CERISIER

THIRTEEN

Reassurance, warmth, poise, safety, was what Baekhyun felt in the arms holding his middle, preventing him from tumbling to the floor, his bare limbs wrapping themselves around the man's figure like rotten vines on the trunk of a towering tree. His nose was embedded into the broad shoulder before him, now moistened by his emotional turmoil. It felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest; he felt like he had let Chanyeol down, not only him, but himself. He had let himself sink lower into the dark hole that drew him in with false promises and delusional ideas of beauty and vanity. What he had become was anything but beautiful.

"I'm s-so sorry, I'm so sorry, Chanyeol-" he whined, fingers crimping the soft cotton shirt, hiccups escaping his throat against his will. Baekhyun didn't know what was wrong, he had never felt this way before, he had never felt guilt for what he had done, and now that guilt was overtaking, swallowing him whole causing him to cling to whatever life source he could grasp, in this case, the very man that held him so very delicately at that moment.

Chanyeol's hands maneuvered just below the boy's arms to pull his face into view, feeling the skin tremble under his touch; he didn't know if his heart could shatter any further. "Baek, hey, you're shaking. It's alright, okay?" The boy weakly nodded. "It'll be okay, you're okay."

"You've made me so proud, y'know that?" Chanyeol barely whispered, one of his palms now resting gently on the back of the student's head as he returned to his previous position of nuzzling the nurse's pulse. "You tried so hard, you made it so far, Baekhyun. You did so well and it's okay that you messed up some, you tried, Baek. That's what counts, okay?" He felt a barely-there nod, the sobs down to a minimum as the boy's heart rate slowed and his tears began to dissipate.

The two stayed like that, Baekhyun clutching onto the older man like his life depended on it with consoling caresses to his feathery hair and lips unintentionally ghosting over his temple because the words that were spoken to him were what he needed, what he needed so desperately to be said to him it was saddening. He needed acceptance, reassurance that it was all fine, that he was going to be okay and that he can always try again. That he wasn't going to be punished, yelled at, or looked down upon for something that he could just barely had a grasp on, that was second instinct for him at this time in his life. He depended on this man so much it was overwhelming; he stabilized Baekhyun and showed him that there was a way to get better and that he shouldn't be ashamed of his mistakes. It was refreshing. It was something he had lacked his whole life, and now that he had such a presence, he couldn't let go.

After whispered thanks, the student and the nurse finally emerged from the bathroom, Baekhyun fully clothed and chest feeling significantly lighter than before. The abandoned mug was empty with dried tea leaves and long forgotten by the freshman, his head slumped back quite ungracefully and his mouth gaping open, releasing embarrassingly loud snores. The two instantly met eyes after scanning the sight and quietly giggled before Baekhyun took it upon himself to pounce on the snoozing boy only to effectively earn himself a weak punch on the arm and a death glare not long after.

"Oh Sehun! It's time to go home, wake up," the senior had had his thumbs and index fingers squishing the poor teen's cheeks, vigorously shaking him from side to side.

"I'm already up; are you blind?" Sehun whined before not fully hitting his tormentor, his friendliness getting in the of him actually beating his runt of a best friend into a pulp. They halted their childish antics upon realizing a certain adult was still standing near the hallway, his arms crossed and an amused smile gracing his handsome features. Baekhyun flushed rouge and rolled off of Sehun's lap.

The two boys were soon dressed back up into their shoes and warm coats and were ushered back into the backseat of the nurse's car, a small smile now on the senior's lips rather than a saturated frown. Sehun looked between the man and his friend beside him. Questions flooded his brain about the two, but he set them in the back of his mind to ask Baekhyun later.

When they finally arrived, they said their goodbyes and Baekhyun took a little too long to come around the other side of the car but Sehun ignored and dismissed before they stepped foot into his home, a sleepover already decided practically telepathically between them. The older got the newer brightly colored beanbag in the bedroom while the younger took the older, duller one as always, but he never complained.

"So..." the blond began, glancing up at Baekhyun as he relaxed into the cushy seat, the boy leaning his head against the side of the bag as if it were a pillow to look over at Sehun, his bangs falling into his face while the game console powered up in front of them. "What happened while I was sleeping? You seem alright now, are you still feeling sick at all?"

The elder shook his head immediately, "no, I'm fine now, really," Sehun saw the boy's pink lip get clamped between his teeth before he answered the previously asked question, "he just gave me some medicine and uh, let me brush my teeth."

"Oh?" Sehun tilted his head in response, his eyes narrowing. He wasn't stupid, by now he would have to be completely braindead to not be able to tell when his best friend is lying right through his teeth. Something fishy was going on behind the scenes and it involved that sketchy nurse. He promised himself to get to the bottom of whatever Baekhyun had been hiding from him. He was his best friend after all, so he should know anyways. "You guys seem close, y'know."

Baekhyun's eyes widened, his mouth slightly parting to try and retort back but his eyes darted to the colorful start menu that suddenly flashed before the two on the expensive flat screen. "Let's just start the game, yeah? I haven't played in a really long time."

The younger merely nodded and tossed a controller into the shorter one's lap.