CHAPTER THREE
DAY ONE PT. 2

The cabin was starting to look more like a storage facility with all the boxes and clothing racks that filled the front room. The guys worked hard to get all of their belongings unpacked in their designated room. If it wasn’t already made clear earlier, then the door hangers with their photos made it official. Each room had different amenities and a different layout for the purpose of their stay. A small letter was taped to each of their doors with a message for each pair. None of them would understand its meaning at that moment, but soon, they would.

“Remember. Never forget.” Baekhyun read from the letter. “In due time, our burdens will be the very things that set us free.”

“What does that even mean?” Yifan asked snatching the piece of paper from the other’s hands. “I’m starting to think Hyunsoo had a few screws loose in the ol’ noggin before he passed.”

Baekhyun snatched the paper back and said, “For everything, there is a reason. It may not make sense to you now, but it has its purpose. Remember that.”

The idea of being lectured by his junior didn’t exactly tickle Yifan’s fancy. He would much rather be pampered by his masseuse Alejandra while sipping the finest Pinot Grigio. Sharing a room with one of his employees was so beneath him. Sharing, period, wasn’t a part of his vocabulary. He thought that he had gotten over that during his college days. Now, it was like he was living in the frat house all over again.

“I’ll take this bed.” Yifan said placing his suitcase on the largest bed.

“What? That’s not fair!” Baekhyun objected. “That one’s bigger!”

Yifan shrugged his shoulders, sat on the edge of the bed, and crossed his legs as to make things official. He knew that he was being selfish, but it didn’t matter much to him anyway. He always got what he wanted, even if he had to kick and scream in the process. Baekhyun, on the other hand, was already tired of his pushy roommate. It was bad enough that they had to work with one another, but now, they had to share the same space. By the end of it all, Baekhyun was sure that he’d be fired or in jail.

“Look, I don’t like this any more than you do,” Baekhyun said, “but we have to compromise. If we’re going to be sharing this room together, then we have to establish some boundaries.”

In the midst of his yawn, Yifan let out a nonchalant ‘So?’

“First of all,” the other lectured, “stay on your side of the room and don’t touch my things. I’m included in that list of things. Got that?”

Yifan smirked and got up from the bed with his hands in his pants’ pockets.

“What is this? High school?” he chuckled. “You can’t be that finicky.”

“Dammit Kris, I’m serious!” Baekhyun’s nerves trembled in his throat as he spoke. “I’m married, and I’d like it to stay that way.”

Yifan put his hands up in defense and said, “Why so jumpy, Baekhyun? You scared?”

“Of what?” Baekhyun snapped at him.

He stood stiff as a board waiting for the other’s response. The expression on Yifan’s face had softened; his tightly pursed lips had succumbed to a gentle smile. He slid his hands out of his pockets and lightly drummed his fingers at his side. Baekhyun’s eyes traced Yifan’s tall stature stopping at his long digits that teased the creases of his pants. He repeatedly swallowed hoping that he could alleviate the lump in his throat but to no avail. Yifan approached him, his eyes never leaving the other’s body. If that man had touched him, he would surely melt and mesh in the spaces between his fingers.

Baekhyun closed his eyes, maintaining his defensive posture. It was then that Yifan rested his head in the crook of Baekhyun’s neck and exhaled. He rested his hands on the other’s shoulders, kneading them with his thumbs.

“You’re afraid.” His deep voice rattled Baekhyun’s nerves. “You’re afraid that everything that you thought you knew and loved about your precious husband will be a lie.”

Just as Baekhyun parted his lips to object, Yifan’s penetrating gaze stopped him in his tracks.

“You’re afraid that all of those beautiful wet dreams that make you clinch tight will become more than mere untapped fantasies.” He teased. “That little voice telling you no will be the very thing making you scream yes.”

Baekhyun’s teeth gently grazed his lower lip the more that Yifan spoke. His heart palpitated as his eyes fought to escape the other’s gaze. The space between them grew tighter and tighter, and Baekhyun’s breath grew shallow.

“I’m not afraid of anything.” Uncertainty filled his voice.

“Of course not.” Yifan mocked him. “Now all you have to do is convince him.”

Baekhyun expressed his confusion with the constricted space between his eyebrows. He neglected to pay attention to the warmth that filled every crevice of his body. The presence of Yifan’s fingers along the seam of his zipper made it evident. Baekhyun flinched, quickly concealing his bulge with his hands.

“You’re the devil.” He muttered.

An exaggerated laugh escaped Yifan’s lips as he poked fun at Baekhyun some more.

“Be careful, Baekhyun.” He said with a crooked grin. “You wouldn’t want to scorch that pretty, little halo of yours.”

His “halo” was the least of his worries. He came dangerously close to the luminous glow engulfed in flames. If he wasn’t careful, the threat of getting burnt was right around the corner. His fingers the delicate, silver band that graced his ring finger. It kept him grounded and reminded him of the amazing man that he married. As long as he had that ring, there was nothing that could convince him otherwise.

“Peace. Truth.” Sehun read the letter left on his door. “The answer is in the stillness.”

“What the hell is that supposed mean?” he muttered, rereading the words over and over again.

His temper was already starting to flare, and his shoebox sized room wasn’t making him feel any less upset. He had to live in a cubicle with an embittered fogy. He hoped that the liquor cabinet was fully-stocked because he had a feeling that it was going to be a long day.

“Do you need some help with that?” Jongin asked walking closely behind Luhan.

Luhan turned to him and smiled saying, “No, I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”

Sehun in his cheeks and narrowed his eyes at the two.

“I see that you two are settling in well.” He made a snide remark.

Luhan couldn’t help but to the relish the moment where Sehun actually got jealous of another man. They weren’t even together, and he still managed to his head in Luhan’s affairs. It was so like him to make a fuss about something so petty.

“Yes, we are.” Luhan replied with a smirk. “Good luck to you and your new roommate.”

He left the other to fume in his bitter jealousy and anger. Inside, Jongin held a small piece of paper in his hand. He read over it silently with a raised brow.

“What’s that?” Luhan asked.

“It’s a letter that Hyunsoo left us.” Jongin said. “It says, ‘Foolish is he who is without direction. That which cripples you will be your salvation.’ Strange.”

Luhan hung onto each and every word from that letter. What he could decipher made perfect sense to him. He was a fool, aimlessly wandering and lollygagging through life with no clear purpose. Of course, he had the impressive bachelor’s pad with the hefty salary, but that was all pretty decoration to cover the that lie beneath the surface. None of those fancy black tie events meant a thing to him. They were just an excuse for him to schmooze and pretend like nothing’s wrong with his screwy and quite pathetic life. Though his roommate Jongin wasn’t nearly as wealthy as he, Luhan admired him more. He wrote incredible works of art that millions of people around the world got to read and appreciate. He travelled and attended fan signing events where they all knew his name. There’s nothing more fulfilling than to see your work come to fruition. Jongin was indeed living the dream.

“You don’t mind if I take the bed closest to the window, do you?” Jongin asked placing his suitcase on the grand window sill.

Luhan snapped out of his spacey state and said, “No, go ahead. You’d probably enjoy the view better than I would.”

He couldn’t be any more right. Jongin was in love with the view of the brightly-colored foliage and the cobble stone walkway that led to the campfire pit. It was like he had died and gone to a writer’s paradise filled with the perfect metaphor and imagery. This was just the kind of space that he needed to restore his creative luster. It gave him some time to be away from Kyungsoo’s complaints and to experience beauty in its entirety.

“This is perfect.” Jongin marveled. “I’ll be able to finish this novel in no time.”

“So what will your new novel be about?” Luhan asked unpacking his clothes into the nearby drawer.

“Well,” the other paused in his speech, “I haven’t exactly gotten that far just yet.”

Luhan took a break from unpacking and plopped down on his large, King size bed. He meshed his fingers together behind his head and laid back into the plush heaven that were his pillows.

“Don’t worry.” He told Jongin. “You’ll come up with something great, I’m sure. You always do.”

Luhan’s words were a surprising touch of warmth and honey to his bruised pride. He worked so hard to be innovative that his creativity suffered in response. The pressure to meet the deadline had stressed him out so much that he lost faith in his work. The one person that Jongin looked to for inspiration had only made him feel worse. He never thought that someone so small could pack such a punch.

“Thanks man. I really appreciate it.” He managed to get out past his excitement. “A miracle is what I need if I’m ever going to produce anything.”

Luhan lifted his head slightly with his elbows still pressed firmly into the bed. He could see the discouraged look on the other’s face and knew that this wasn’t the time to joke. Jongin was really feeling the pressure.

“Perfection isn’t meant to be achieved, Kai.” Luhan said. “The way that you captivate your audience with your writing is absolutely breath-taking. Instead of trying to be perfect, why not just let your heart do the talking and let the rest fall into place.”

Jongin nodded and replied, “Maybe you’re right. I can be my worst critic.”

“Aren’t we all?” Luhan chuckled.

As Jongin stared at Luhan, he couldn’t help but to be curious. He always thought that his elder was a sweet guy, but he never thought that he’d end up with Sehun. Though the two shared the same age, Jongin never really liked him. He was a jerk of the highest order, and it was a shame to watch Luhan’s youthful spirit wither and lose its vibrancy. He knew that it wasn’t any of his business, but it still never failed to cross his mind.

“Do you ever have regrets?” Jongin finally mustered the courage to ask.

Luhan looked over at him and replied, “Of course. I am human after all. We all have those shameful mom