I can't sleep so I'm just gonna write.

...

Dear Baekhyun,

I guess this means you got my letter. And you actually replied (not something I was expecting). I want to apologize for my poor excuse of a letter last time. I was never good with words. I know I need to try harder.

A freshman huh? You would be the same age as one of my friends. Sehun. I'm sorry to hear it's been that long. I feel like I'm going to be saying sorry to you a lot for things I'm unable to fix. I'm sorry for that as well. And about the divorce. Your house sounds nice though. Very idealic.

Maybe one day we can meet up. If you ever feel like it. I'm not going to push you into anything. Also I want to make sure you're well enough. I know chemo takes a lot out of you. I'd like to see you face to face sometime. Again, no pressure. Take as much time as you need to decide on that.

I guess that's all I have for this letter. Again, I'm not the best with words. Until next time.

Sincerely, Chanyeol.

...

Chanyeol idly strummed the strings on his guitar, his fingers picking out a loose melody of their own accord while his mind wandered far off. Guitar always grounded him to reality somehow. And brought him a peace of mind. Originally it was just a wild fantasy of being an idol (which was horribly unrealistic at this point). But soon the giant discovered a love of the instrument and the way it seemed to whisper to him in the dead of night when nothing else did the trick. He learned song after song, classic ballads and modern pop, all easily picked up by his slim fingers and sharp memory.

"Thinking again?" The giant barely glanced up as Kyungsoo pushed his way into the room. He patted the spot beside him in the bed, feeling the mattress dip as the extra weight was added. "Did you hear back from Baekhyun yet?" the shorter male asked.

"Yeah," Chanyeol replied, his face scrunching as he thought it over. He began to play a simple selection of notes. "It sounds bad Soo. His parents are divorced and it sounds like he may not make it at all. What do I do? I can't just...stop replying. That would be beyond rude." Kyungsoo pursed his lips, glancing around the mostly organized room. The only remotely messy thing was Chanyeol's desk, overrun with sheet music and school assignments half finished, his laptop nestled into the middle.

"Just be friendly and let him decide," the short male said at last with a shrug of his shoulders. "If he wants to be friends with you, great. If not, then you won't have to worry about anything." Except the giant kind of did. He hardly knew this boy, yet his heart ached for the situation he found himself in. Fighting daily battles only he really knew. Spending his life holed up in a room no bigger than this, the smells of disinfectant and chemicals floating around. Meeting people his own age or younger and never knowing exactly how long he had with them.

It was enough to make Chanyeol's head spin.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed at last, setting the guitar aside and picking up his algebra book instead. He'd been putting off studying because he'd found it hard to concentrate. But now that Kyungsoo was here to help keep him on task he decided why not. So they sat in silence, Kyungsoo typing away on his phone as Chanyeol solved problems off a worksheet. All while his head continued to replay the same scenarios over and over.

What was it like, really? Chanyeol had never been desperately, life threateningly sick. He had to imagine it felt like one of the worst things in the world. But that also classified as a ride question, one the giant couldn't bring himself to ask. What about Baekhyun's family? What did they think? If Chanyeol felt the weight of this situation on his own shoulders, he had to believe that it was thousands of times worse for those that knew Baekhyun. He wasn't sure how he'd handle his loved on in the hospital, fighting a seemingly losing battle.

"Still thinking huh?" A voice punctured the silence, slicing through it so easily. Chanyeol blinked at his half finished assignment, setting the paper and pencil down at last. He tugged at his hair. He didn't care. He shouldn't care. He didn't know this guy. So why was he getting so worked up over this?

"I think I need some fresh air," the giant decided at last, rising. He grabbed his sweater off the back of his desk chair, and Kyungsoo followed him outside. Once there, he breathed deeply for a second, glancing up as the sun set and the sky turned inky black. Did Baekhyun enjoy the sunsets and the stars? Did he get to see them? Chanyeol had to believe so. There was no way he was completely confined in a brick building with no means of escape.

As the two walked along in relative silence, the only sounds being their shoes hitting the pavement, Chanyeol took a moment to be thankful for what he had, even if it wasn't much. And he was sort of thankful for Mr. Lee as well, for thinking of his project and introducing Chanyeol to Baekhyun. It put things into a different perspective.

When Chanyeol returned home after bidding Kyungsoo farewell he retreated to his room once again. He picked up the guitar, sitting cross legged on his bed. He picked out a simple melody once again. He had a million things to do, but no drive to do any of it. All he wanted to do was sit here and let the music wash him away.

...

Longer Chanyeol chap.