EXO'S COMEBACK IS LIT. SEHUN FULLY SLAYED WITH HIS RAP. SO DID CHANYEOL. D.O AND SUHO FULLY BIASWRECKED ME WITH THEIR AMAZING VOCALS. IM DONE. IM DEAD. BYE. 

ENJOY THE CHAPTER.

-CLAIRE

When Sehun finally came to, he found himself in the familiar white room of the hospital ward. His entire body throbbed with a dull pain and he groaned quietly. Flashbacks of the fight filtered through his mind and his stomach clenched. He grit his teeth and sighed. 

"Sehun?" a quiet voice murmured sleepily from next to him. Blinking, he turned around to see Chaeyoung lifting her head, hair ruffled and eyes blinking sleepily as she rubbed them. She'd been resting her head on the side of the bed, and somehow fell asleep. 

Somehow, the sight of her blinking innocently up at him eased the tension out of his body, and his eyes softened. 

"What are you doing here, Cadet Park?" he asked softly.

"Waiting for you to wake up," she replied, equally as quietly, her warm brown eyes roaming his face worriedly. "You don't know how worried I was when I heard you got shot."

"Well, I'm still in one piece, aren't I?" he whispered, trying to lighten the mood by smiling. It came out more like a grimace, and Chaeyoung noticed. The room was felt oddly muffled, despite it being busy outside, filled with a soft gentleness that surrounded the two - an aura of relief, worry, fear, warmth and affection. The soft light of dawn filtered through the blinds, casting unique shadows across the room.

Her eyes glistened, and for a moment Sehun thought she would cry. He lifted a hand to caress her cheek, eyebrows furrowing worriedly as he leaned closer. She held them in, however, and closed her eyes. Her own hand grabbed his, holding on tightly as if he would disappear. 

"Hey, it's alright. I'm okay, see?" he murmured, her cheek with his thumb. She sniffled, opening her eyes and gazing deep into his own irises. 

"I know... but still... I was so scared," she whispered, her voice uncharacteristically fragile. His heart softened, and he leaned in to press a gentle kiss on her forehead. He held there for a moment, savouring the feeling of her warm skin beneath his lips. He felt her grip his shirt tightly, and as he pulled away, she kept her grip, looking up at him desperately with tears glimmering in her eyes, before leaning in and pressing her lips against his. 

All the breath seemed to leave his lungs as he kissed back with equal fervour. Moments passed, and when they finally pulled away, they were both panting heavily. Pressing one last, gentle kiss on her lips, he looked up to see her dazed expression and glimmering eyes. He smiled softly. The warm light filtering through the blinds danced across her pale skin, making her look breathtaking.

"I'm glad you're back," she breathed, returning his smile with a small one of her own. 

"It's good to be back," he replied, before leaning in to kiss her again. 

**

For the next two weeks, Sehun recovered in hospital. He could now walk around on his own, although it still tired him out, much to his frustration. However, his immune system was strong and the doctor had said he was recovering faster than usual, which was a good sign. 

Chaeyoung visited as much as she could, but with her training taking up most of her time she could only visit him during meal times or late at night, which he scolded her for because her health was most important and visiting him constantly was obviously taking its toll on her. Her eyebags seemed heavier than usual and it always seemed like there was something heavy weighing on her mind. 

Unknown to him, there was.

"Cadet Park-"

"Call me Chaeyoung," she cut him off, grinning at him. It didn't escape his notice how tired she appeared. He frowned.

"I'm still your captain and you're still a cadet, you know. Military codes still need to be followed."

She rolled her eyes exasperatedly, but her eyes were fond as she gazed at him, resting her elbows on the edge of the bed. "At least while we're alone," she pouted. "Calling me Cadet Park makes me feel small."

"You are small," Sehun scoffed, but he allowed a slight smile, especially when Chaeyoung scowled. "Alright, Chaeyoung. Happy?"

He wasn't expecting her eyes to soften as they did, an emotion that looked a lot like sadness flashing through them before disappearing just as quickly. "Yes," she replied, a smug smile now on her face. He couldn't shake off the feeling that it seemed forced, however, and when she leaned in to kiss him gently, her movements seemed slower than usual, as if she were trying to savour this moment in particular. 

When she pulled away, she saw his eyebrows were furrowed. "What's wrong?" she asked lightly, even if inside she felt anything but. His frown deepened. 

"I think it's me who should be asking you that," he replied, his expression growing serious as he looked into her eyes. She blinked and tried to look away, but he lifted a hand and tilted her chin to look back at him. Her heartbeat quickened, and she desperately tried to keep her expression neutral. 

"Park Chaeyoung," her heart melted as he said her name, and Chaeyoung wished she could listen to him say it over an over again. Another strike of pain hit her chest, and she bit her lip. "What's wrong, baby?"

Her eyes snapped up to meet his at the sound of the pet name. His eyes were soft, warm, genuine, caring, concerned and he exposed everything to her. It only made her feel guiltier about keeping everything from him, and her heart ached. 

So instead, she forced herself to smile. "Since when did you use pet names? You're the last person on earth who I'd ever expect to call me baby."

"That's because you are a baby," he replied, his eyes affectionate, before his expression turned serious again. "But stop skirting