Baekhyun and the others came back to the cave feeling refreshed and relaxed. Baekhyun hadn't felt this clean in the last few days, and he was slightly upset that he didn't have a cozy bed to snuggle into now. He spotted Chanyeol and Luhan chatting near the fire and quickly jumped into Chanyeol's lap, startling the young dragon.
"Baek what the..." Chanyeol's voice caught in his throat once he had a lapful of a clean and tired Baekhyun. Luhan hid a smirk as Sehun did the same to him, and Sehun blinked slowly at the two in front of him.
"Luhan, they're copying us." He whined, but Luhan only ran his hands through Sehun's soft long locks.
"Anyone can be in love Hunnie." he smiled fondly at the dragon who was turning red as Baekhyun curled into his chest further, and then both Luhan and Sehun went off to bed.
Chanyeol eventually grew stiff from warming Baekhyun up so the two companions moved to their designated cots. Chanyeol laid down first and opened his wings up wide, allowing Baekhyun to slip inside.
"Baekhyun? We're friends right?" Chanyeol murmured as the two settled down. Baekhyun shivered at the breath that fanned his neck and curled up more.
"Obviously. What makes you think that?" Baekhyun answered hesitantly, and Chanyeol silently wrapped his wings tighter around the smaller.
"We're not just friends from the selection right? You're not just with me because you're being forced too right?" Chanyeol asked instead, and Baekhyun sat up and stared at the dragon with wide eyes.
"What are you even talking about? Chanyeol, you've never done anything remotely like this in your life. What's gotten into you?"
"I'm just curious Baek. You never tell me anything worth knowing. It's like you don't want me to know you." Chanyeol found himself getting worried at Baekhyun's behavior.
"Yeol, this isn't like you," Baekhyun shot back, "you're too young to understand."
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"Bullshit! You might be older now but I'll live much longer than you will. Eventually, I will be older than you. Keeping your feelings to yourself while I'm left in the dark; that's fucking selfish!"
"Chanyeol! Where did you learn that foul language?"
"Oh so now it's okay for you to curse but not me?"
"Answer the fucking question!"
"See there you go again!"
"Chanyeol!"
"Baekhyun!"
Baekhyun was so angry, he saw himself getting up but then he saw red, and when he blinked Chanyeol was staring at him with wide eyes.
"What are you looking at?" Baekhyun looked away angrily, but his eyes widened when he heard the whimper from behind him. He turned, and his eyes fell on Chanyeol's face.
"You hit me...you actually hit me..." Chanyeol seemed stunned as well, his right cheek turning red from Baekhyun's supposed hit.
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"Chanyeol..." Baekhyun quickly reached for the dragon but Chanyeol moved away.
"I understand your feelings now. Very fucking well actually. Crystal clear." Chanyeol's voice had never sounded so lifeless, and Baekhyun felt his anger dissipating and a sense of regret and guilt replaced it.
"No, Chanyeol, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to do that..." Baekhyun reached for him again but Chanyeol got up and began to walk away.
"Yeollie..." Baekhyun ran after him, but Chanyeol recoiled before he could touch him.
"Don't fucking come near me Byun Baekhyun!" and with that Chanyeol was gone, his small dragon form disappearing into the cloud layer.
"Wow. You screwed up." Baekhyun turned to see Tao leaning against Yixing behind him, and Baekhyun turned red.
"How much of that did you hear?" He wearily asked, and suddenly Yifan appeared by his other side.
"Pretty much everything. Did you forget that we're all sleeping in the same cave?" Yifan answered.
"Yeah basically everyone is awake because of you two." Yixing yawned, his horn almost impaling a sleepy Jongin who happened to be in his way.
"I should get you a better horn cover," Tao noted, "you're gonna skewer all of us if you keep turning your head like that."
"Onto more important matters though," Minseok interrupted, his huge tiger form nosing a drowsy Jongdae into sitting position, "Chanyeol is gone and he also happens to be our ride out in the morning. Yifan can't carry everybody."
"Why couldn't you just answer him, Baek?" Luhan questioned, and Baekhyun hung his head.
"I didn't know how to answer him. He's always been okay with whatever I tell him. I didn't know he would learn to ask things like that." Baekhyun answered.
"It seems like you were treating him like a kid this entire time. It's like you never wanted him to think for himself. You were obviously keeping him in the dark without your own recognition of what you were doing. Are you scared he'll surpass you?" Minseok questioned.
"I don't even know. I thought I was protecting him. He's always been insecure about his height and dragon form. I thought that by not telling him how people viewed him or how to properly fight back he'd rely on me more."
"So you wanted him to depend on you." Kyungsoo deadpanned.
It was silent for a moment before Junmyeon chuckled lightly.
