Baekhyun was afraid, hell, terrified even. As he looked into the mirror, uttering a groggy and hushed, "Good morning Byun Baekhyun, what lies in store for you today...?"

Baekhyun felt his heart pound against his chest like it was about to pop out at any moment as he grazed his fingers against his cheeks and examined his face, making sure he was still in his own body and he didn't end up in one that belonged to someone with the ability to speak. Baekhyun's eyes widened, along with his mouth which was now agape and the words that slipped from his mouth were a yet again hushed, "Good morning Byun Baekhyun, what lies in store for you today...?"

His words followed by a 'holy ' before his small form was flying out of the bathroom and to his elder brother's room.

"Baekbeom!" Baekhyun exclaimed, his voice never exceeding beyond that of a whisper, "Baekbeom! Wake up!"

Baekhyun firmly grabbed his brother's body before shaking him slightly, "Wake the hell up!"

But then Baekhyun tensed, letting go of his brother's sleeping form he found himself recoiling back and ending up in a corner. Baekhyun stared at his hands, almost as if he was afraid of what they may do before his body slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. Baekhyun didn't know what he was doing, or why he woke up one day, suddenly able to speak, but the crushing pressure in his chest and the shimmering tears that formed in his eyes reminded him, of all of his years to struggle to speak and why he wasn't doing so. All the fears he had tried to tuck away slipped back out and now laughed at him like the wisping demons they were.

Baekhyun drew his knees to his chest, quietly sobbing into them. His mutism wasn't something that was wrong with him physically, the reason behind it was mental. Baekhyun was afraid, more so than he ever had been, and he didn't know what to do. Ever since the days he would have first been able to speak, something weighed down his heart and distorted voices in his head told him not to do it, to not scare everyone away, but in the end, he only ended up scaring himself. 

Baekhyun's hands balled into tight fists that pulled at his hair, tighter and tighter with every sob until it felt as if he was about to tear it right out of his scalp. At this point Baekbeom began to stir in his bed, rolling off of his back and onto his side so that his body was now facing Baekhyun. Baekbeom opened his eyes, a strained yawn escaping his dry lips before he smacked them in attempts to regain moisture in his mouth. His wandering tired eyes landed on his younger brother, curled up in a small ball, sobbing in the corner of his room and all tiredness that remained in him instantly drained. 

Baekbeom practically dove out of his bed at the sight of his brother, rushing to his side and trying to free his hair from his grip. Baekhyun let out a strangled sob as Baekbeom continued to pry his hands from his hair, his fingers locked in their bent and crooked forms.

"It hurts..." Baekhyun sobbed quietly, his hands falling to his side, fingers remaining locked and tight as if he still held his hair in them. "It hurts so much... and I'm so scared and I don't know what to do."

Baekhyun's locked hands moved in front of him aimlessly, searching for his brother or anything to hang onto to provide comfort. Baekbeom's expression of worry tightened as he processed his brother's words, his brother who was supposed to be mute. Before Baekbeom realized, he too was crying.

"Baek... Don't cry... please..." Baekbeom cried, cupping the sides of his brother's face and lifting it so that their tear-filled eyes met. 

A sob bubbled up from Baekhyun and he was soon clung to his older brother's chest, multiple sobs escaping him as his body shook from both sobbing and fear. Baekhyun shook his head, burying it further into his brother's warmth, his only source of comfort. If there was one person Baekhyun felt he wouldn't scare away, it was his brother.

"It hurts Baekbeom..." Baekhyun sobbed, his tense fingers slowly unlocking and falling back into place in their straight, slender form. "I'm so afraid..."

"What hurts...? Why are you scared, Baek...?" Baekbeom sniffed, holding his brother in his arms as tears continued to fall in sympathy of his younger brother.

"I keep hearing these voices in my head, saying 'don't do it, you'll scare them away, don't do it, you'll say something wrong, they'll hate you for it.'. It's so damn scary... I hate it. I hate it so much, I hate this feeling. Ever since I was a toddler, these voices would haunt me, telling me not to talk, to be different from everyone else because if they heard my voice they'd be scared off because I'd say something horrible, hell, it took me this long to be able to speak to you, my own brother... Because of all people, even Kyungsoo, I know that you'll never leave me... Because I'm your little baby brother and you cherish me more than anything, and I know you do and half the time I don't even speak to you or message you because even though I know you'll never stray from my side I fear I'm going to say something that's going to make you hate me..."

Baekbeom sniffled, removing one of his arms from Baekhyun and wiping his eyes of his tears, "Baek, I don't care what you say to me, even if you say you hate me I'll always love you, like you said, you're my precious baby brother and I cherish you so much and I'd never leave your side no matter what..."

"I know," Baekhyun sobbed, "I know that Baekbeom. But no matter what I can't bring myself to think that I could be normal, that I could be just like everyone else. I've tried for so long to accept myself, hell, I even tried to accept my mutism... But it's all so damn hard and for the past two and a half weeks every night I'd mouth to myself 'Kyungsoo and Chanyeol believe in me' but even if they believe in me I know I'll never be able to do anything for them, I know that no matter how hard I try I'll say something that will hurt them or make them hate me. I hate it!"

"Baekhyun..." Baekbeom muttered, tightening his embrace on his younger brother, a hand traveling to his head and gently his hair.

"I know, I'm insane, crazy, mental. I shouldn't feel this way. I have no reason to feel this way. It's stupid and I hate it!" Baekhyun sobbed, smacking his cheeks with his hands and he pulled away from Baekbeom's hold, eyes red and puffy.

"Baekhyun don't say that! It's not stupid and you aren't crazy or insane! Your feelings are valid, they always will be! You have a right to feel the way you do and none of your feelings are stupid!" Baekbeom exclaimed, shaking his head violently and Baekhyun's hair in the process.

Baekhyun let out a shaky sigh as he moved away from Baekbeom and stood to his feet, stumbling slightly as he did so, "I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry Baek, there's nothing to be sorry about. Try talking today, with your friends. Don't force yourself to do so if you aren't comfortable, okay?" Baekbeom said, a small smile forming on his lips as he too stood to his feet, placing a hand on Baekhyun's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze, "Go get ready for school if you're feeling up to it, if not I'll call you in, mom's already gone off to work."

"Okay..." Baekhyun muttered, his voice still quiet and shaky, "Baekbeom, h