Very little grows on jaded rocks.
Be ground.
Be crumbled.
So wildflowers will come up where you are.

-Rumi

__________________________


 

The pair kept walking in the cold night with their wet clothes on. Baekhyun was no longer thinking about the problems of that file, he had something more interesting than that next to him. While walking he would steal glances of the man next to him trying to think why he would take such a ruthless step.

His ears, poking out, were of special attraction to Baekhyun. He has never seen ears like that. The man was also exceptionally tall. Handsome indeed.

On the other hand, Chanyeol was dull. Walking with his head hanging low. A tear or two would drop occasionally. He did not register the road they were walking or the cold hitting his cold skin. He was blindly following Baekhyun as if there's nothing else he could do.

He seemed more like a dead person walking with Baekhyun.

They soon reached the building and started climbing the stairs. Baekhyun's apartment was on the second floor, so he rarely used the lift. As soon as they reached the door, Baekhyun pulled out a pair of keys, assuming everybody would be asleep.

Little did he know that the maknaes were waiting for his arrival.

Before he could insert the key inside the keyhole, the door opened and Sehun threw himself on his hyung.

"Hyung why are you so late? We were waiting for you!"

"Sehun I told you not to wait for me past 11 o' clock. You never listen to me."

"Hyung, why do always have to scold me? And why are your clothes wet!"

Sehun detached his body from his hyung and jumped in surprise to see another man standing next to him.

"Who's he?"

He screamed-asked.

Baekhyun signed,

"Long story. Let us come in first."

As soon as they entered, Baekhyun was greeted with an angry Kai.

"Hyung, what time do you think it is?"

"Kai, I can explain."

"Go change first, or you'll fall sick. You too mister depressed."

Kai started guiding Chanyeol to the guest room. Kai was used to all this now. He understood already that this new was another one who Baekhyun might have saved, from the hospital or randomly from the streets.

After all, that's how Kai himself and Sehun landed in Baekhyun's house. Realizing that the man might have committed suicide, he told Chanyeol,

"Take a shower but do not lock the door from inside. You hear me?"

"Yes."

Chanyeol was in the mood of arguments. He was hardly in his senses, let alone arguments.

Kai came out of the guest room and entered Baekhyun's.

Baekhyun left the wet clothes on the bed which Kai started gathering for laundry. He screamed at Sehun,

"Sehun, 2 hot chocolates."

Came a voice from the other room,

"Already in the process hyung."

A small smile appeared on Kai's face.

It was a small family of strangers. Strangers who understood each other better than anyone else. Strangers who now were family to each other.

All thanks to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun soon came out of the bathroom to find all his stuff in the right place. Smiling at Kai's doings he stepped out of his room and went to the living room to find his maknaes sitting closely with questioning looks.

"Have a seat hyung."

Baekhyun followed the commands. There were two hot chocolates on the table, out of which he gladly lifted one in his hand. He started sipping on it when Sehun cleared his throat demandingly asking for explanations.

Baekhyun placed the cup on the table, because yes, he is afraid of those two.

"Yes, so, as you see. I found him. More like saved him."

"Where did you find him?"

"Bridge, no. River!"

Kai lifted an eyebrow at this. So Baekhyun continued.

"I was returning from the hospital and this man jumped from the bridge into the river. And I jumped too. Then he told me he doesn't have a house, so I brought him here."

Both maknaes exchanged looks and looked back at Baekhyun with satisfaction.

"Did you tell him to leave the door open?"

Baekhyun asked.

"I did."

Kai replied.

"I am going to sleep."

Sehun said half sleepy.

"Me too."

Kai said.

Sehun came to Baekhyun for his goodnight hug and kiss on the cheek. He is usually not so sweet. More like, he is never sweet. But Baekhyun was an exception.

Same goes for Kai, he is never that strict. He is always an easy go lucky kind of person but his personality takes a 180 degree turn when it comes to his Baekhyun hyung.

After all, they were alive today because of Baekhyun. It wasn't a matter to worry about. At least that's what Baekhyun thought.

After kissing his hyung's cheek, Sehun retarded to bed. Then Kai came closer, kissed Baekhyun on the forehead softly and went to his own room. Baekhyun smiled to himself.

"It's more like I am the maknae here."
He murmured to himself.

Then slowly started walking to the guest's room. He still had business with Chanyeol before going to sleep. He went to the room and opened it.

"Chanyeol?"

"Hey, it's been a while. Come out."

Baekhyun's nerves stressed upon hearing no reply. He took a deep breath before walking straight to open the unlocked door.

But before he could open the door, the door opened from inside. In front of him stood Chanyeol wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.