Chanyeol's P.O.V

“Are you sure about this? Isn't it even more dangerous for you to leave now when we know that a level 10 demon is involved in all of this?”
“I don't think that demon will come after us again, after all he hasn't showed up for over two weeks since he was here last.”

Chanyeol speaks calmly while packing down the last shirts and pants into a bag. Baekhyun sits silently on the bed while both Chen and Xiumin watch Chanyeol pack the bag. Kris has already been here and tried to change Chanyeol's mind, but Chanyeol is too stubborn to listen. Baekhyun isn't sure what to think or what to do, but he trusts Chanyeol and his decisions.

“I think it's better if we leave here. If you think about it, that demon might come back and he might not come back. But there is one thing we know for sure. Someone has heard about us being here, there is no chance that the fact that we're here has not spread among the other demons by now. Therefor we should leave, not only for our safety, but also for yours.”
“Don't worry about us! We're much stronger together! Besides, you owe me!”
“Chen, I don't owe you anything. You owed me, but not anymore. You shouldn't force us to stay, even Kris said it's alright for us to leave.”

Chanyeol finally closes the bag before he stands up straight. Both Chen and Xiumin are desperately trying to come up with a reason for them to stay longer, but eventually they stop trying. Chanyeol glances over at Baekhyun who has been awfully silent earlier this morning. When Chanyeol told him that they should leave, he didn't protest nor did he agree to what he said. With other words, he has no idea if Baekhyun is agreeing to him or if he's unsure about his decision or not.

“Baekhyun, let's get going before it becomes too late. Shall we?”

Baekhyun stands up and walks over to Chanyeol in silence. Both Chen and Xiumin exchange a glance before they look back at Chanyeol once more.

“Please don't leave, just not yet. We have nothing against your human, but it's not like we care enough to protect him. No offense Baekhyun.”
“But we're still worried about you Chanyeol. You're our friend and you're also a very special demon who everyone looks up to in one way or another.”
“I will be fine. Hopefully nothing dangerous will happen while we're gone. As fast we have figured out how to stop this stupid hunt, we will come back to visit you again.”

Chen lets out an irritated sigh while Xiumin facepalms himself. Baekhyun looks slightly anxious by now, but Chanyeol tries to ignore it as he clears his throat. They shouldn't waste more time here, after all he made up his mind that they're leaving. He wanted to leave as soon as possible when they arrived and they have been here longer than necessary. His powers are almost fully restored which makes it easier for him to not drain himself like he did last time.

“Baekhyun, don't worry about these two. They always talk more than necessarily.”
“You are an idiot who are foolish. If you leave now-”
“Everything will be fine. Please, I know you're worried, but things won't get better if we stay here. I know a safe place, there we will try to figure things out.”
“Is it really safer than here? Kris' property and his area is well protected. There are very few who dare to come here, even you know that!”
“But there are still high leveled demons who could easily get in here if they wished for it. I don't want the higher levels to get involved more than necessarily.”

Chanyeol turns to Baekhyun and smiles weakly at him. He carefully reaches his hand out to the shorter man and grabs his hand gently. Baekhyun gives him a weak smile to an answer before Chanyeol turns back his gaze to Chen and Xiumin.

“Thank you for your concern, but we will be leaving now. Take care of yourselves, okay?”
“That's our line! You better come back in one piece, got it?”

Chanyeol smiles and nods before he looks down at Baekhyun. They're ready to leave, even Baekhyun looks less anxious now. Chanyeol begins to walk towards the door and pulls Baekhyun along with him. As fast they step outside, the four cats that usually follow Baekhyun meow loudly towards them.

“You're going to leave now, even though you know the danger of leaving?”
“Please rethink this since our masters are very worried about you.”
“It's not like they're trying to stop you because we don't like you, but we're also worried about you guys. Especially the human.”
“Even I think you should rethink this Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol lets out a sigh and is about to get really pissed when Baekhyun suddenly crouches down to the cats with a smile on his lips. He pats them all gently before he opens his mouth and speaks softly to them. Oh, that's right, he can still hear the cats.

“I know you're all worried, but we're going to be alright. If Chanyeol says we're going to be safe, I trust him. You should trust him more as well. Sometimes you have to take risks to be able to live a better life, now is one of those times when we have to take a risk. Black, are you going to come with us or do you want to stay here with the others? Chanyeol said you could do whatever you want as long you're happy.”
“I... I don't know... I want to stay, but I also want to go with you.”
“It's a hard decision, isn't it? Then... Can't you stay here with your friends? You can find us whenever you want, right? You can catch up to us later, when you're ready to come.”
“I'm not scared to leave! I can go if I want too!”
“I'm not saying that you're being a coward, I'm asking you to enjoy your life a little with your friends. Chanyeol and I will be fine together, you know it.”
“Besides, I can still communicate with you even if we're not here. Black, I think it's the best if you stay here. I agree with Baekhyun and what he's saying, so please stay here for a little longer. Like Baekhyun said, you can always catch up with us later.”
“Then... If you both wish for it, I will stay. But you better not do anything reckless without me being around! I won't be able to keep an eye on you, so be careful.”

Baekhyun chuckles with a delightful smile on his lips. He pats Black once more before he stands up straight and smiles towards Chanyeol. It's time for them to leave, they have already been delayed long enough. Chanyeol grabs Baekhyun's hand once again and walks down the corridor and then downstairs to the hallway. By the front door and the exit of the house stands Kris. He's having a pokerface on as usual, but Chanyeol gets the feeling that he's not too happy at the moment. Chanyeol smiles slightly towards Kris how lets out a long and rather heavy sigh.

“I have already tried to change your mind, but you're too damn stubborn as usual. Well, all I can do from now and on is to watch over you from afar.”
“I will leave Black with you, he seems to get along with the other cats so well and...”
“And you want me to have a secret connection with you, right?”
“You can say that. I also don't want him to get caught in a fight, it's hard enough to protect Baekhyun with Black running around as well. He has been to a big help, but for now it's better for him to stay here.”
“I get it, I will watch over him myself. I will make sure that he has it comfortable with the other familiars.”

Chanyeol smiles while Kris switches his gaze from Chanyeol to Baekhyun. They both only stare at each other for a couple of seconds before Kris opens his mouth slowly to speak.

“I usually don't say this to humans, but since you're an exception... Please be careful and don't die. Also, watch over Chanyeol. Even if he's your guardian, he still needs your support and your attention. If something happens and he can't contact me, it's up to you.”
“Yes sir, I will watch over him carefully. Uhm... How am I supposed to contact you if something happens?”
“Here, this phone will go straight to me. I haven't seen you using a phone, so I guess your own phone is gone. I don't care if it is gone or not, just keep this extra phone in case something happens.”
“Thank you Kris, but we will be fine. Well, I hate to say this, but we have to leave. We can't be delayed for much longer, else it will get dark and we have to stay for another night.”
“I don't mind if you stay one more night-”
“I told you yesterday that we would leave, don't try to make us stay any longer than necessary.”

Kris sighs defeated before he takes a step to the side and opens the door. Chanyeol exchange one last glance with him before he walks out through the door with Baekhyun right behind him.

Baekhyun's P.O.V

Chanyeol walks silently down a small path that is leading into the forest that surrounds Kris' mansion. Baekhyun doesn't dare to say anything, he only holds onto Chanyeol's hand and lets the giant lead the way. They don't say very much the first minutes, but after a while Chanyeol finally opens his mouth.

“So... What do you actually think about leaving the mansion? You haven't said a word about it since I told you this morning.”
“I don't know what to think, that's why I'm not saying anything.”

Chanyeol nods silently while he looks around himself. To be honest, Baekhyun isn't sure what he's thinking about this. He does agree with Chanyeol that it's not good for them to stay for too long at the mansion, but on the other hand it's not safe to leave. Where are they even heading? Chanyeol only said he knows a safe place where they can hide for over a year if it's needed.

The forest around them is silent and Chanyeol is busy with leading the way. Baekhyun follows him silently and takes a look at their surrounding from time to time. The trees are still green and alive, but it won't take very long before they will start to witter and fall to the cold ground. It's soon autumn and the cold is slowly sneaking in. With other words, the winter is creeping closer and the summer is slowly dying out.

“Hey Baekhyun... There is something I have been thinking about.”
“What is it?”
“Have you...? Have you contacted your friends back at home?”

Baekhyun nearly stops dead when the words reaches his ears. His friends back at home, his precious Kyungsoo who must be dying as worried he must be. And then there is Kai and Sehun who Baekhyun used to hangout with a lot, especially after Kyungsoo got together with Kai and confessed his feelings.

“I thought so... Well, let's call them when we find a safe place to rest. We will walk out of the forest and towards a small town, there you can call him and explain the situation.”
“W-What am I supposed to say? The truth?”
“No, definitely not the truth. If he hears it, he will think you're insane. No offense, but I don't want Kyungsoo to send any weird people after us.”
“Then what am I supposed to say?”
“I will think of something, okay? Let's concentrate on getting out of the forest and over to the town. From there we will be able to find a car. Kris has already prepared a hotel room and a car for us.”
“I see... He's very generous to help us out this much. You must be really good friends.”
“We used to be very close, but we kind of lost our friendship a couple of years back. We're still trying to get back to the old times.”

Baekhyun nods understanding, but he gets a weird feeling that Chanyeol and Kris used to have a real brother-like relationship. How can someone ruin a friendship so badly that they ended up not talking to each other for years? Baekhyun doesn't want to think about it, the thought only worries him about his relationship with Kyungsoo. Oh his precious Kyungie, he must be dying as anxious he must be. He should have remembered to call him earlier, but his mind has always been stuck at himself and Chanyeol. Is it selfish to be busy with thinking only about himself and Chanyeol? He should have considered Kyungsoo's feelings earlier, especially since they're almost like brothers.

“Chanyeol... Have I committed a crime?”
“What are you talking about? Did you hit your head? What crime?”
“Chanyeol... I totally forgot about Kyungsoo, I have selfishly only thought about myself and you this whole time.”
“Don't talk like that, you haven't done anything wrong. Come on, let's try to get out of here as fast as possible. Everything will be fine, okay? I bet Kyungsoo will understand if we explain the situation for him. We don't have to tell him the whole truth, but we can tell him a couple of parts that is true.”
“Like what? That I nearly got killed for not too long ago or that I had to flee from Seoul? That I haven't been able to contact him because something is trying to kill me?”
“We will come up with something, so please don't worry. Come on, let's try to solve everything by getting to the damn town.”

Baekhyun wants to keep complaining about himself being a selfish , but complaining won't help them. He decides to shut up and instead he concentrates on trying to come up with a fake story he can tell Kyungsoo. He will have to call Kyungsoo today and not any later than 6 pm. He has been cruel enough towards his friend, he shouldn't keep worrying him.

***

Baekhyun sighs relieved when he and Chanyeol finally steps out of the forest. They both stare at the town in front of them before Chanyeol begins to walk again. Baekhyun follows him silently while holding onto Chanyeol's hand and takes a look around himself. There are barely anyone walking on the streets, but this place doesn't look strange nor suspicious either. It just looks like a normal small town with very few people being outside.

“There is a small hotel over here, we're going to stay there for the night.”
“Okay...”
“Tomorrow we will leave early in the morning, so let's get a lot of rest and make sure that we're not delayed.”

Baekhyun nods before he looks around the town. There is an older couple walking down the street a couple of meters beside them and then there is a kid cycling on a small bike on the opposite side of the street. Chanyeol ignores everything and everyone while leading the way towards the hotel. He must be tired, even though they haven't been walking for many hours. After another few minutes of walking, Chanyeol finally stops outside a small apartment-like building. Baekhyun stares at the sign and smiles: it's the hotel! Chanyeol quickly steps inside with Baekhyun and then lets go of his hand.

“I will speak with the counter lady, so you wait other by the stairs. Don't go anywhere without me, okay?”
“I'm not a child, I know what to do. Go on, I will wait right over there.”

Chanyeol nods before he walks over to the counter where a middle aged lady stands. Baekhyun takes his time to look around the lobby while he walks towards the stairs. It's a simple lobby, but he didn't expect very much of it to begin with. It's a small town, there are barely any guests here at all and the hotel itself doesn't look too luxurious. Baekhyun won't complain and he isn't complaining about the hotel because he has been through worse. He should be grateful that they have made it this far without any trouble and to be able to sleep in a normal building.

“I'm back. Let's go to our room, there is no point in leaving the hotel for now.”

Baekhyun nods once again and follows Chanyeol quickly. They both walk in silence until Chanyeol stops by a door and opens it. The hotel room is simple, it contains an older couch, a small TV, a bathroom and lastly one big bed. Baekhyun gets to step in first into the room and Chanyeol follows him shortly.

“It's not the best room you probably have been in, but it's something. It's the best in town, not that there are any other hotels around.”
“I'm not complaining and I won't complain. It's more than enough for us, after all we're only staying one night. Besides, we're not in a situation where we can be spoiled.”

Chanyeol chuckles lightly with a weak smile on his lips. He looks a little amused, but at the same time happy. Baekhyun walks over to the bed and sits down on to carefully. To be such a “cheap” hotel, the bed is rather big and soft. Chanyeol puts the bag on the couch before he walks over to Baekhyun and drops his body down onto the bed besides the shorter man. They both sit in silence for a couple of minutes. Baekhyun is busy with trying to come up with a fake story for Kyungsoo while Chanyeol is busy with staring at the ceiling. After a long and rather heavy silence, Chanyeol finally opens his mouth.

“So... Should we call Kyungsoo? I think I know what to say to him.”
“What am I supposed to say? I can't say that I met you and fell in love and just left if that is what you're thinking.”
“Say that something about your parents came up and you were so caught up in the act of revenge that you forgot to tell Kyungsoo about it.”
“I... I don't know if it's going to work... What if he sees right through me?”
“Don't worry, if needed I will just have to pretend to be some kind of lawyer or something. I'm rather good at acting, I have tried it a couple of times and it works every single time.”

Baekhyun chuckles slightly, but he can't really laugh at the moment. There is a lump inside of his stomach that is getting heavier and it becomes harder to stay calm. The more he thinks about calling Kyungsoo, the more anxious he gets. But like he said earlier, he can't be selfish and ignore Kyungsoo for any longer. If he would have been in Kyungsoo's shoes, he would be worried to death by now.

“Do you have a phone I can borrow?”
“You got a phone right over there, use it instead of a cellphone. If you use a cellphone, then Kyungsoo might try to call us again and again which might put him in danger.”
“I-I see, then I will make sure to not call him from the cellphone I got from Kris.”

Chanyeol nods as he watches Baekhyun get up of the bed and walk over to a phone that stands on a nightstand beside the right side of the bed. Baekhyun nervously sits down onto the bed and lets out a small sigh. Here goes nothing. He picks up the phone and presses Kyungsoo's phone number which he easily memorized the first time he got it. The signals passes by, one by one. Baekhyun listens nervously to the tones before they finally stop. Baekhyun's heart nearly stops when he hears Kyungsoo's slightly suspicious voice.

“Yeoboseyo? What can I help you with?”
“Hey Kyungie, it's me.”
“B-BAEKHYUN?! IS THAT YOU?! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!”

Baekhyun has to hold the phone at least a meter away from his ear while Kyungsoo is screaming on the other side of the line. Chanyeol chuckles in the background which makes Baekhyun throw him a slightly pissed glance. Why is he laughing over there?! It's not like Baekhyun likes it how Kyungsoo is screaming at him. He sighs slightly before he quickly clears his throat in hope to gain Kyungsoo's attention.

“Kyungsoo, calm down and please stop screaming. I know I have been really mean towards you, but I want you to listen to me very carefully.”
“I will listen if you tell me where you are! I have been worried to death because of you! I seriously thought that you... I thought you had enough of your life and...”
“I-It's not like that! I-I would never leave you just like that! I'm sorry if I worried you, but I had my reasons to go. I can't tell you too much, but I can promise you that I'm perfectly fine and that everything is well. I will be gone for a while and I know that I should have told you that I'm leaving, but I was too caught up with what I'm doing that I didn't think about you until now. I'm sorry Kyungie, it's not like I hate you, I just forgot about my normal life for a moment.”
“Where are you? Please tell me that you're not in the USA. Baekhyun, please come back home again. You have been gone for nearly two months already. Everyone is worried about you and if you don't come back, then a lot of problems will occur.”
“I'm sorry, but I can't come back just yet. I still have things to do. Don't worry about me, like I said I'm perfectly fine and I will make sure to call you from time to time to assure you that I'm alright. Kyungie, can you do me the favor and watch over the house for me? All my bills and everything still needs to be paid, so you can use the money I have hidden in my room. Can you do that?”
“Aish, I have already been doing that for a long time... Just so you know, I will use your house and Kai will be with me! Else I won't help you...”
“Feel free to borrow it, just don't break anything. You know how precious it is to me.”
“I know that silly, that's why we're living in it. If a thief decides to come by, we will kick his/hers and put them in jail! So you can rest assure that everything at home is safe and sound! And I'm also fine by the way, except that you nearly scared me to death for a while.”

Baekhyun feels how he laughs and listens to Kyungsoo's wonderful voice. He misses his best friend and he wishes that he could go back home and see him. But the situation won't allow him, it's too dangerous and who knows what will happen to Kyungsoo if he gets involved? No, Baekhyun can't afford to lose someone like Kyungsoo. It would literally kill him if Kyungsoo got hurt because of him.

“Hey Kyungsoo... I wish I could talk a little longer, but I have to go. I promise to call you as soon as I can, but it will probably be a while until then. Watch over the house and take care of yourself until then. Promise me that, okay?”
“Silly, that's my line! Geez, I don't really understand what you're doing, but if you have to do it, just do it. But don't forget about me this time, okay? We're all still worried about you, even though it might not seem like it. I even planned to call the police, but I received a text from you saying that I shouldn't do that. If you're in trouble, please tell me about it. Maybe not today, but the next time we talk you can tell me about it.”
“Thank you Kyungie, for worrying about me... I... I miss you a lot. Next time I see you, I will hug you tightly and apologize properly. Goodbye Kyungsoo.”

Baekhyun listens to Kyungsoo's goodbye before he hangs up on the phone. The room falls into silence as fast Baekhyun puts away the phone and stares down at his lap. Suddenly a teardrop hits Baekhyun's hand that is resting against in his lap. It doesn't take very long before more teardrops hits it and Baekhyun realizes that he's crying.

“Baek...?”

Baekhyun curls together on the spot and hugs his thighs while hiding his face. He doesn't want to cry like this in front of Chanyeol, after all they can't help the situation they're in. He wants to see Kyungsoo so badly and tell him everything that has happened, but he can't. He's stuck with being on the run with Chanyeol, who he doesn't mind at all. But the thing is, he isn't even sure if he will be able to see Kyungsoo again.

“Baekhyun... Please don't cry.”

Baekhyun feels Chanyeol's warm arms surround him before the giant pulls him into a warm embrace. Baekhyun cries like a child, but he has the right to do that. Chanyeol his back gently and patiently comforts the crying Baekhyun. They're not saying a word to each other, but they both share the same feelings. They don't want to be in this stupid situation, but they can't help it.

“Chanyeol... I'm sorry for crying...”
“It's alright... I'm sorry that you're in this situation...”

Baekhyun closes his eyes and lets himself rest against Chanyeol's chest. He hates the situation so much, but at the same time he's glad to have Chanyeol here. Without Chanyeol, he wouldn't have survived for this long and he would probably collapse into tears every single day without him.

“Thank you Chanyeol... Thank you...”
“Please don't thank me... I... I'm the reason why you're here.”
“That's exactly why I thank you... Because without you, I wouldn't be here. Thank you...”

Chanyeol is left speechless while he hugs Baekhyun a little tighter. Baekhyun hugs Chanyeol back by now and buries his face against the taller man's chest. He has to make sure that he never leaves Chanyeol's side and that they both will make it out of this stupid situation they're in. No matter what happens, he will stay with Chanyeol.

Ayo guys!

I only want to say that I'm glad if you're reading this and that I will be busy for a little longer, but hopefully I will be able to update more often soon. ^.^

Thank you for reading and supporting me, I love you guys so much and I will always appreciate your support. I'm sorry that I can't update as often as I want too, but I'm glad you're still here! ^.^

Peace and love to you all! <3