Enjoy!

Author's note: This is the longest chapter.

“It hurts!” Baekhyun yelps in pain. His bottom and upper lip form into a prominent pout, a sight that brings a smile out of Chanyeol. There are plenty of things that Baekhyun hates, pain been first on his list.

Chanyeol sighs as he tries to keep the younger calmed. He clicks his tongue while shaking his head. The scratch on Baekhyun’s elbow isn’t a small one, and it needs to be treated correctly. But, really, any injury should be treated promptly. “This is not a small scratch, Baek.” he lightly pats the injury with a sterile cotton ball.

Baekhyun winces in pain, trying hard to get away from Chanyeol. But said person pulls him back by the arm, an action that causes Baekhyun to stumble on his feet. The younger sits once again on the couch with a frown. “Stay still...” Chanyeol mutters in full concentration and with a hint of annoyment.

The younger bits his bottom lip when he sees that Chanyeol will use the sterile cotton ball again. His eyes widen at the stingy sensation due to the alcohol. “It hurts, giant!” he softly cries, sulking in displease.

Chanyeol stares up at him, lips pressed together into a thin line. “Do you wish to get an infection? That’s going to hurt even more.” he states as a matter of fact.

Baekhyun wants to protest, but what the elder said sinks inside his head. He frowns as he closes his mouth, slightly shaking his head. “Just clean it....” he mutters. The elder finds himself laughing a little, taking a pink bandage out of his safety kit. Baekhyun stares at it and remembers the day when he cut himself with the knife.

He tries to hold in a giggle but fails. The elder looks up, frowning. “What?” Chanyeol asks.

Baekhyun just laughs as he shakes his head. He fixes his position on the couch, still smiling. “The color really helps.” he says. “I just looked at it whenever I felt pain and I forgot. Well, I remembered what you had said.” Chanyeol smiles at him, nodding.

“I told you.” he says, giving Baekhyun a small pat on the arm.

The younger checks his patch elbow before standing up. “You don’t have any cuts?” he asks. Chanyeol checks himself out but doesn’t find any cuts whatsoever. Baekhyun does the same, taking in sight the elder’s perfect lean yet tone body. “Lucky...” he mutters.

Chanyeol laughs as he says, “Well, you make a good human shield.” he jokes.

Baekhyun huffs with a roll of his eyes. The image of Chanyeol on top of him resurfaces through his head. He can’t help but blush at the memory. “Okay, you are all set. It didn’t hurt, right?” but the younger doesn’t agree one bit. He still feels the stingy sensation whenever he bends his arm.

He has that usual annoyed pout and slight frown on his face. Chanyeol stares at the younger, who is examining his patch elbow. He stares and stares, trying to find an answer as to what he was thought when growing up. “I just hope we don’t make things more complicated for him.”

Jongin’s voice rings inside Chanyeol’s head. There is really no explanation as to why he decided to keep the fact that he already knows a secret. And remembering what Jongin had said about Baekhyun having a hard time coming out, really makes him feel like an . Chanyeol should just talk to Baekhyun. He should just let the younger know that it’s going to be okay, that he won’t hate him. But will things be okay then?

Park Chanyeol is an adult already. He grew up with the traditional Korean culture and beliefs. Though he is not that old, he still has the mentality of a senior netizen. There is no denying that things are very different nowadays. People changed in the way that they want to be freer. And there is nothing wrong with that. It’s not that Chanyeol hates homouality. He is not against it or in approval of it. But that is because he never really thought about it. It’s a taboo thing that it’s strongly hated by the older society. Growing up in a wealthy and prestigious life, he was bound to have those beliefs as well. Homouality is strongly hated.

It’s a horrendous “sickness” that happens to unholy people. Well, that’s what Chanyeol has heard from many elderly people. But then there is his roommate.

Chanyeol’s roommate is a 22 year old man that loves to eat sweet foods. A young man that enjoys writing and reading, a young man that loves to sing while cleaning, a young man that likes to dress casually, always looking out of a runway show. There is definitely nothing unholy about Byun Baekhyun. In fact, the boy has brought small ray of light into Chanyeol’s life.

It’s a feeling that Chanyeol can’t describe with words, because it’s so foreign to him. He is confused but sure of one thing. Chanyeol wants to know Baekhyun. He wants to uncover every part of his roommate. He wants to learn about Baekhyun’s world from head to toe. Chanyeol wants to know where the younger gets that energy and confidence from. He wants to know Byun Baekhyun as a whole. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Baekhyun looks up, snapping Chanyeol out of his moment of confusedness and clarity.

What is so wrong about homouality, really? Park Chanyeol has just discovered that people are so wrong. That they’ve wrongly misjudge homouals. They aren’t bad or sick people. Baekhyun isn’t a ert like most people say they are.

The two of them lock gazes for more than intended. The younger feels Chanyeol’s eyes piercing right into his, like, if he wants to dig deep inside Baekhyun’s soul. And Baekhyun can’t help but blush, fidgeting on his spot. His heart beats faster than normal and his palms are getting sweaty. “Do I h-have something on my face?” he asks, trying hard to cover his blushing face.

“Why don’t we go out, the two of us?” Baekhyun frowns, seeming rather skeptical. “What, you don’t want to?” Chanyeol asks.

It takes Baekhyun a couple of seconds to say yes. He nods with his head looking down. It really shouldn’t be anything to be weird out about. They are just two roommates going out for a walk. What’s so weird about that? It’s just Baekhyun’s delulu mind playing tricks with him. He laughs a little earning a look from the elder. “What?”  Chanyeol asks.

“Where are we going?” Baekhyun asks.

“Why don’t we walk around like last time? I heard that the beach here is beautiful.” Baekhyun’s eyes lit up at that.

It’s been a while since the last time he visited the beach. It’s not that far from where they live, it was just that he was too busy with university. And it is actually a good idea. That is actually another of Baekhyun’s biggest fantasy. He wants to walk hand in hand with the guy of his dreams, smelling the ocean’s breeze while feeling the sand in between their toes. The idea is awfully beautiful. “Yes!” he half shouts, realizing the excitement over his fantasy coming partly true. “w-we should go...” he says more calmly.

Chanyeol chuckles as he nods. On the other side of the hall, a doe-eyed vocal trainer feels a rush of jealousy washing over him. His best friend wants to go out with Byun Baekhyun, just the two of them. Why can’t Chanyeol ask Kyungsoo that? They haven’t seen each other for a month. And they didn’t even spend that much time last night, either. Kyungsoo drowns the gut feeling of a green-eye monster deep within him, walking out into the living room.

“Aigoo!” Baekhyun startles both Kyungsoo and Chanyeol. The vocal trainer stops on his tracks, eyes wide opened. “Hyung, you look so hot!” the architect raises a brow, starting at his roommate with an amused look. “Eish, you look even better on my own clothes. Right, Yeol?” the younger asks but doesn’t remove his sight from the vocal trainer.

Kyungsoo stares at his best friend, feeling his cheeks heating up. Chanyeol retrieves his view away from his roommate and into Kyungsoo. He chuckles as he checks the younger from head to toe, one brow rising up. Chanyeol can see the way that Kyungsoo plays with the hem of his shirt. He has never seen Kyungsoo act so... cute and timid before. “You look amazing.” Kyungsoo averts his gaze away from Chanyeol, feeling his heart beating faster than ever.

The 28 year old man swallows softly as he stares down at the ground. Anything but Chanyeol is good at the moment. “How did you sleep, Soo?” Chanyeol asks carefully.

Chanyeol doesn’t know if Kyungsoo will ignore him forever. He doesn’t know if Kyungsoo will leave him like last time. But Chanyeol hopes that it won’t happen. “I slept fine... how about you? The couch must have been very uncomfortable.” Kyungsoo feels guilty for everything, for acting like a sick, jealous high school girl and a douche to his best friend. Baekhyun frowns, finding their interactions a bit too odd.

The 22 year old man stares at Kyungsoo and then at Chanyeol, noticing their careful and shy interchange of words. – Did they get into an argument? He wonders. Chanyeol nods even though he didn’t get any proper sleep whatsoever. “It was... comfortable.” and Baekhyun can’t stop thinking how that “comfortable” sounded like a polite way of saying it .

“Didn’t I tell you to not sleep on the couch?” Baekhyun tells Chanyeol, hands resting on his hips. “You will damage your back, dumb Yeol!” Kyungsoo laughs. He quickly gains posture, clearing his throat sophistically.

“Nice nickname, Baek...” the architect says with a look on his face. The younger shrugs saying, “You are welcome.” and sticking his tongue out.

“Baekhyun-ah... is my clothes ready?” Kyungsoo asks. Baekhyun checks the washer machine and pouts. He informs the elder that it still needs a few minutes. Kyungsoo sighs for as he wants to leave already. He is a bit awkward at the moment. “Is it okay with you if I take your garments? I will return them back, I promise.” he says.

Baekhyun chuckles with a wave of his hand. “It’s okay, hyung. You can return them when you want to, don’t feel pressured. Though, that’s my favorite shirt. Jongin gave it to me, so take care of it, okay?” Kyungsoo doesn’t like that. What if he does something to it? He already feels the pressure, and that is not a good sign. But he nods, assuring the younger that he will take care of the shirt. “Are you leaving already?” Baekhyun asks to which Kyungsoo nods. “You don’t want to have breakfast first?”

“I have things to do, essays to grade.” he lies.

Baekhyun makes a sour face at the mention of essays. “You give essays for homework?!” he asks rather scandalized. He thought that vocal classes where nothing but pure fun.

Kyungsoo nods, keeping in mind that most of his students complained before leaving home. “They still need to know what’s behind music, what makes it and how it works.” the younger nods in understand. Nothing is easy in life that is for sure. “Thanks, though...” he smiles to Baekhyun, earning a smile back.

“Are you sure... I can make something for you. It won’t take me long.” Chanyeol insists, but Kyungsoo shakes his head. He really is hungry but staying at the moment isn’t something he wants to do. And he knows that he is being childish. He also knows that he is hurting Chanyeol. The architect can’t help but feel down. Chanyeol is afraid.

“Aww, are you sure?” Baekhyun asks again. “I wanted to spend time with you, hyung.” he pouts. Kyungsoo stares at him, feeling so damn guilty. He is the worst person ever, really. Baekhyun doesn’t deserve any hate.

He contemplates for a while before rejecting the younger’s offer, yet again. “I’m sorry, Baekhyun. I promise to come soon, though. I also want to spend more time with you guys.” Baekhyun nods with a slight pout.

“Promise...?” Baekhyun sticks his pinky finger out, signaling the elder to seal in a promise. Kyungsoo chuckles as he seals in his promise. Baekhyun smiles brightly, hugging the living lights out of the vocal trainer. Chanyeol just smiles at the scene. “I’ll walk you out. Just let me leave my towel...” Baekhyun grabs a towel that he had placed on the couch before Chanyeol started to clean the scratch.

“You don’t have to, Baekhyun-ah.” Kyungsoo says. “Go ahead and shower. You stink...” Baekhyun pouts. Kyungsoo laughs once again, liking the sight of the young man pouting. “I’ll be leaving now.” he pats Baekhyun on the back.

“I’ll walk you out.” Chanyeol immediately says.

Kyungsoo nods without saying anything. The two of them make their way out into the parking lot, way down in pure silence. It’s a suffocating feeling that both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo hate at the moment. The two of them turn towards each other in a frantic manner, startling each other. “You first...” Kyungsoo says.

Chanyeol takes a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. “Please don’t leave me...” he says. “I-I don’t know what I did to make you angry, but I promise that I won’t do it again. Just don’t leave...” Kyungsoo feels his heart breaking into a million pieces. He feels like the worst person in the entire universe and more.

“I won’t...” he says in a rush, not liking the sad look on his best friend. “I wa