Technically, today is the last day of summer.

It's still green, hot and pleasant outside, windy just in the right temperature to almost imitate the spring between the summer's draught and autumn's slow wilting.

Chanyeol already knew he wanted to do this for a while. 

Somehow, between meeting Kyungsoo, applying for a new job in order to receive his already existing house from his parents, and spending time with Baekhyun and Jongdae on university's ground, Chanyeol had accepted the fact that he became a new person.

Starting university as a selfish heartless prick, and ending with a heart so large that his kindness and love drip down through the seams of his sleeves and onto whoever comes in contact with him.

It's so much better to share. To give, to express and explore, rather than to hole up in front of an imaginary world where he was the king of an unruly kingdom.

He used to imagine he rises taller and larger than anybody else because he is closer to some powerful beings in the sky. Better than normal people who stay stuck to the ground while he hovers around, towering above their mortal beings with pride.

And now, his planned activity for today involves staying as close as possible to the earth.

Now it came to the point where he feels himself small and weak whenever Kyungsoo crosses his mind. Which happens often, because along with becoming a new person Chanyeol had also accepted the fact that he's in love.

Even while being fully aware of the fact that he was crushing on Kyungsoo for pretty well over almost two months, it took a few days of internal reflection to realize that his heart lays with the hands of a man he never thought he'd know exists.

"Hi."

He grins at his friend once the door was opened in front of him. Gladly, without any creaking of an old weary chair.

"I'm going to take you somewhere special today!"

Chanyeol exposed his toothy wide smile and raised his hand which is carrying a small bag containing a water bottle.

His friend chuckled with just as wide of a smile, a shape of a heart that haunts Chanyeol's sweetest dreams, and nodded his head in approval. Of course he would agree. It wasn't even a question of whether Kyungsoo agrees or not. It was a statement.

Chanyeol already knew he'd be taking Kyungsoo with him no matter what he might say in order to protest, because today is just right for this sort of activity outside, and it'd be a good self boasting conversation starter once they're on their way.

After easily carrying the new chair down the stairs to the street, and then Chanyeol's favourite boy down to the chair in his arms, Chanyeol hung the bag in the little carriage compartment attached to the bottom of the chair.

The middle of the day was hot and sunny, but not unbearable enough to make either of them sweat.

"So~ Today I'll be taking you to a spot I actually visit quite often."

He began explaining while the two are crossing some streets and slowly approaching the very edge of the city.

"It's not much of a secret.. Or actually, not that special either, but I think you'd like the change of scenery."

"Oh?"

Kyungsoo's face turned to him with wonder. The curiousity and shine in his eyes will always be one of Chanyeol's little treasured moments. Kyungsoo's so small and the world is so big and Chanyeol wants to show him every bit of it.

"Yup. With skies like today it's going to be nice. Plus there are barely any people out, so that's to our advantage."

He finishes the brief listing of positive reasons as to why this would be great. He already knows it would be. Chanyeol maybe have opened his heart, but his confidence remains exactly the same. Highly maintained.

It was at this point at the very edge of their little city where the asphalt road took a slight shift to the left and turned into a thinner dirt path where it seems like no cars can pass without special meneuvers.

Chanyeol knows this place well, he isn't alarmed when stepping onto the slightly bumpy path and smiling back at Kyungsoo who manages to roll himself over the uneven ground with cautiousness.

Large tall trees covered in still green leaves towered on both sides of the path, leading up towards a curve in the road. For Chanyeol it was easy to walk, but after a while of rolling himself forward it seemed like Kyungsoo's stamina was starting to falter.

"You okay?"

Chanyeol asked in his direction, slowing down and walking by his side. He could see a little bit of sweat coating the boy's forehead when he huffed after another turn of the wheels. He didn't really respond.

With a small chuckle Chanyeol placed himself behind the chair and began pushing Kyungsoo. It wasn't difficult, Chanyeol's strength was enough to succeed without breaking a sweat himself.

They continued on the trail, Chanyeol helping from behind allowing Kyungsoo to rest a little after the effort. Until they reached the end of the slightly stable unmarked road and were faced with a bunch of rocks that can't be passed with wheels.

Kyungsoo turned to look at Chanyeol confused and worried, needing no words to describe that he's afraid it'd be too much effort for Chanyeol to carry him or the chair any further.

"Maybe we shouldn't..? I can wait here if you'd like to continue."

The boy suggested, making Chanyeol burst out in laughter. What kind of option is that. Chanyeol wanted to bring specifially him to this place and now he offers to stay behind? Chanyeol won't let him give up on it.

Instead, Chanyeol picked Kyungso up in his arms, the boy automatically clinging around him like a koala while he grabbed the chair with his hand and pulled it behind him while climbing up the slope.

At some point he places the chair on the side of the unmarked pretty much abandoned looking path he knows so well, and continued upwards. Somehow along the way Kyungsoo's position shifted to cling on Chanyeol from behind, much like a backpack.

Sometimes glancing sideways at Kyungsoo's curious expression while he examines the view of the forest looking more and more natural, untouched by human development around them the further up they go on Chanyeol's trail, Chanyeol chuckles lightly.

"I actually used to run this path a lot. Tracking all the way up quickly, spending some time there, and then running back down and back to uni."

He explained, noticing the immediate ease on Kyungsoo's face, as if he just answered a question he didn't really dare to ask.

It was a little more difficult to carry Kyungsoo on his back like this than it was to push the chair forward earlier, sweat slowly starts sticking to his back due to the heat provided by both their bodies so close together.

Past Chanyeol would have complained and whined about this entire thing from the very beginning, but today's Chanyeol can't even utter a sound since he knows Kyungsoo must be feeling bad enough for being such a heavy weight to carry.

Which is absolutely not ture, considering en entire half of his body is nearly weightless, and the other half is as slim as a skeleton. That's actually a good point to think about. Maybe when they're back Chanyeol should treat him to a proper dinner for once.

What started as a thick forest is slowly thinning down, there are less and less trees the higher they get, until they reach higher than the tallest treetops. Where there's beautiful untouched grass and flowers grazed by the pleasant wind blowing against them.

A few more steps up to the very top of the hill, and Chanyeol gently placed Kyungsoo on the grass, stretching himself with a silent grunt before sitting down next to him with a small relieved smile.

Then his eyes turned to look at his friend, crush, anything in between, and it really couldn't have been more of a beautiful view than this. The boy was staring all around them with his wide eyes, filled with his innocent wonder and awe.

"We're here."

Chanyeol finally broke the silence, cupping Kyungsoo's small hand between his own two big ones while smiling at him calmly.

And yet the way he turned to look back at him, with so much emotion and affection and warmth was like another arrow straight into Chanyeol's heart.

With glistening eyes and a heart shaped smile, he tightened his palm's grip in between Chanyeol's hands and chuckled in delight, looking like an actual angel with the little bit of sunlight shining through his hair.

"Thank you, Chanyeolie."

It was silent after that. Neither of them wanted or felt the need to talk. They stared around at the view of the city behind them, the view of the forest lying in front of them, the fields and roads all around, at distant neighbouring towns peeking behind a few more hills.

Until simultaneously falling back on the grass and looking up at the sky. Eyes following the clouds floating lazily with the wind.

It was quiet. Nothing can harm them there, nothing can harm Kyungsoo. The world cannot be cruel to him when lying like this on the grass and pointing out shapes in the clouds, giggling like it was the first time he's got the chance to experience such a feeling.

Maybe it really was. 

They laughed and talked quietly, there was no need to raise their voices while lying so close next to each other. 

At some point Chanyeol felt Kyungsoo's hand climb on top of his own, and cling onto it. Smiling, he crossed their fingers together tightly, exchanging their feelings through the touch instead of words while just breathing.

Eventually, Chanyeol drifted into sleep.

Dreaming that he was a bird again. A bird that's flying above the two of them in the sky, looking down at their relaxed bodies and shut eyes and the bits of hair that keeps blowing over their faces because of the wind.

He flapped his large feathered wings and climbed higher, remaining above the same spot until he was so up there that the clouds covered the vision of themselves. It was beautiful and pleasant, and Chanyeol wondered if seeing Kyungsoo like this inside his own dreams has any meaning.

The next time Chanyeol opens his eyes in the real world, no longer a bird once again, the sky is slowly turning orange above him. Clouds shaded in pink and purple drift along with the wind that left a few strands of hair right on his eyes.

After a short yawn, some internal stretches, and a few smacks of his lips together to regain sensations around his body, Chanyeol turned his head sideways, knowing that Kyungsoo must be napping cutely right beside him. He wouldn't miss that view for the world.

Except, Kyungsoo isn't there.

Nobody is lying beside him on the soft grass. He's alone at the top of the hill.

Chanyeol's heart dropped right away, he jumped up to his feet, almost losing balance due to the quick shift in his body's stability, and started looking around, wandering over the entire considerably small hill top.

"Kyungsoo?! Kyungsoo where are you?!"

He began shouting, his voice hoarse from lack of usage but also from the stress that pushes against the inside of his throat along with his increasing pulse speed that starts thumping in his head.

Feeling the blood pumping quickly through his veins, Chanyeol decided to think rationally. There is no way anybody took Kyungsoo away. They were the only two people coming to this area at all. Maybe Kyungsoo needed to pee?

No, he wouldn't have gone so far away for that. He would have been able to hear Chanyeol calling his name. 

In front of the spot where the two of them were sitting and then lying on the grass, there was a pretty slippery slope down  that breaks into treetops of the forest resting below. There's no way he... Fell down there... Right?

If he fell like that he would most likely shout and wake Chanyeol up immediately. But he didn't hear anything even in his light sleep of the nap. It must mean Kyungsoo intended to leave his spot without waking Chanyeol up in the process.

Chanyeol can't allow anything to happen to him.

The world has already been so cruel, too cruel to Kyungsoo, and his heart is aching just from the thought of Kyungsoo possibly being put in yet another terrible situation where he'll be unfairly pained even more.

With absolute panic and fear Chanyeol began running back down the track of which they came from, hoping that maybe Kyungsoo would be somewhere around even in this unknown area to him. Long and slightly wobbly steps led Chanyeol through the descend into the forest, nearly stumbling down from a few sticking out roots and curves in the ground.

Kyungsoo has to be okay. Chanyeol is responsible to him, Chanyeol took him out, it means Kyungsoo was under Chanyeol's care, and yet he wasn't careful enough to keep Kyungsoo safe and happy. So much so that Kyungsoo decided to somehow leave.

Or was it his decision? Chanyeol could only hope.

More and more awful scenarios keep running through his head, even bringing the dark tales of Chris Lee back to the surface with the possibility of the two of them still being stalked even after his father took care of the case.

No, there's no way.

With furrowed eyebrows and heavy breathes Chanyeol trumpled down the path as fast as his legs would allow. Spotting nothing even similar to Kyungsoo's remains and receiving no answers when shouting out his name in every direction.

Until he reached the little bit of dirt road they passed after discarding of the wheelchair only a little ahead in the path after the curve. There were dragging tracks on the ground, no footprints, no hand prints, nothing except what looks like dragging trail of something heavy and two shoes right after.

Was... Was Kyungsoo kidnapped after all?

Chanyeol's heart falls down in his chest and then rises up to twice of its previous speed at the thought of Kyungsoo being harmed by anything. Out of everyone, why him?

He nearly jumps over the ridge of the curve in the path, landing on his feet somehow without falling straight on his face, and a silent moment of stabilizing himself, Chanyeol raises his eyes for the rest of the path, seeing the continuation of the dragging tracks are leading to something on the ground.

Rushed steps lead him closer and closer to the source, until suddenly it calls out to him.

"Chanyeol! You're awake!"

It was Kyungsoo. On the ground. Pulling himself up the path with his hands digging into the filthy gravel while his legs are getting dragged behind him. He's heading towards Chanyeol's direction up the hill instead of down as well.

The first thing Chanyeol felt was relief, he ran to the boy, noticing his wide smile regardless of being covered in dirt all through the lower half of his body. The second thing Chanyeol felt is remorse.

How could he have fallen asleep without making sure Kyungsoo wouldn't be needing anything? While it was easy for Chanyeol to rush down the path and get to the main trail it must have taken Kyungsoo at least three times longer, and the process must have been a hundred times more painful.

Chanyeol reached him quickly and leaned down, taking both of Kyungsoo's hands in his own, not really caring whether or not he'll be covered with dirt himself. As he picked the hands up gently he noticed the amount of little cuts and bruises coating the palms.

"Kyungsoo... Oh my god. What did you do? Why did you go away?"

He asked, his voice quite weak from the storm of emotions and quick heart beat shaking him with every breath he takes.

"You should have woken me up."

He then adds with a bit more seriousness, his eyes still wide, brows still furrowed, and Kyungsoo still half sprawled on the ground. At the very least, Kyungsoo is safe. Nobody tried to harm him. Chanyeol could take comfort in that while attempting to calm down.

Still with a smile, and still on the gravel, Kyungsoo pulls one hand backwards and fiddles with something. Chanyeol glances over him and notices something was tied inside his shirt. Confused, he stares at Kyungsoo's fingers.

Until Kyungsoo finally manages to pull out a water bottle from the knot and hand it to Chanyeol with a renewed smile.

Chanyeol knows that he should be grateful, and smile, and thank Kyungsoo for giving it to him, but instead he feels a terrible painful sting right at the core of his stomach. It's not because of any physical change he's going through.

It's because Kyungsoo doesn't even realize his own worth and value. Willing to drag himself all over the dirty ground in order to give Chanyeol some water...? Just how selfless is he? From the condition of the bottle it seems he hasn't even opened it to drink anything himself.

With that sharp strike to Chanyeol's consciousness, he didn't even realize his vision started getting blurry with wetness spreading in his eyes.

Silently, he accepted the bottle. But then he placed it aside and wrapped his arms around Kyungsoo, pulling him close and so very tightly into his arms protectively, while burying his face in the gap between Kyungsoo's neck and shoulder.

Kyungsoo is too much. 

"Huh? Chanyeol? What's wrong?"

He sighed heavily down into Kyungsoo's body and began the back of his head, wrapped around him closely. Does he seriously not understand that someone actually cares for him? Or maybe Chanyeol is being way too scared about something trivial?

Honestly, it doesn't matter, because even if it's ignorant of Chanyeol to think that, he really would rather not really see Kyungsoo do such things on his own. Normally he really wouldn't dare stop him from being independent... But not like this.

Not when it comes with the price of his palms and legs being tattered due to being dragged on sharp gravel and dirt.

"I was really worried... Not seeing you there with me. I freaked out. You really should have told me..."

He speaks grainily, feeling how Kyungsoo's hands on his back are very cautious of touching in fear of possibly dirtying his clothes. Why is he like this... How was his heart supposed to resist falling for a person like Kyungsoo.

"It's alright, I can take care of myself. See? I got you the water bottle from the chair."

Kyungsoo responded with a sense of pride, as if to prove a point. But what does he even have to prove? Chanyeol knows he's greater than any human he's ever met. He knows he's stronger than him no matter how muscly he'll try to become. He already knows that Kyungsoo definitely doesn't seek any pity.

"Mmmyes. I get it... I'm sorry."

He admits honestly with another deep sigh before feeling Kyungsoo pull back lightly. Fearing that he might have done something wrong, he leans back and braces himself to get scolded by the angel half sitting in his lap.

But instead, when he makes eye contact with Kyungsoo, all he sees is a shine of happiness and a smile. Only a moment later he felt Kyungsoo's hand gently resting against his cheek and wiping his cheek in an affectionate way, while Kyungsoo looks at him with warmth.

His heart jumped yet again, eyes wide with the surprise, but a lot less stressed. Kyungsoo is... Kyungsoo is his cheek just like that. Chanyeol wants to kiss him so bad. He wants to pull him in and feel just how soft the pink heart on his face would be.

The stronger the desire turns within these very few short seconds, the more Chanyeol's convinced that his cheeks and ears are turning red. Their faces are fairly close and he really, REALLY, wants more.

Until he notices Kyungsoo's eyes suddenly growing wide before crickling into crescents of laughter again and pulling his palms back and away from Chanyeol, who's still wrapped around his sides.

"Woops."

The boy claims with laughter before trying to pull his sleeve forward and starting to wipe over Chanyeol's cheek with it.

Oh, right, his hands were covered in dirt. He must have forgotten about it when touching Chanyeol's face. But that's okay. It's all okay now.

Chanyeol burst into laughter as well and decided to carry the smear like a battle scar instead. Grabbing Kyungsoo up in the air in quick motions and starting to run to his chair in order to return back so they could clean up properly and treat Kyungsoo's palms and legs.

After carrying Kyungsoo back to the chair, and on their way back to Kyungsoo's apartment through the nearly empty streets, the boy kept talking about how beautiful the view was, and how much better it felt than watching 'all these nature shows' on TV.

There is so much more in the world that Chanyeol would want Kyungsoo to see and experience.

The world has always been against Kyungsoo, and now it's Chanyeol's chance to make this place a little less horrible for him. For the boy who stole his heart, shook it really well, and turned it from a rotten organ into gold.

When they arrived they were surprised to know that neither of Kyungsoo's parents were home yet. But keeping Kyungsoo in the dirty state that he is might cause infections that his body would have trouble dealing with.

So after a while of debate within himself whether or not to offer his assistance in cleaning up, Kyungsoo was actually the one stopping his conflict by asking for help in the shower. Shyly, but bravely. It takes a lot of strength to admit that one needs help. 

During the washing process, rather than being embarrassed, Chanyeol tried to work efficiently and carefully, allowing Kyungsoo to do almost eveything on his own while getting lost in thought.

When Chanyeol was the one who needed help, months ago after leaving on bad terms from the Do residence, it took him almost three weeks of being a weakling and not admitting that he needed help, until Jongdae came and forced him to it.

While Kyungsoo, who's been dealing with something much more difficult than struggling with his own selfishness, has already learned that sometimes being strong means admitting that you aren't. And seeking others' strength.

Kyungsoo is just so incredible.

He's wonderful when he smells like soap and shampoo. When he wears his pajamas and looks down at his own palms almost helplessly when Chanyeol uses gentle dabs of iodine to clean up the scratches and plaster down some bandaids.

He's adorable when slowly falling asleep against Chanyeol's shouler while they sat on the couch together in front of the TV in the living room.

Even more so when his mother came and began smiling from the sight of Chanyeol's own arm over sleeping Kyungsoo's back and side.

Chanyeol is doomed.

This boy turned from being excesss trash in his world, into being his world itself.