(adj.) letting or being able to let expressive emotion show easily

through one’s face and eyes

As he nears a spot which places a safe distance between the stranger and him, the stranger begins to get up.

Baekhyun’s mind starts to go on a frenzy, all the possibilities of what could happen and what he should do, running around. Although, all of that doesn’t matter when the stranger sharply turns around and…  

“Chanyeol?”

“Baekhyun?”

“Oh it is you, hey!” It turns out that the stranger is in fact who Baekhyun had thought they were and the said male continues, “We keep stumbling upon each other in the weirdest of places.” Chanyeol chuckles lightly.

“H-hi, yeah… weird huh?” Baekhyun replies as he mentally curses himself for being so bland, “Are you here to visit someone?” he decides to ask as he senses how awkward he may have just made this whole situation. His words come out slow, with such a delicacy he’s never quite used before, and he makes sure of this because he's well aware of how startled, and possibly uncomfortable, he would feel if one were to ask him something similar.

The other replies with a stern nod as he looks to the ground, “My mother… she, uh, died a few years ago, leaving my sister and I.”

Baekhyun notices how, with every word, Chanyeol’s eyes begin to cloud up with unwanted tears and it amazes him how he quickly manages to blink them way a second later, only to replace them with a smile. One might be too naive to look past this, but Baekhyun’s isn’t one to do such; especially when he can see it all through the other’s eyes. Just as Baekhyun opens his mouth to respond, Chanyeol continues on.

“Although I had to grow up real fast and provide for my sister, even if that meant sleepless nights and overworking myself, it was worth it,” he looks back up at Baekhyun and smiles, “seeing her happy and healthy… it’s definitely worth it.”

Something stirs in Baekhyun’s heart. Meeting the other, under the circumstances he had been under, and after all Chanyeol had done for him, it had been quite obvious that Chanyeol is one with a welcoming and positive heart. However, now hearing all of this, it’s most definite to Baekhyun that the other is quite… amazing?

“That’s so cute,” he whispers and a little too loud at that, and he realizes just how loud he was a second later. His heartbeat quickens and he begins to stammer as he tries to find the right words, “I didn’t meant that! I mean, no, the way you care for your sister, it’s cute. Not that you’re not but it’s not what I- but yeah it’s good you care, yeah. I’m sorry for your loss.”

A moment of complete silence follows and Baekhyun thinks he is, no, he knows he is too scared to pick his head up to witness the other’s reaction. For the nth time, he mentally curses himself, without the slightest idea as to why he’s acting so weird.

Then he hears a chuckle growing into a light laughter, with a hint of admiration? He’s not quite sure but he is sure that, when he picks up his head rather slowly, he sees a pleasant sight. And upon seeing such a sight, Baekhyun feels it again… the feeling of butterflies prancing about in his stomach.

“I know what you meant, Baekhyun.” the other says as his laughter slows down, “Don’t worry, thank you. What about you?”

“Huh?”

“Did you come here to visit someone?”

“Oh, yes I did…” Baekhyun replies hesitantly, “My mother and father… they, uh, died when I was thirteen.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“No. I was put into the foster-care system after it happened.” Baekhyun’s not sure why he’s telling the other all of this, considering how it took him quite a while to tell Sehun. He thinks it might be the situation he found himself in earlier, how he just happened to stumble upon the other. He thinks it might be Chanyeol’s overall aura, how comfortable and warm he makes him feel in this moment. He thinks it might be the way Chanyeol, instead of pitying him, is asking questions, letting him talk, and just… listening. Yes, Baekhyun often does find comfort within the words of others, he sometimes thinks he feels best if someone says nothing and just listens.

Baekhyun then snaps back into the reality of how dark it is at the moment, and thinks it’d be best to head home.

“It’s late, I should probably head back…” he states, moreover trying to get away from the topic of his parents and his childhood.

“Oh yes,” Chanyeol replies as if he had no sense of time, “would you like me to walk you back then? Wouldn’t want you to walk alone at this time of day.”

The smaller nods in compliance as he also secretly wanted someone to walk alongside by this night. They begin walking out of the graveyard and onto the vacant streets of the city.

Baekhyun often thinks of silence and how fascinating it is that one silence can mean something completely different than that of another silence.

There’s silence that can mean sadness. When you’d rather succumb to the voices in your head, letting them form their own disastrous opinions, than voicing out your own thoughts. When doing so would only end up in further damage, more than what had already been done. At times when you don’t have the energy to talk, having spent all your energy on the thoughts in your head. When you’re just incredibly exhausted, you would prefer to stare into empty space, as emptiness is the only thing you really feel. Although a bit deafening, silence does it’s best then.

There’s silence that can mean resilience. Resilience to the stress and misfortunes surrounding you, that would otherwise suffocate you if not handled properly. When you think it’s best to become the bigger person, to zip your mouth shut because what many say about such is often true… no harm in saying nothing. And sometimes, resilience within silence rewards just that.

There’s silence that can mean shock. When you’ve heard something, that puts you in some sort of trance, almost into a state of being at a complete loss for words. Instead of letting out the few remaining words you’d want to react with, you choose to rather cut off your words at that, figuring that it’d be best to not say anything at all. Sometimes silence is enough to let the other one know you’re surprised.

Silence can mean a bunch of things, but right here and right now, the silence surrounding Baekhyun and Chanyeol as they walk alongside each other… Baekhyun can only come to the conclusion that it means comfort.

A few minutes pass and Baekhyun notices a ruffling sound beside him, which comes from the man beside him who is taking off his coat. This startles the smaller, especially considering the weather. Who, in their right mind, would take off the one thing protecting them from such blistering weather?

“Baekhyun,” the other stops walking and turns to face other, “do you never think to bring a coat when you leave your house?”

“No, I’m okay… you- you don’t have to give me it. I’m fine really-”

Chanyeol simply shakes his head, he thinks it’s quite adorable how the smaller reacts to his bantering. He wraps his coat around Baekhyun, completely ignoring the protests.

“No buts and ifs,” Chanyeol continues, “I don’t want you to get sick or anything.”

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