Chapter 14

Baekhyun woke up to the soft sound of rain patter against the huge window. He yawned silent and stretched his body. “Good morning, Sun…” Hearing the deep voice he turned around immediately to face Chanyeol who was sitting next to him.

“Good morning…”, Baekhyun whispered bleary. Still sleepy he had problems to focus his eyes on his guardian.

“I’ve prepared a painkiller for you…”, Chanyeol reached out and gave Baekhyun water and a pill. After last night Baekhyun still felt a sort of pain running through his lower body. He decided to take the pill with a shy smile on his lips and gulped it down.

He didn’t know why it happened but what happened last night felt unbelievable right and long overdue. He was attracted to Chanyeol in a unique way, Baekhyun knew that but he would’ve never thought that he would dedicate himself to the younger that way nor that Chanyeol would see him like Baekhyun saw him. But did Chanyeol do that? Baekhyun loved Chanyeol with every fibre of his body. But was it the same for Chanyeol? What meant last night to the taller?

“I’ve got something for you…”, Chanyeol said and hold a wooden casket in his hands.

Baekhyun blinked wondering.

“Or more…I stored this box for you.” The redhead gave the box to Baekhyun.

It looked pretty. The box had filigree ornaments craved in it which were painted in different colors: Red, blue, yellow, turquoise, purple, green, black, white and lemon green. All lines came together on the lid of the box and formed a bigger ornament of a colorful tree. Baekhyun smiled and with his fingers over the wooden casket. “It’s really pretty, thank you.”

Chanyeol shook his head. “It’s yours, it always was. You kept some things in it that reminded you of special memories. I just kept it in case I could give it back to you…”

“Memories…?”, Baekhyun whispered. Maybe with this he could try to remember more.

“Does Suho know that you want to give it to me?”, he could imagine that the other didn’t liked him having this back in his hands.

Chanyeol grimaced. “He doesn’t even know that I have it. Let’s keep it a secret, okay?”

Baekhyun nodded and again watched the box. “Is this…the tree we’d to protect?”

“Yes. It’s the tree of life, protected by our powers. Yixing made it for you, he’s pretty talented.”

“He truly is.” Baekhyun didn’t know if he should open the box or wait till he’s at home. I loved the company of any of them but somehow, he wanted to open this box alone. “Do you know what’s in it…?”

“I do. It’s okay, Baek. I do understand if you like to open it alone. I can go downstairs for a bit.”

Baekhyun shook his head. “No, I will open it later.” The black-haired put the box on the nightstand next to him. “Thank you for giving it to me, Chanyeol…”

The taller grinned. “Thank you for giving me the last night.”

As soon as last night was mentioned Baekhyun felt heat creeping up his cheeks to his ears. Baekhyun wasn’t someone who blushed easily but Chanyeol and his nonchalant behavior made him go crazy more often than he liked it.

Chanyeol grinned even wider when he noticed the blush on Baekhyuns face. He reached out for Baekhyuns hand and squeezed it softly. “Look, Sun. For five years…I tried to go on like I never knew you.”

Baekhyun looked right into Chanyeols sincere eyes. It was like he was holding him with his eyes, keeping him safe and showering him with affection.

“Since the last weeks, I pretended to not be attracted to you, to be a good friend, someone who you need in your darkest times.” Chanyeol sighed and looked down to their holding hands. “They said, I have to keep going, to let our life be a sweet and painful memory. They didn’t want me to forget you but to move on…to let you move on.”

A dry laugh escaped Chanyeols mouth.

“Gosh…how often did I ask myself if there’s anybody out there who could understand me like you did. If there is someone who could replace you.”

The redhead shook his head.

“Out there is no one who could understand my heart like you did…you do.”

Chanyeol liked his lips. “I decided to at least stay by your side, to be a good friend to you. It worked out, you began to trust me, and I was able to befriend you. I was so thankful for that, it was more than I’d expected to ever get.”

The taller took a deep breath and smiled warmly at the smaller. Baekhyun wanted to say anything, to hug him, to simply comfort his friend, but he was paralyzed by Chanyeol words. “And what you gave me last night, was like the warmest embrace I’ve ever got. It was like turning back time, Baek. When we were not a you and me but an us. It was special…so let me be thankful for it.”

Baekhyun bit on his lower lip, looking at his guardian shyly. He was so touched by his words, that he wanted to say something so badly. But his words were missing, he couldn’t think of anything wonderful as Chanyeols words.

“Uhm…I…”, he began to mumble nervously. “I liked this…us…”

When Baekhyun blinked up he saw a deep brown pair of eyes shining at him and sweet lips curling upwards to a bright smile.

“Actually, I heard that, Sun.”, the redhead teased.

Baekhyun pouted. “Never mind what I’d said.” The smaller crossed his arms and tried to glare at his friend but failed at it and just managed to look ridiculous cute like that.

Chanyeol began to laugh happily. “But you know, when you liked it, there is one thing I need to do!” He grabbed Baekhyun at his shoulders and pushed him back to the bed. Leaning over him he run with his hand through his hair. “Everything on you is perfect, Sun. But there’s just one little thing…”

Baekhyun blushed by Chanyeols statement again. When the taller bend down and began kissing his neck he shuddered. “What…” A moan fleet out of Baekhyuns mouth while Chanyeol was kissing his skin featherlight. He closed his eyes and grabbed the red hair with his hands. “Yeollie…”, he whispered dry.

The guardian began to nip at the soft skin, his kisses began to get harder and more insistent before he began to it. Baekhyun moaned at this in pleasure. Once Chanyeol was done he over the purplish blue spot on his neck. “Now it’s perfect.”, he grinned and looked to the sensual eyes of his friend.

“Oh wow, that was fast, Baek.”, he teased again and bend down to kiss his light.

Baekhyun sighed into the kiss and pushed him away a little bit. “Don’t make fun of me, Park Chanyeol! I’m still the one who decides what’s happening here, Yoda.”

Chanyeol chuckled and bend down to continue the kiss. Baekhyun responded to the kiss within no seconds. When he felt Chanyeols hand moving under his too wide shirt and caressing his chest, he let small moans out.

Right when Baekhyun began to love the making out session a nervous knock and fast steps were heart. “Chanyeol, can you come-“

Dead scared both, Chanyeol and Baekhyun, sat straight up and looked and Minseok how’d run into Chanyeols room.

“Ouh, I didn’t know…I didn’t mean to…Baekhyun! You stayed overnight! What a surprise!”

Baekhyun winced a little, when Minseok said his name. He grabbed the collar of Chanyeols shirt that was hanging down his shoulder and put the shirt back on spot with a coy smile, well aware that Minseok was observing every move of him. “Hey…”

“Minseok.” Chanyeol was the first of them who found his full vocabulary. “What’s wrong? Why did you stamp into my room like this?”

“Oh, it’s just, we…can you come downstairs? We need you there.” Minseok looked to Baekhyun again. “you can come downstairs, too, Baekhyun, okay?” Now the blonde was more smiling and almost squeaking. “The others will be happy to see you!”

As soon as Minseok entered the room, he left.

“What…was that?”

Chanyeol shrugged. “I don’t know. But let’s dress up and find out.”

At the living room Chanyeol and Baekhyun were greeted with noisy eyes. Baekhyun bit on his under lip and smiled shy. “Good morning.”

“Good morning Baekhyun!” a strange voice greeted him.

When Baekhyun looked for the person who belonged to this voice he found a teenager, maybe sixteen years old. “Uhm…”

“Wow. You really have no memory left, have you?”, the boy laughed.

Baekhyun didn’t know what to do but to smile. “Sorry…”

“Luhan, don’t make fun of Baekhyun, okay?”, Sehun said and petted the boy on his head.

Baekhyuns eyes widened. “Luhan?”

“Live and in color!” Luhan stood up and hugged him tightly. “I’m glad you’re back again! Although for me it’s more like you’d never left! But don’t worry I’ve heard what happened after my death.”

Baekhyun was getting jumped by all this information coming from Luhan. The younger seemed to notice this and returned to his place.

“Chanyeol? You have to accompany Jongin, Minseok and Jongdae this time.”, Junmyeon said in a voice that wouldn’t let any complain count. “You’ve been doing what you want long enough now, Chanyeol.”, he added as Chanyeol wanted to raise his voice.

Baekhyun got the impression that Minseok must have told them what he saw and Suho must not be very happy about it. He planned to talk to him later, he couldn’t be mat at this.

“Got it. Where do we have to go?”

“There’s a gate open right now. We need to go through search for a sliver. Unfortunately, we’re coming out in a dark dripstone cave. I think you get the problem now.”, Jongin explained.

Chanyeol nodded. “Indeed. You can’t see anything.”

“Yupp. But we have to hurry.”, Minseok said and took Jongins hand who stood next to Chanyeol. Jongdae companied them and grabbed Minseoks and Chanyeols hand to complete the circle. Baekhyun watched all of this in confusion. He knew his friends had superpowers, but it felt strange to watch how they use them. It still felt like he wasn’t part of all this.

“Don’t worry, Sun. We’ll be back soon.”, Chanyeol smiled encouraging.

“Okay…”

“Please, take care.”, Kyungsoo whispered and watched his friends disappear.

“I could have gone with them.”, Luhan demanded. “My last sortie was over five years ago! I could have practiced.”

“It’s too dangerous, Luhan. You still need to find back to your old strength.”, Sehun said annoyed. He must’ve heard this a few times before, Baekhyun thought.

“I’m not the only one who needs to practice, right Baekkie?”

Baekhyun blinked and pointed at himself.

“Right, I’m talking about you. I’ve heard that you’re using your power without knowing it from time to time. We should practice that you can use it whenever you want. Trust me, I know it’s annoying to do things you didn’t what to. When I was still a toddler ere yesterday I’d the same problem as you and it freaked me out. I can’t imagine how you can live with this for so long.”

“You mean…you’ve managed to control your power within one day…?”, Baekhyun asked puzzled. Would this mean that Baekhyun himself was able to practice on his power and nobody wanted to explain to him how??

Luhan nodded. “It’s easy as cake.”, he said and snapped with his fingers. In reaction to that the door behind Baekhyun fell close which frightened Baekhyun for a moment and made Luhan laugh. “You really don’t remember anything…”

Baekhyun shook his head. None of them showed him their powers. Luhan was the first to handl