Baekhyun gets attacked by a violent fit of coughs. His throat doesn’t relent although it’s badly scratched as if there’s spikes lodged in the walls. The air is dense, warm, or that’s just Baekhyun’s body temperature making him feel that way. He sticks a hand out from under the sheets and immediately regrets. It’s cold. It’s so cold, he wants to cry.

His phone is right there. If he could just reach for it. If his arm was just slightly longer. If… if he wasn’t sick.

“You shouldn’t be straining yourself so much, Baek.” Chanyeol comes into the room, not bothering himself with pleasantries such as knocking. “I’ll get your phone for you. You could have just asked.”

“Y-Yeol!” Baekhyun coughs again right as he was about to speak. “Why aren’t you in school? What about Jongdae?”

“Jongdae has his other friends.” Was that jealousy in Chanyeol’s tone? Or was it bitterness? Baekhyun can’t tell.

Chanyeol’s always been against Jongdae hanging out with his other friends, the same ones who disturbed Chanyeol. It’s to be expected, really, because Chanyeol hates them. But it seems as if he’s not that upset about them being around Jongdae, rather the fact that Jongdae doesn’t have enough time for him pisses him off. Chanyeol has always been closer to Jongdae than Baekhyun. He, too, is closer to Jongdae than Chanyeol. But Jongdae… Jongdae has other friends.

Jongdae’s always busy. He’s helped them, yes. Jongdae has pulled the both of them up from the ground and helped them stay on their own two feet, but Jongdae has a life too. He can’t always be around them. Can he?

“Oh… well, then.” Baekhyun smiles. “Let him be.”

Chanyeol keeps his lips sealed. He doesn’t want to blurt out words he would regret much later on. He walks towards the keyboard propped up in the corner of the room and presses a few keys. His fingers dart across the instrument, not caring whether he’s out of tune or playing it wrong. Baekhyun watches his friend in silence. It strikes him then that Chanyeol is his friend, someone he could trust and someone he could rely on. Chanyeol’s been battered down and has been in shambles for too long. It’s time he trusts Baekhyun back.

“Yeol?” Baekhyun calls out.

“Hm?”

“Let’s stick together.”

It’s like those words struck a certain chord in Chanyeol. He’s obviously taken aback, if the size of his widened eyes and gaping jaw served as any indication. Baekhyun, however, has an impassive expression smacked upon his face. Maybe it’s how serious Baekhyun’s words are, Chanyeol finds himself nodding to them.

“We only have ourselves and each other,” Baekhyun says.

“Thanks.” Chanyeol smiles.

Right then and there, Baekhyun realises, that he wants to see that smile again. He wants to make Chanyeol happy, he wants to be by the other’s side. And if his feelings aren’t reciprocated, that’s fine too. They’ll stick together as friends.

No matter what happen