wait for backup, even when they have the enemy down and can press forward.

Baekhyun was able to work with Jongdae after years of mission separation. The Council saw Baekhyun’s steady maturity, the way he wouldn’t commit to his emotions any longer. Baekhyun was relieved, because he really likes working with Jongdae. He’s got Kyungsoo’s sensibility, but he’s also valiant in battle. He’s a blend of risk and rationality. Jongdae is kind and just absolutely selfless. He’s an excellent warrior and a great companion. Baekhyun would not have it any other way.

“Jongdae’s coming back today, right?” Baekhyun says, mindlessly waving his fingers through the clear water in sweeps.

“Tomorrow,” Kyungsoo says with a sigh. He looks stuck in thought, but Baekhyun won’t comment on it. He doesn’t think their relationship is that strong.

“I miss him.”

Baekhyun isn't sure what overcame him to say the comment, but he just let it fall out. It’s true, he really does miss the others company. Especially when Jedi Knights are getting trained on their abilities, Baekhyun gets very nervous. He clams up, and it’s difficult for him to really believe in himself. He always questions whether he's really doing the right thing. It’s a constant battle for him, but Jongdae always manages to cheer him on. The guy goes out of his way to prod Baekhyun along, even still to this day. It’s comforting, Baekhyun thinks. He definitely likes it.

As they’ve gotten older, Baekhyun’s noticed some changes, specifically external features. With growth spurts and body changes, he’s definitely noticed transformations within all of the new Knights. Kyungsoo, once pudgy and short, has grown into his body more. Baekhyun himself was a skinny bean, but now was filling himself with muscle. And Jongdae... Jongdae is very lean.

Baekhyun doesn’t know how else to describe it, because he’s blushing when he imagines Jongdae. He grew into his body as well, but he’s more defined in his shape. His baby fat around his face is gone, and it reveals defined structure that Baekhyun hasn’t noticed before. It makes him tingle, in a good way, he supposes. Or a bad way, maybe, because Jongdae’s face is distracting.

Baekhyun isn’t sure how he feels because he can’t really describe it. It’s pretty embarrassing, he thinks, so he can’t even say it out loud. Especially since they are all friends.

“You should have talked to him when he called,” Kyungsoo comments. One night last week, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun were coming back from eating when Jongdae had called in with a holoprojector. Baekhyun remembers it clearly because all of a sudden his stomach started churning when Jongdae would break into the smile that forces his eyes closed. He ran away, saying that he was too tired, even though his heart was hammering in his chest.

Baekhyun shrugs. “I was tired.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t push, but Baekhyun feels like the other can sense his tensed muscles and the way his throat clamps when he’s lying. But, Baekhyun is clever enough to cover up his lies, and Kyungsoo is smart enough not to call it out.

Baekhyun forces his body up and shakes off the excess water on his fingers. He flashes a solid grin at the other Knight, “We should probably head back before the Council thinks we crashed.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes are still suspicious, but he follows Baekhyun back toward their respective ships. When Baekhyun climbs back in, he feels his hands shaking on the controls.

-

There’s a celebration committee when Jongdae arrives back from his long stay mission (one that was definitely paid for by Chanyeol). It’s been planned ever since Jongdae was ordered on a long mission as a Jedi Knight some three months ago. Baekhyun is appointed caterer when Chanyeol finally finds out about his connections in the kitchen, and Kyungsoo is forcibly put as the artist. Chanyeol forces the poor Jedi Knight to finds balloons and confetti, two things that are strictly forbidden in the Temple. Baekhyun almost died from laughter when he saw Kyungsoo smuggling in bright pink balloons and colorful paper underneath drab robes.

Baekhyun doesn’t complain with his position since he definitely doesn’t mind the kitchen. In fact, he’s been friends with the kitchen staff since his arrival at the Temple years ago. The head Besalisk chef, Gunther, looks absolutely intimidating, but he has such a soft heart for the young Jedi Knight. Baekhyun wormed his way through the Besalisk’s heart and now they enjoy each others company.

Baekhyun only asks Gunther for a small favor, the baking of cupcakes for Jongdae’s return, by request of Chanyeol. Baekhyun remembers the Besalisk grinning wide. He laughs and folds his arms behind him, “I’ll provide all the materials, but you’ll do it yourself.”

Baekhyun whines, “But I don’t know how to do sweets!”

“I’ll show you the basics,” The Besalisk chef moves to shift materials off of a counter and clears a space with his four arms. He gives Baekhyun a stern look. “But don’t get any bright ideas, little Jedi. I’m not doing the work for you.”

Baekhyun can only grin.

Gunther shows Baekhyun the mixture of ingredients to make perfect fluffy cakes. Baekhyun feels playful though, and he tosses some flour at Gunther. Baekhyun then ends up covered in the white flour when the Besalisk dumps a bowl over Baekhyun’s head. Instead of getting mad, they just laugh hard in the empty back room of the kitchen.

Baekhyun ends up icing the first batch of cooled cupcakes. He concentrates hard on the design, even if it’s simple white frosting with Welcome Back individual letters written out. Baekhyun even sticks his tongue out cutely when he gently squeezes the pipet bag of blue frosting.

“You’re putting a lot of effort into this. You must really like whoever you’re doing this for,” Gunther says while pouring the batter into another sheet. Baekhyun almost messes up his scribble of the lower e.

Baekhyun tries to laugh it off, even when his face is extremely hot. He’s glad he’s turned away from Gunther, otherwise the chef would about his blush. His laugh is strained, “What are you talking about?”

Gunther shrugs, setting the tray into the oven with his lower arm. “I don’t have to be a Jedi to sense that you’re feeling a spell of love.”

Baekhyun can’t even control the way that his blush reaches his ears. He just tries hard to concentrate on the icing rather than the pounding of his heart. He scoffs, “Yeah, right. This is just for a friend coming home.”

Baekhyun finishes icing the rest of Welcome onto the cupcakes and wipes the accumulated sweat on his forehead. Now, he’s feeling pretty self-conscious about his actions. He didn’t think that he was giving off weird signals. This only is a kind gesture that Chanyeol made him do. Not that he wouldn’t have done a homecoming celebration for Jongdae.

The next batch of cupcakes are finally cooking, so Baekhyun doesn’t have much to do except to wait. He isn’t going to make an army’s worth of cupcakes, despite Chanyeol’s whining and protests. When he leans against the counter, he can see a smirk against Gunther’s face.

“What?” Baekhyun calls out, making Gunther widen his smile. He’s doing something with three of his hands, and the other steady on the freezer. In a flash, Gunther throws a tray into the freezer and slams it shut. Baekhyun immediately eyes the freezer, “What was that?”

But Gunther slams it shut before Baekhyun can reach it. He grins wide, “A surprise.”

Baekhyun folds his arms in front of his chest. He stares up at the chef with a half-daring look, “Don’t play with me.”

“Never,” Gunther says, his voice knowing and sing-song like. He throws some trays into the sink and wipes his hands. “Go do something else. These cakes won’t be done for another hour.”

“Fine,” Baekhyun grumbles, walking away slowly. Just before he exits out of the kitchen, he throws, “But don’t pull any tricks – I’ll sense it anyway!”

Baekhyun goes to return to the other associates of Jongdae’s celebratory party. He finally feels the fever die down in his cheeks. He feels so weird doing his celebration now that Gunther’s accusations. Baekhyun likes Jongdae, of course, as his friend. But the more and more that the chef talked about Baekhyun’s weird behavior, he couldn’t help but question his own thoughts.

-

Of course, in true Chanyeol fashion, the celebration is delayed. Mostly because of Kyungsoo’s unwillingness to cooperate, but also Chanyeol’s can-do attitude and not being able to abandon Kyungsoo just because he didn't want to play. He wanted to string balloons all along Jongdae’s path back to his room and burst out with confetti when he arrived.

“We can’t put balloons in the hallways,” Kyungsoo grumbled as Chanyeol whined.

He is right. The Council would have none of this celebration be advertised. So, in Chanyeol’s fashion, he decides to relocate all the events into Jongdae’s room. The only problem is that Kyungsoo and Jongdae currently share the room and –

“I hate this. We should have never even agreed to this,” Kyungsoo grouses angrily, his arms folded in front of his chest, as he watches his room turn into a pink mess. Baekhyun has to stifle his giggle when Chanyeol just keeps ripping the tissue paper into tiny pieces and throws them into a pile on the once neat ground.

“I think it adds something,” Baekhyun’s eyes are twinkling with glee. Chanyeol has been taking initiative when Kyungsoo had stopped with the plan all together. He said something about doing it for the friendship of Jongdae, and Kyungsoo almost er punched the Senator. Kyungsoo sulked instead, and then returned to only glare at the Senator ripping shreds of paper.

“You’re only saying that because your room isn’t getting destroyed,” Kyungsoo stresses, eyes steadily trying to burn a hole in the paper shreds.

“You know,” Chanyeol blows his bangs out of his eyes as he starts ripping the green tissue paper. “This would go a lot faster if I could get some help.”

“Actually, my job description says baking. I’m pretty sure that means no paper tearing,” Baekhyun grins, turning toward Kyungsoo, who is still glaring from his own doorway. “Kyungsoo? Any thoughts?”

Kyungsoo just grunts, leaning against the frame. Chanyeol tears a long shred and absolutely whines, “Come on!”

“Nope. Not a chance,” Kyungsoo replies quick, watching the long strands fall to his side of the room.

“All I need is balloons to be blown up,” Chanyeol pouts, throwing a box toward the two Jedi. They are extremely pink. “Please? I’ll even settle for just ten.”

“Don’t you have somewhere to be doing Senator things?”

Chanyeol looks at Kyungsoo as if he has two heads. He spits out, “It’s holiday. No one works on holidays!”

Before he can see Kyungsoo roll his eyes, Baekhyun notices a little green flash of light on his arm. His comm link is lighting up, which means that someone is trying to get a message through. Baekhyun quickly tears away from Kyungsoo and Chanyeol arguing in the room and treads down the hallway. Baekhyun doesn’t want to risk the call if it’s important, and presses his device. Lo and behold, it’s just the smiling face that makes his stomach churn.

“Hi,” Jongdae’s blue holographic form grins. Baekhyun wants so badly to just run away and hide, but he did accept the call. “Haven’t seen you since I left.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says sheepishly, increasing his distance away from the celebrating committee. “I’ve been busy.”

“Or you’ve been avoiding my calls.”

He sounds disappointed. He even looks disappointed. If his smile makes Baekhyun’s stomach churn, his sadness makes Baekhyun ache. He really can’t get anything past Jongdae, because somehow he just knows, but Jongdae doesn’t press. He never pushes Baekhyun too far, but Baekhyun always feels the deepening guilt within him. It sinks him, but he doesn’t acknowledge his avoidance.

“Like I said, I’ve been pretty busy at the Temple,” Baekhyun says further. Jongdae’s face looks sadder, but Baekhyun blames it on the flicker of the hologram.

“Well, hopefully you’ll have enough time to talk to me in 20 minutes,” Jongdae’s smiles climbs back up his cheeks.

Baekhyun blinks, his mind racing, and his face construed unattractively. Jongdae drops the flicker of a smile and looks pitifully through the projection. “Did you forget that I was returning today?”

Baekhyun is getting nervous now, because oh , Chanyeol definitely planned this wrong. They all planned for Jongdae’s arrival later in the evening. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are currently bickering with little to none decorations ready. Baekhyun isn’t even done with half of the baking.

“I-I thought you were coming later,” Baekhyun tries not to stutter, but he’s literally shaking.

Jongdae laughs, “Jakku isn’t that far. I should be entering Tython’s atmosphere soon.”

Baekhyun swallows thickly, “I’ll be awaiting your return, then.”

Jongdae grins wonderfully. It makes Baekhyun stir crazy.

“Don’t keep me waiting.”

And just like that, Jongdae’s blue holographic smile blips out and Baekhyun is left standing. He’s practically jumping into action when the deadline runs through his head. He’s running down the hallways, and breathlessly gets to the confetti covered room.

When he enters, the room is definitely not finished, and Kyungsoo is sulking in the room. Chanyeol stares at Baekhyun wildly, “What is it? Did the kitchen explode? Are the cupcakes poisoned?”

“Wait—what? No, no, no!” Baekhyun shouts. “Jongdae’s almost here.”

Kyungsoo’s head perks up from the corner and he looks absolutely blown away. He whispers, “He’s not supposed to be here til sundown.”

“That’s what I thought, but apparently he’s coming right now,” Baekhyun is breathing heavy. He looks back down to Chanyeol, who is still sitting cross legged on the ground. “What do we do?”

“We just have so much to do still,” Chanyeol is looking pretty deflated when he just looks around to the little piles of confetti. But he finally snaps his fingers and grins up at Baekhyun. “Go distract him!”

“What?! Why me?” Baekhyun whines.

“Because you aren’t doing anything,” Chanyeol says knowingly. Baekhyun and Chanyeol have had talks about Baekhyun’s odd feelings surfacing about Jongdae. Chanyeol has been teasing him constantly about it, egging him to talk to Jongdae and feel uncomfortable. He also likes to conveniently leave the room when Jongdae enters just to leave the two alone. Baekhyun’s pretty sure Chanyeol just likes to see him squirm.

“But Kyungsoo isn’t doing anything either,” Baekhyun argues, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks. He’s not avoiding Jongdae, but he doesn’t feel confident enough to face him. Kyungsoo then promptly sits down on the floor next to Chanyeol and rips open the bag of balloons. He puts a pink deflated one up to his lips and blows. Chanyeol grins up, “Not anymore.”

Baekhyun huffs at the two and turns away with a blush plastered on his cheeks. He can hear Chanyeol yell, “Don’t let him near this room for another hour or so!”

Baekhyun is nervous to the bone. He shouldn’t be, but he can’t stop twitching. He’s squeezing his wringing hands as he stomps his way to the hangar where Jongdae would arrive. His room isn’t too far from the hangar, which makes it a lot harder for Baekhyun. Jongdae would probably want to just head straight for his room and lay down in his bed for a while, but it would ruin everything. Baekhyun would have to think fast.

When he arrives to the hangar, he already sees Jongdae’s shuttle landing into the lit hangar. Baekhyun waits patiently at the end of the platform that ejects slowly. As much as Baekhyun would love to just spring forward and hug his friend that he hasn’t seen in months, he restrains. He settles into proper attention, arms folded against his back, and his posture needle straight. It’s the most restrained he’s ever felt in front of Jongdae. He’s afraid that he’ll do something he might regret.

The other Jedi descends down the platform, eyes searching the lit hangar. When he spots Baekhyun, his whole face lights up into a stellar grin. Baekhyun feels a little nauseous.

“Are you my welcoming party?” Jongdae teases as he descends next to his rolling astrodroid.

Baekhyun nods, still at attention, “Yep. Just me.”

Jongdae finally reaches the hangar’s concrete foundation and his flashy grin simmers into a warmer smile. He says, gentler, “I’m glad it is you.”

Baekhyun doesn’t know why his heart is racing and that his throat is burning, but he really does feel sickly. And it’s not shameful like when he’s done something wrong. It just feels like an onset sickness when Jongdae just looks at him. It’s very disorienting.

Jongdae tilts his head (kind of cutely, Baekhyun might add), and his brows furrow. He inspects Baekhyun, “Are you okay? You’re really stiff.”

Jongdae places a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder and winds his fingers into the dip of his shoulder. Baekhyun despite the friendly rub, Baekhyun still stands stiffly. He manages a small smile and fakes a voice, “I’m fine.”

Jongdae has that look – the one where he just knows – but he doesn’t say a thing. He releases his touch, blinks, and they wakes himself back into his cheerful self. He stretches out his arms and presses forward, “I’m glad to be back home. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed.”

Before Baekhyun can even register Jongdae’s words, his friend is already making his way toward the elevators. Baekhyun quickly catches up and slides into the elevator with the other Jedi Knight. Baekhyun feels his heart hammering, but he forces himself to calm. An idea finally pops into his head, and he says confidently, “Actually, the new Master wanted to meet you on your arrival.”

Jongdae scrunches his face, “Really? But I already called in to meet him weeks ago.”

Baekhyun shrugs, placing a small smile on his face, “I guess he wants to meet you in the flesh. He’s pretty adamant about meeting all the Jedi.”

Jongdae hums and agrees to it, only because he’s nice. Baekhyun knows this too well. He’s always been so selfless, even when he was a young little Padawan.

They walk down the hall to the library where Baekhyun knew the new Master would be. The new Master, Junmyeon Kim, was recently appointed to the Council since Master Grimaldi’s passing. He’s pretty young, only a few years older than Baekhyun, but he has shown promise since he’s entered the Order. As a scholar, he surpassed ranks quickly and was appointed with no objections. Baekhyun can see the new Master picking out a book from the shelves of the library, his robes falling to the floor elegantly.

“Master Kim,” Baekhyun says quietly. The Scholar perks up and smiles so gently at the two approaching Jedi. He places the book gently back into its place and folds his hands behind his back. His presence is so calming that Baekhyun thinks it’s surreal.

“Hello there, Baekhyun. It’s nice to see you again,” Junmyeon nods his head to the Jedi and then faces the other. “And you must be Jongdae Kim. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well,” Jongdae smiles, and Baekhyun feels like he’s trapped between some of the nicest Forces in the galaxy. 

There’s a bout of silence between all the Jedi’s that makes Baekhyun suddenly feel uncomfortable. Jongdae looks like he’s waiting for Junmyeon to ask him for something, and Junmyeon looks preoccupied with a book. Baekhyun holds his breath and tries so hard to rack up something to say.

“Uh, Jongdae! Did you know that Master Kim specialized in Clone Wars studies?” Baekhyun says, praying to anyone that Jongdae would hook on. Of course, Jongdae does perk up in interest. Baekhyun breathes a sigh of relief.

“Really?” Jongdae says with eyes wide in curiosity. Junmyeon nods, and Jongdae grins. “I’ve always been fascinated with the Generals at that time.”

Junmyeon finally settles his book down and draws all his attention to Jongdae the pupil. His face is so kind and warm that Baekhyun feels nervous that even he will feel Baekhyun’s inner turmoil. “If you have any time, I would love to talk to you about the subject.”

“I’ll definitely take up your offer,” Jongdae says pleasantly. He turns toward Baekhyun, an emotion flickering on his face, and then turns back. “We shall leave you to your studies, Master.”

“Goodbye, Jedi’s,” Junmyeon says as the two part from the library.

Baekhyun feels absolutely nervous, and pulls away a little faster than Jongdae. He travels just a couple steps ahead, not wanting Jongdae to see his face. He’s not sure if he can control his face when he’s nervous. Honestly, Baekhyun thought he was just nervous because he’s luring Jongdae away from a surprise, but it feels more than that. He feels nervous even around Jongdae, and he’s pretty sure it’s from Gunther’s off handed comments.

“Hey.”

Baekhyun can feel a hand on his shoulder griping tight and forcing him back. Baekhyun can’t help but stop in his tracks. Jongdae circles around him and faces him. Baekhyun tries to reel himself away so that the blush on his face isn’t noticeable, but Jongdae peers curiously.

Baekhyun can only peek out a little to see Jongdae looking back with concern on his face. His eyes are searching around Baekhyun’s face, and Baekhyun can feel the guilt sinking in him again.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You’re being awfully quiet,” Jongdae asks lightly, not pressing too hard. Baekhyun wants to look away so bad.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says just to fill the space. “I’ve just got a lot of things on my mind, that’s all.”

It’s true, and Jongdae can definitely see it. Baekhyun doesn’t really know why he’s got all these thoughts in his head, or why they’re affecting him so much. He just hopes that it’s just nervous butterflies from Jongdae withdrawal.

Jongdae nods hesitantly, face still etched in concern. He releases Baekhyun, but doesn’t step away. He pauses in thought, like he’s racking something up in his brain, and then finally perks up with determination.

“I learned a new skill,” Jongdae says with an excited run in his voice. Baekhyun feels tingly. “Want to see it work?”

“Sure,” Baekhyun says automatically. Jongdae drags him away to a secure corner of the Temple, not wanting others to interfere with the process. They sit on a bench and quietly wait for others to pass before Jongdae turns and smiles graciously.

“Okay, just relax and close your eyes,” Jongdae instructs. Baekhyun just stares back with a smirk.

“How am I supposed to see how it works with my eyes closed?” Baekhyun retaliates, and gets a light smack on his arm.

“Just do it,” Jongdae presses, not too sternly. Baekhyun closes his eyes anyway and definitely hears his own heart beat steadily, pounding with nerves. In this darkness, he doesn’t know his surroundings, and the unknown makes him nervous. Like water, the deep dark coldness of the unknown makes Baekhyun choke with fear.

Suddenly, Baekhyun feels Jongdae’s hands cupping his jaw, and his heart rate skyrockets. He almost jumps in place until Jongdae breathes, “Relax.”

The fear slips away once Baekhyun recognizes the warmth that Jongdae produces. It’s comforting, but Baekhyun still feels that nervous gush. It’s stupid, Baekhyun thinks, because it’s just Jongdae’s hands. He’s not sure why just a simple touch would make him feel scatterbrained and nauseous. It’s just his friend.

Baekhyun doesn’t feel any real difference, except for his internal nausea, coming from Jongdae. He can hear the other strain slightly, but nothing exceptionally different. He knows that he’s breaking Jongdae’s command, but he slips open his eyes anyway. He can see Jongdae’s eyes closed, face wrinkled in concentration, and lips pulled back. His hands are wrapped securely on his jaw, and Jongdae’s breathing is calm and collected. He’s pushing so hard, Baekhyun can see sweat on his temple. Jongdae is slightly shaking, and worry washes over Baekhyun.

Before Baekhyun can touch Jongdae, he snaps out of his trance like state and releases Baekhyun. Baekhyun just watches as Jongdae breathes heavily and labored. Jongdae looks weakened as he looks up to Baekhyun’s concerned face. His voice is strained, “Sorry. I thought I could do it.”

“It’s okay,” Baekhyun forces a small smile and rubs Jongdae’s shoulder. He then smirks, “Performance issues are nothing to be sorry for.”

Jongdae gives him a pointed look but can’t help himself from chuckling. Baekhyun is practically aching from it.

“Rain check?” Jongdae asks, and Baekhyun can only nod. The atmosphere between them isn’t as awkward in the silence. It feels like the hole in Baekhyun’s chest is being filled again with Jongdae’s warm nature. It’s a nice feeling, but Baekhyun feels like it’s an overdose. Maybe that’s why he’s feeling so nauseous. He can only rationalize it this way.

Baekhyun’s wrist is blinking with a solid color. Baekhyun quickly turns away and presses the call without drawing too much attention.

“We’re ready!”

Baekhyun can hear Chanyeol’s shrill of excitement, and he’s pretty sure Jongdae is perking up at the sound of it. Baekhyun turns back to see Jongdae with an unsure smile.

“What was that?” He asks curiously.

Baekhyun grins, “Let’s go find out.”

Baekhyun grabs Jongdae’s wrist and pulls him toward the direction of Jongdae’s room. They are racing down the hallways, with giddy laughter at their lips. They feel years younger with happy thoughts dancing. When they finally reach Jongdae’s room, Jongdae hesitantly looks at the door.

“Nothing is going to jump out at me, right?” Jongdae asks, even with a grin at his lips.

Baekhyun shrugs playfully, “You won’t know until you go in.”

Jongdae groans, but presses forward to the door. Instantly, the lights turn on and Jongdae is suddenly covered in colorful confetti. Jongdae has to comically spit out a pink strip from his lips, but he’s still laughing loudly.

“Surprise~!” Chanyeol yells, spraying another batch of confetti at Baekhyun too. Baekhyun tries to bat it away, but mostly lands in his hair. “Wow, you’re really tan!”

Not a moment later, pink balloons come dropping from the ceiling and bombard the two entering Jedi’s. Jongdae is still cracking up, and catches a pink balloon in his hands. He’s crazily grinning, “This is amazing!”

“And so hard to clean up,” Kyungsoo grumbles as he bats away an incoming pink balloon. However, he pulls a dashing smile and pats Jongdae’s confetti covered arm. “We’re glad to see you home.”

Jongdae pulls his wide eyed friend into a hug, taking the other Jedi into his confetti arms. Baekhyun can feel a blush hovering on his cheeks – and he feels so confused by it. He feels another deep warm sensation in his gut, but it doesn’t feel right. It’s deep and bubbling, and something Baekhyun feels weird about. He knows he shouldn’t feel weird about the two hugging, but something inside feels upset.

“Hey! Let us hug him. He’s our friend too,” Chanyeol whines, breaking Baekhyun’s concentration. Chanyeol pulls Baekhyun in to the pile and they all wrap their arms around Jongdae’s form(and squish Kyungsoo). It’s tight and warm, mostly because of Chanyeol’s enormous body wrapping around them, but it feels homely.

Baekhyun can feel Chanyeol breathe on his neck and he almost slaps the guy. But Chanyeol finally asks quietly, “Is the food done? I’m starving.”

“Right!” Baekhyun exclaims, wiggling his way out of the clump. He announces, with a great grin, “There’s another surprise in the kitchen!”

-

The night goes by fairly quickly.

Jongdae almost squealed when he saw the mini cakes decorated and perfectly placed. He takes one and practically scarfs it down. His fingers are covered in icing and his teeth are streaked with blue coloring. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol happily eat theirs and Kyungsoo even adds a rare compliment between bites.

Jongdae has to go give his report to the Council about his mission, but he promises to come back for more treats. Baekhyun swears that Jongdae has more of a sweet tooth than he does.

Chanyeol has to return to Naboo shortly after. Kyungsoo goes to train, and he threatens Baekhyun to go clean the room’s mess. Baekhyun can’t refute, since Kyungsoo is increasingly becoming stronger than him, so he agrees to clean at least half.

Baekhyun’s almost done cleaning the room, most of which is on Jongdae’s bed. There were even deflated balloons hiding between sheets, and he has no idea how those got there. He hears the door slide open and he turns with his breath caught in his throat.

“Hey,” Jongdae grins, looking a little out of breath. “Do you have any more cupcakes? I’m absolutely starving.”

Baekhyun laughs and pulls himself from the floor. He exits the room and gives Jongdae a smirk, “Come on, kid. Let’s fatten you up.”

They go into the kitchen where Baekhyun pulls out a refrigerated tray. On top lays a note that Jongdae quickly snatches. Baekhyun feels his breath catch in his throat and then an anxious feeling that plummets into his stomach. The unknown is beating on him again as Jongdae’s eyes wildly read the note.

Baekhyun puts the tray down and tries to snatch the note from Jongdae’s fingers. But Jongdae’s too fast, and Baekhyun absolutely whines, “Come on. What is it?”

“Looks like there’s another treat for us. It’s signed, for the ‘special friend’,” Jongdae smiles knowingly as he pulls another tray from the fridge. Baekhyun feels hot dread over his face.

Jongdae pulls another tray out, and he gasps at the sight. Baekhyun tries to peer over, but Jongdae quickly runs to put it on the counter. Baekhyun can finally take a look at it and sees a tray of delicious strawberry chocolate swirls. Jongdae pops one into his mouth and absolutely savors the feeling. He moans with happiness and holds out one for Baekhyun.

Baekhyun gingerly bites it to find the inside cold and cakey. Its outer rim is covered in a layer of chocolate and strawberry, Jongdae’s favorite flavors. Baekhyun tries to rack his brain on how Gunther knew. How could he have possibly known that this was all for Jongdae?

“Thank you,” Jongdae smiles, popping another strawberry chocolate cake into his mouth. “These are absolutely delicious. I didn’t even know you knew how to bake.”

Baekhyun laughs a little, and it feels kind of forced. He meets Jongdae’s eyes hesitantly, “Yeah. I’ve got a lot of tricks up my sleeve.”

Jongdae suddenly pulls him into a hug, and Baekhyun feels his breath knocked out of him. Jongdae squeezes gently, his hands roaming over Baekhyun’s back in soothing circles. Jongdae’s breath is so close to Baekhyun’s face that he feels a shiver run down his back. Baekhyun cautiously wraps his own arms around Jongdae’s body. He doesn’t know why he’s so nervous. He doesn’t know why he feels so weirdly around Jongdae, and it’s absolutely killing him.

“I missed you so much,” Jongdae says, his voice held back. Baekhyun freezes in the touch, even though he wants to be soothed. “My new ability lets me make telepathic connections to certain people. I’ll admit, the first person I wanted to make a connection with was you.”

Jongdae pulls away slightly, but not far enough for Baekhyun to run away. Jongdae’s concerned eyes meet Baekhyun’s. They stand silently, just two new 18 year old Knight’s alone in the kitchen. Baekhyun can see Jongdae shaking slightly.

“I got really nervous when you didn’t talk to me,” Jongdae admits sadly. “I know it’s against the rules, but I can’t help but worry about you. I sense there’s great turmoil in you.”

Baekhyun shifts his eyes to the floor. He tries to find an answer, and he lifts his gaze back to his friend. He musters up a smile, “I’m fine, really. I’ve just been thinking a lot.”

Jongdae flickers his face, like he’s not buying it, but he doesn’t press it. He says quietly, “You know that you can talk to me about anything, right? It’s bad to let it sit inside you.”

Baekhyun can feel it again. He’s nauseous and feels fire in his throat. He’s trying desperately to control it, but the fire spreads. It festers as Jongdae helplessly and knowingly watches. Baekhyun swallows hard to suppress its burn, and then covers it with a forced smile. He says, “I know.”

A/N: 

Here is another installment, and the first bit with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo is one of the first segments I ever wrote for this fic! Hope you enjoyed! :)