𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

15. 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Baekhyun was barely holding himself together. He just let his body move on its own, like a robot because he wasn’t capable of thinking or feeling. He had spent the last two days like that, avoiding people the best he could. His chest was always painful and it made it hard for him to simply walk to his work.

The worst was when he was supposed to teach his students movements, too much effort making it hard for him to breathe. But that was not the biggest problem he had, because physical pain and exhaustion were something he was accustomed to and could function with.

The worst part was his feelings or more like his lack of feelings. He was numb to any kind of happiness, sadness and all. When he got back home Saturday night he felt for the first time in years tears pooling in his eyes, but none of them managed to escape and roll down his cheeks. The hurt and betrayal were too much for him. He had screamed his lungs out into his pillow, wanting to kick something so bad to the point he would see blood on his hands but he couldn’t. The look Chanyeol had sent him was haunting him, appearing behind his eyelids every time he tried to sleep.

The younger didn’t understand him and that hurt the most. Baekhyun wasn’t ready to share his past, or even his life. Not entirely because he needed time to let his fears to go away. And Chanyeol wanted to put him in a situation where he had to face them. Baekhyun just couldn’t do it. As a result Baekhyun was now, on Tuesday, walking in the sport complex like a ghost, not minding if people tried to talk to him.

He avoided Minseok the day before and ignored all the texts he got from the shorter. Even Minhyuk hadn’t got any answers to his texts and calls, just one text from Baekhyun saying he needed space. But now Baekhyun felt like he had too much space for himself.

He badly needed someone to make him feel better, as selfish as it could sound.

During lunch he chose to walk farther than usual, not going to Suho’s café. He went to the bar that felt like a second home even if it was rusty and cheap. He entered the pub to be welcomed by the air filled with alcohol and the smell of old wood. There was no customer. His eyes immediately went to the bar to find Ten scrolling through his phone. The omega lazily raised his eyes when he heard someone and nearly fell from his stool when he saw Baekhyun. The phone slipped from his grip and fell on the bar. Ten winced at that and Baekhyun would have chuckled if he wasn’t feeling cold.

He slowly made his way towards the bar, his bag with his lunch in his hand and sat on a stool, right across Ten. The omega studied him with a frown before sighing when the hunter stubbornly kept his mouth shut to only pick his sandwich out of his bag. The silence was heavy.

“Well B, you have two options now. Either you begin to talk in the next 5 seconds or I’ll eat your sandwich and kick you out.” Ten suddenly spoke with a teasing tone.

Baekhyun watched as Ten leaned towards him, his elbows on the bar. The hunter sighed and pushed his sandwich towards Ten.

“Not hungry” he mumbled.

Ten seemed surprised but bit into the food, munching with his eyes baring holes into Baekhyun. The latter didn’t even care about his grumbling stomach, not really having the heart to eat. His heart was painful, that was all he could felt. He came here just to avoid his co-workers and Suho’s café.

“Spit it.” Ten demanded with a frown, visibly worried.

“There is nothing to talk about”, Baekhyun sighed.

He stared down, his eyes scanning the old and used surface of the bar when half of his sandwich came into sight. He looked up to meet Ten’s gentle expression.

“Eat hunter, gonna need energy to kick some bad wolves’ asses” Ten joked with a smile.

Baekhyun felt a pang of hurt in his chest and he winced. He heard a noise of glass and he watched as Ten poured two shots of vodka in front of him.

“And a little boost for the remaining of your day” Ten added.

They downed their shot and Baekhyun didn’t care if he had to work after, because one shot wasn’t going to kill him.

“I just.… miss him” he finally spoke. “But it still hurts so much”

He stared at Ten who seemed to think about what he just told him.

“Wolves have pride you know. Mostly alphas because it’s in their dna to protect what’s theirs. But a mate is the most important thing in a wolf’s life. So whatever has happen between you two, I’m sure he’ll come around and you’ll be able to sort things out. And yes I might have eavesdropped on your conversation with your friend the other day, don’t be mad.” Ten said with a genuine smile.

Baekhyun looked at him for a minute and finally sighed, feeling like a small weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He flicked Ten’s forehead before eating his sandwich.

“Remember when I first met you ?” asked Ten, voice nostalgic. “You were the only hunter that had looked at me like I was a human being too, not a prey nor a monster. You talked to me and I could see in your eyes, your pain. Even knowing what happened to you, I still could feel how down you were. But now, I feel like you’re doing well, even if sometimes, like right now, you feel hurt. Just fight back and be Shadow, the proud hunter that I first met. The one who fights back even if on the inside, he is dying.”

“Thanks Ten” Baekhyun said, wanting so bad to hug Ten, but the omega and him didn’t have that kind of friendship.

He stepped outside the pub with a newly found energy, looking up at the sky and praying for the night to come.

~
 

When his day at work was officially over, he stretched in the locker room. He grabbed his bags and walked out of the building, bidding Jennie a good night before exiting the complex, closing his eyes when the cold wind engulfed him. He fixed his beanie on his head to be sure his ears were fully covered. He turned right and froze. Chanyeol was there, leaning against the wall, his nose buried under a scarf but his eyes were on Baekhyun.

They stared at each other for a couple of minutes, Baekhyun notice the plastic bag the younger was holding. His heartbeat was decreasing. He shrugged and walked home, passing in front of Chanyeol. The latter straightened and began to walk beside the hunter, none of them exchanging glance or words.

The silence was heavy and Baekhyun didn’t have it in him to break it. He was tense without really knowing why, every word they threw at each other playing in his mind while his fingers itched to touch the younger. His mind and body weren’t on the same page.

He walked towards his own apartment, not minding taking Chanyeol there for the first time because he was lost in his thoughts. They encountered the old lady living on the first floor that Baekhyun often helped with her groceries. He nodded at her when she gave them a warm smile before the two men entered the elevator. They stayed in silence, just staring at each other.

Baekhyun took his key out of his pocket and unlocked his door, letting Chanyeol enter first so he could lock the door after them. They got rid of their shoes and coat and Baekhyun took the plastic bag from Chanyeol, shivering slightly when their fingers brushed. He went to his kitchen and put the bag on the counter. He began to take the items out but stopped. He turned on his feet to notice Chanyeol leaning against the door frame, eyes burning with an emotion Baekhyun couldn’t name. Baekhyun gasped when his heartbeat increased but not in a painful way.

They kept their eyes locked on the other and Baekhyun didn’t know who was the first to move but he gave in and found himself in Chanyeol’s arms, the younger’s lips on his. 

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🤪😂