Baekhyun had driven Daehyun home after dinner, and wished his parents good night before promptly escaping to his bedroom. He wished he hadn't slept with Daehyun, and he knew when he got upset like that his mind and body weren't his to control. But he didn't see any point in dwelling over his mistakes, and as he thought that, those words Chanyeol had told him floated to the forefront of his mind.

"Life's too short to have regret in the heart."

Baekhyun humorlessly chuckled to himself and muttered, "Oh, how right you are . . ." He sighed, and then a thought came to him. When he had been younger and still willingly allowed his mother to take his picture, she had used the photos for a scrapbook. So jumping off his bed, he flew to his door and jerked it open before quickly jogging down the stairs to his parent's room.

Light still peeked out underneath the door, so he knew they hadn't yet fallen asleep. But as he was preparing to knock, he heard what sounded like crying. He frowned confusedly before tentatively knocking.

"Who is it?" called his father's voice.

"Baekhyun!"

"You can open the door, dear!" his mother said.

Baekhyun pushed it open, inching into the doorway. He surveyed his parents closely, and when he didn't see any evidence of crying, he wrote it off as his imagination as he softly asked, "Mom? Do you still have my childhood scrapbook? I need it for a research project." Baekhyun lied, he didn't want his family knowing about Chanyeol just yet, not until he figured out what to do.

His mother's face lit up as she exclaimed, "Gosh, I haven't thought about that in ages! Well, not since you started to refuse to let me take your picture...." She trailed off as she stood up from her bed, making her way to the closet. She flipped on a light and stretched out for the top shelf, where Baekhyun could see books neatly alined.

Baekhyun moved into the room and gently touched her shoulder, muttering, "Let me help you...."

His mom smiled as she stepped aside to allow Baekhyun to pull down the very dusty scrapbook.  He blew on it, coughing and waving away the dust as he glanced up at his mom. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

"Thanks!" he said before leaving the room.

He quickly ran back upstairs to his room and threw the door closed behind himself before flying onto his bed. He grunted at the impact as he flipped the book open. It opened with the sound any old book would make after not being opened in a long time, and his eyes instantly started to water.

The very first picture was of a younger him and....Chanyeol. They were hugging each other as they smiled into the camera, and the one directly beside it was an after shot they didn't know was being taken of them playfully shoving the other away. Baekhyun sniffled and wiped his cheeks, laughing to himself as he flipped to the next page.

The other pictures were mostly of them, happy and playing, and as Baekhyun flipped through every page and gazed at every photo, it broke his heart to think their obviously so closely connected friendship had been torn apart. It also really hurt Baekhyun to look at the pictures, knowing he could probably never go back to those times. And it hurt even more to see the happy smile that was always permanently painted onto the young Chanyeol's face.

Baekhyun slapped the book closed and pushed it away as he murmured, "I'm such a shitty friend." Then with his heart heavy with conflict, he dropped back onto his bed. He pulled the blankets close and inhaled shakily. He had to figure out how to make things right again with Chanyeol. He didn't want to lose a friendship like theirs again, not when there was still a chance to mend it and make things into what they use to be — or as close to what they were....

He sighed again as he settled into his bed, sleep pulling him under as he vowed to be better to his childhood friend. He vowed to make everything right.

* * *

The next morning after Baekhyun had finished with his morning routine and had eaten a decent breakfast, he went back to his room and pulled out the scrapbook he had hidden beneath his bed. He let his hand slowly run over it before gently setting it safe and sound at the bottom of his bag.

He didn't know what did it, but as he closed his bedroom door behind himself and went outside to his car, it felt right. It was like the first thread to mending someone's favorite torn blanket.

Baekhyun met Luhan at his locker before the first bell as he was busily pulling out the necessary books he'd need for his first class.

Baekhyun shrugged off his backpack as he asked, "Lulu, do you mind if we share your locker today? I don't have time to go to mine . . ."

Luhan nodded as he asked, "Where did you go yesterday? You disappeared for the last half of the day. Did you ditch?"

Baekhyun bit his bottom lip before nodding. "Yeah. I got sick, so Daehyun drove me home," Baekhyun half-lied

Luhan nodded and said, "Well, you seem better today. So that's good."

Baekhyun forced a smile. "Yeah, I feel much better."

The rest of the day went by slowly, possibly because Baekhyun was impatiently waiting for it to be time for his study hour. He planned on cornering Chanyeol, since he noticed he tended to show up in the library the same time Baekhyun was there.

Stalker like tendencies aside, Baekhyun was anticipating Chanyeol's appearance. He sat at a table with Kyungsoo, writing out notes for a project he had due by next Monday. His eyes kept darting up towards the doors, checking for Chanyeol like an unhealthy obsession.

When he heard the doors open, his head snapped up so fast he's more than certain he gave himself whiplash. He suppressed a moan of pain as he quickly gathered together his things before muttering a quick goodbye to Kyungsoo, who watched completely confused as Baekhyun ran towards the book shelves before promptly disappeared behind them.

He ran to the other end of the aisle, gradually slowing down as he peeked around each shelf looking for Chanyeol. He found him near the middle, reading through books on medicine and other doctor related material. Baekhyun took a deep breath before stepping around the shelf.

"Hey, Chanyeol," he muttered. The book dropped from Chanyeol's hands as he jumped. Baekhyun cringed and instinctively stepped forward, reaching out for the book just as Chanyeol did. They bumped foreheads —- naturally.

Baekhyun was knocked over as Chanyeol was just felt standing, his expression looking very pained. Baekhyun quietly cursed before quickly scrambling to his feet as he hurriedly said, "I'm so sorry. I–I didn't mean to knock our heads together." Baekhyun blushed. "But . . . Um, Chanyeol, I–I do have something to say . . . I'm sorry, again." Baekhyun glanced towards the floor before he continued by saying, "I ran out on you yesterday and I shouldn't have. I should have . . ." Baekhyun trailed off, unsure of what he should have done. He shook his head. "Anyway, I'm really sorry. I just want us to be friends."

The side of Chanyeol's face lifted in a half smile as he softly muttered, "As do I. But Baek, I–I don't know if I can . . ."

Baekhyun took a half step back, as if Chanyeol's words physically hurt him. He forced the tears back and took a deep breath before asking, "Wh-why?" But his voice cracked, and Chanyeol knew he had hurt him.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Baek, it's just . . . I like you. I like you a lot and it hurts me to see you with another guy."

Baekhyun swallowed before thickly saying, "But you left, and it could have been you . . ."

Chanyeol's brow furrowed and he grabbed the bridge of his nose, his voice came out muffled when he said, "But I didn't have a choice . . ."

"That's bullshit!" Baekhyun yelled, his emotions overtaking him. "I know you had to leave for your mom, but that didn't also mean you had to completely cut yourself from my life! That was selfish of you! To just leave without even saying a word! How could you even do that!?"

"Baekhyun, I—"

"No! I don't want to hear it, Chanyeol. I've hurt enough over you!"

"Baekhyun, please!"

"I'm done, Chanyeol! I came here to fix things, but maybe they shouldn't be fixed."

"Baek—"

Finally Baekhyun glanced up, his cheeks red with anger. But then he saw Chanyeol, pale and staggering on his feet, and Baekhyun's own cheeks blanched of color as he hesitantly stepped forward.

"Chanyeol? Are you . . ." Baekhyun trailed off as Chanyeol's feet gave out beneath him and he started to collapse to the floor. Baekhyun gasped before quickly rushing forward, catching him around the waist, Chanyeol's head falling onto his shoulder. Baekhyun staggered beneath his weight as he slowly sunk to the floor as he yelled for help.

Students and the librarian came rushing as questions flew everywhere. Baekhyun could hardly speak, all he kept muttered was, "I–I don't know what happened. Chanyeol? Please? Wake up? I'm so sorry." And through the whole thing, he refused to leave Chanyeol's side. He kept a tight grip on his cold hands that felt small and fragile in his own hands. He was confused. Hurt. And when the paramedics finally managed to pull him away, he heard words that made no sense to him.

He was so confused, and he watched numbly as Chanyeol was wheeled away on a gurney. Kyungsoo watched from the sidelines as Baekhyun completely fell apart, falling to the floor as tears poured down his cheeks.

And Kyungsoo promised himself he wouldn't say a word, but he knew. He knew Baekhyun was too stubborn and selfless to admit it to himself, but it'd only be a matter of time before he'd finally realize and accept the truth.

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