SWEET • chanbeak ✔️

0.4

Baekhyun woke up disoriented and confused.  For a moment he couldn't remember where he was.  He had no idea how beautiful he looked, with disheveled blonde hair, rosy cheeks, reddened lips, and sleepy brown eyes. 

Chanyeol was sitting at the desk reading his book.  Baekhyun sat up slowly, swinging his legs over the side of the bunk.  The light through the window told Baekhyun that it was late afternoon.  He dazedly rubbed his eyes.  He was surprised at how long and how well he had slept.  It had been days since he had slept, the fear and anxiety about his pending imprisonment making it impossible. 

He immediately started apologizing for how long he had napped, but Chanyeol cut him off with a nod.

-You obviously needed a break. 

The thought occurred to Baekhyun that Chanyeol had stayed and watched over while he slept when he could easily have left him alone and vulnerable in the cell.  But have not done it.  He had simply stayed by his side and protected him while he was most vulnerable. 

He didn't know what to think about that.  Chanyeol tossed him a dark cap.  -Close your jacket. 

He did as he was told, then pulled the cap over his blond hair, crushing the fluffy highlights to his small head.  He didn't notice how it made him look even smaller and younger, blonde curls peeking out of the dark fabric at the base of his neck and behind his little pink ears.  His eyes they shone like the summer sky.  He looked up for approval and Chanyeol just growled in annoyance. 

Not understanding why; he followed him from the cell, careful to stay close but not too close.  Chanyeol went down the cell block and out into the courtyard.  Baekhyun gasped as they walked through the double doors and a cold blast of air hit him in the face.  Instantly he was glad that Chanyeol had him raise his jacket before leaving because otherwise he would have lost all his hard-earned heat, immediately.  He pulled the cap down over his ears and then put his hands in his pockets. 

The cold wind was still running through the thin fabric that covered his legs, but the jacket at least covered him to mid-thigh.  The boy almost immediately erupted into full-body chills. 

Chanyeol only wore a light windbreaker over his jumpsuit, but his skin seemed impervious to the cold.  Baekhyun watched as he addressed a group of men seated around a table.  They immediately jumped to their feet and recognized Chanyeol.  Chanyeol nodded and handed out cigarettes. 

Baekhyun looked awkwardly from a few meters away.  He felt invisible and then wished it really was when someone finally recognized him.  One of the prisoners shook his head at Baekhyun.  -You finally got yourself a sweet boy, huh?  What his name?

Baekhyun remained silent, biting his lip, eyes downcast.  All the attention was on him now, scrutinizing and evaluating his small form and delicate features.  Chanyeol let them watch.  He took a long time answering.  His face seemed to have been carved in stone.  He took a puff from his cigarette and then spoke, the smoke crawling across his lips.

-He is mine.  His voice was cold and full of purpose and the men accepted it.  His eyes went away immediately.  Apparently he had told them everything that mattered, though he didn't even bother to tell them his name.  Baekhyun realized that his name no longer mattered.  For the prison system it was prisoner 178894 and for everyone within the system, the only thing that mattered was that he belonged to Chanyeol.

He could feel that his name started disappearing for the moment.  Chanyeol's eyes went to him and he shook his head to the side.  -Go for a walk. 

Baekhyun looked around and saw that there was a running track.  Some inmates ran slowly around it.  It was clear that what Chanyeol wanted was to speak to the group of men alone, without him hearing.  He took off slowly, but gradually accelerated.  The thin-soled shoes were less than ideal for jogging, but he was light and agile.

The cold burned his lungs, but he soon felt better, energized by the exercise.  The blood that pumped into his veins warmed him, the thud of the pavement beneath his feet soothed him, and the gray sky above their heads was far less oppressive than the low concrete ceilings. 

The boy slowly noticed another set of feet approaching his side.  He moved to the outside of the track to allow them to pass, but they did not seem to intend to pass him, simply marking the pace from a little further back, he didn't like it and the awkward silence spread between them as his eyes moved nervously towards the man.  He was small and skinny, not much bigger than Baekhyun himself, but much older.  He had fine hair.

They ran for a while in silence and Baekhyun decided that if the other man wasn't going to speak, he wouldn't either.  After a while, the runner finally spoke.

"How do you know Park?" Baekhyun shook his head.

-I... I don't know him.

-Why did he choose you?

-I do not know.

-He has never taken a bitch before.  Luhan tried to calm his anger at being called a bitch. There was no point in being angry at the truth.  If Chanyeol said that Baekhyun was his bitch, then Baekhyun was Chanyeol's bitch.  If the older man could bully a prison filled with dangerous convicts, Baekhyun was smart enough to be intimidated as well. 

"You are not the first pretty face to walk through those doors, but Chanyeol was never interested in anyone before;  what is special about you" Baekhyun kept running, noticing his rhythm a little shaking, but the other man matched him.  He seemed to be talking to himself more than Baekhyun.

-Maybe it was a whim.  Maybe he will get tired of you. The words looked like icy water falling on Baekhyun's head.  What about Chanyeol losing interest?  So what?  What would happen to him then?  He stumbled a bit with his stride, almost tripping over his own feet, and the other man noticed.  He smiled at Baekhyun's fear. 

-Don't worry, pretty boy, you will have no shortage of teachers interested in taking you from Park strap.  Maybe we will end up as sisters.

He cackled his laughter and ran forward.  Baekhyun realized that he had just met another one of the so-called 'sweet boys' in prison.  The short, skinny man ran ahead of him and then sat next to another prisoner, a bald man covered in tattoos and biceps as big as the boy's head.  He was fat around the waist, but was still big enough for no one to screw with him.