"Seriously! Baekhyun, be careful using my pen. You know I'm using that in my calligraphy class! Geez." Chanyeol said in a extravagant tone full of worries as he tried to remind his bored roommate not to use his pen with so much force because it will surely damage the quality of the tip (as per his cute calligraphy teacher). 

Baekhyun didn't even care at all and just shrugged Chanyeol's large hand away when the latter tried to take the pen from him. He is now unleashing his artistic side scribbling encouraging banners for Kyungsoo in their dining room. Baekhyun puts the mini fruit basket away from their table so he can make his full-of-love banners freely.

Baekhyun had no choice to stay at their dorm because his boyfriend is busy practicing chess with his club mates in their university because of the upcoming inter-collegiate chess competition wherein Kyungsoo is one of their college's representatives. It's been a week since Kyungsoo spent his time playing chess with his colleagues (chess masters in the making with thick-rimmed eyeglasses who have memorized the multiplication and periodic table by heart). That is what Baekhyun imagined them to be to avoid getting  jealous. 

He is really not into chess so Baekhyun couldn't help Kyungsoo when it comes to tactics or strategies on how to improve and such but he wanted to make something productive to cheer his boyfriend on his match, and barged inside Chanyeol's room earlier to get his best friend's calligraphy kit. At first, Baekhyun found it funny for his gigantic friend (with huge hands that can even crash any colorful pens) to enroll on a special calligraphy class led by a fine arts major hottie named Jongin in their university. 

Look what can humans do for love. Baekhyun sighed when he knew why his friend suddenly got enthused to calligraphy last week and now, he is also doing this just to show how much he loves Kyungsoo. Chanyeol just let his best friend use his pens because he knows how stubborn Baekhyun is and judge the latter's wor later.

Baekhyun made several calligraphy banners and now having a hard time choosing what is the best that he can show to Kyungsoo's match on Saturday. He asked Chanyeol to check his calligraphy banners and help him pick the best among the "best-est" since Baekhyun is too full of himself. He even said that all of what he made are masterpiece, class A, like a pro, written-by-a-god calligraphies.

Chanyeol checks every banner his best friend made. He gives Baekhyun a disgusting look because of what he is seeing. 

"You know what dude? Your letterings are fine but what the are these bad chess pickup lines? Do you want Kyungsoo to shove all the pawns down to your throat? I fear for your death, man, your lame death." Baekhyun acted like he was offended by his friend's comment but actually remembered all the awful calligraphy exercise sheets of Chanyeol before, and that made him smirk.

"At least the pickup lines are the only considered bad. Mind you, they aren't bad. You just don't know anything about chess so you can't literally pick up these lines! And I, also fear for your calligraphy, you know? they are the baddest, baddest than CL, the baddest female in a most baddest way."

Chanyeol get all his color pens with different tips and styles from Baekhyun. The latter didn't protest at all because he was done making his banners. He was not actually offended because it is unfortunately true, his hand writing and this calligraphy will definitely not do him good. But for the sake of his love for that fine arts major hottie, he doesn't mind to learn and practice to get noticed.

Again, look what human can do for love. 

*****

Saturday, the most awaited day for Kyungsoo. He practiced all his strategies and devoted his whole week for the chess competition. Now, he has to make sure that he will win this for their university. Kyungsoo, being a natural tensed guy, woke up earlier today so that he can leave early for the tournament. 

He yawns as he stands up to prepare their breakfast leaving his boyfriend on their bed still sleeping soundly. Kyungsoo remembers the conversation he overheard from Chanyeol and Baekhyun when he was in the bathroom few days ago that made him smile while looking at his boyfriend. He kisses him softly in the cheeks before going to the kitchen.

"I will prepare him the best breakfast on Saturday and this will make him unbeatable in their tournament. Should I make him a perfect full English breakfast? Whatcha think my friend?"

"You don't even know how to make a perfect sunny side up egg. And wait there's more. You can't even wake up early. Yeah, make him breakfast in your dreams."

Kyungsoo was the one who prepared the full English breakfast for Baekhyun and Chanyeol. He didn't wake them up since it was too early and just left quietly because the chess players needs to be at the venue earlier for the briefing. He knew that Baekhyun will definitely come even his boyfriend keeps on telling how boring chess competitions are and the whole game in general.

Baekhyun spreads his arms to occupy the whole space, still with his eyes close. He is hoping to feel Kyungsoo's body beside him but he is all alone on their bed. He suddenly remembers that today is the tournament so Baekhyun hurries to the kitchen and sees the full-prepared breakfast. He can't help not to feel disappointed because he missed to prepare a special breakfast for Kyungsoo. That's the only thing that he can do to make his boyfriend even happier before the competition and yet, he failed to do it. Chanyeol was right all along. He should have made Kyungsoo's breakfast in his dream but to no avail, he forgot what he dreamt of. He sits sluggishly in front of their  breakfast.

Baekhyun, being an epitome of optimism is not giving up just to show his love for his boyfriend. He suddenly remembers the encouraging banners he made last night to cheer Kyungsoo up and have decided to bring all of these in the tournament as his last resort.

Chanyeol yawns as he walks to the dining table. He was amazed thinking that Baekhyun did this all for love by himself. Baekhyun saw his best friend's annoying grin. He is now waiting for Chanyeol to for failing his major mission to cheer Kyungsoo. He is ready to admit his defeat when Chanyeol said something.

"Wow, you made all this? I am sorry dude for not believing in you. Didn't know you can do this! Looks yummy! Kyungsoo must be really happy. He even texted me to enjoy the breakfast you prepared."  Baekhyun didn't know what to say. So does it mean he already knew my plan for him? 

He is the one who wants Kyungsoo to be the happiest person today as a head start for his match but it turns out that it's the other way around. Baekhyun runs to his room excitedly leaving Chanyeol alone. He needs to prepare and accomplish his love-retaliation to Kyungsoo before this day ends. Baekhyun carefully rolled the banners and put them in a plastic canister. These banners will surely help him cheer Kyungsoo even Chanyeol found this idea hilarious and lame. 

Chanyeol declined Baekhyun's plea to accompany him to the competition. He is now alone on the side bleacher of their university friendship hall, beside the group of chess nerds enthusiasts. He is trying to search, squinting his eyes for his boyfriend in the sea of chessboards and other chess players. After a few minutes of detecting his target aka Kyungsoo, he prepared his choice of weapon, the encouraging (more like encringing) banners to attack the said target with lots of love. Baekhyun is now seeing his boyfriend two tables away from the bleacher he's currently seating. He finds his seat perfect because it will be easier for Kyungsoo to spot him and his banners. He just can't wait for Kyungsoo to see it.

The tournament has began. The introduction of rules and regulations has been said and the players started their first game. Baekhyun doesn't have any idea what is happening after the announcer finally opened the game proper. He knows how to play chess because Kyungsoo taught him before but totally not aware on how was it played on tournaments. He was only amazed when the players were tapping the clock or whatever is it called alternately in a fast phase. Baekhyun knows how important chess is to Kyungsoo and he knows to himself how important Kyungsoo is to him. 

Kyungsoo is too focus on the game when someone on his peripheral vision catches his attention. He is aware that his boyfriend is a part of the audience right now but he didn't expect to see the banner that Baekhyun is currently waving. Some of the people inside noticed the banner and silently judging the man who holds it. His eyes becomes bigger and gasps. Kyungsoo is shocked but this is not going to be the reason of losing his focus on the game. He appreciates his boyfriend's efforts, even his presence there today is enough but he also knows that Baekhyun disgraces simplicity. Kyungsoo wants to strangle his boyfriend so bad because of what is written in the banner but at the same time wants to hug and pinch him in the cheeks of being annoyingly sweet. 

The announcer saw the banner from a far and made a commentary about it that made Kyungsoo blush most likely because of embarrassment. He tried his best to conceal all the mixed emotions because he is in the middle of his first game and doesn't want to get distracted.

"Wow, let us acknowledge the banner of one of the audience. 'I am no KING but I am always check to be your mate.' Nice line there buddy!" The announcer smiles widely after reading the banner as he  points at Baekhyun's direction. "Who says you can't woo someone with chess pick up lines, huh?" The audience and even the chess players laughed. Baekhyun laughed as well and gave Kyungsoo a flying kiss. His boyfriend glared at him and uttered 'put that down'. Baekhyun winked at him in return and put his banner down as what Kyungsoo said. The first game was done with Kyungsoo as the winner. Kyungsoo and his opponent will start their second game. He thought Baekhyun only had one banner on hand but he was wrong. The announcer saw it again that made Kyungsoo look at Baekhyun waving his second banner. 

"Another banner from our lover boy huh? ooh, he spiced up his lines a bit! I wonder who's that lucky one who just gave him a rook?" Kyungsoo closed his eyes for a while that made his opponent laugh together with the rest. 

"I assume that's your boyfriend over there." Woobin, Kyungsoo's opponent asked. 

"Yep, and he's always like that...annoying" Kyungsoo answered nonchalantly as he made his move.   

"But you do love him, don't you? 'cos it really shows, you're blushing." Woobin said before he makes his move to check Kyungsoo's king. No matter how hard he tries to conceal his feelings, his physical body is still betraying him. Woobin won the second the game. 

The crowd is calm again, players proceed with the game. Kyungsoo lost in the second match so he has to make sure he will win on the third. He gave Baaekhyun his infamous death glare that made the latter cringe because of fear. But Baekhyun embraced all the good and dark (or more like the lethal) sides of Kyungsoo since they've met and became a thing. He decided to show off his two remaining banners before he die later. At least, he will die with a victorious smile on his face because his calligraphy were loved by many. Baekhyun decided to give Kyungsoo some time to regain his focus and didn't wave his third banner for now.  

Baekhyun's boredom kicks in. He is starting to get sleepy so it's time for him to proceed with his surprises. He thinks that Kyungsoo won several matches without him knowing so he's back on track to cheer him and the rest of the crowd again. Baekhyun believes that he's doing all of them a favor.

The people who are watching from the opposite side of the hall are the first one to react with Baekhyun's third banner. Ooohs and Ayiees are starting to be loom in their area. Kyungsoo heard the sudden noise and looked where it came from. He saw a group of girls pointing at the other side while giggling. Kyungsoo knows one person in the hall who caused the 3rd semi-casualty today, Byun Baekhyun. He doesn't know if Baekhyun wants to cheer him up or just tease the hell out of him. 

"So our cheerleader here is giving a trivia about a guy named Kyungsoo? Whoever Kyungsoo is, you got a talent young man!" 

The announcer gave another comment on Baekhyun's "Kyungsoo can spell Dzindzichashvili with his tongue" banner. The calm crowd became wild again. Baekhyun was laughing until he saw the anger in Kyungsoo's eyes. He felt that Kyungsoo reached his boiling point, thanks to him of course. He is ready for his last banner for the awarding of winners because the competition will end in a half an hour. But when he looked at Kyungsoo, the latter let Baekhyun read his lips saying 'Just leave'. 

The smile on Baekhyun's lips vanished. He felt like he was stabbed in the heart with a dagger called 'JUST LEAVE' with feelings and capital letters. He conceded and admitted to himself that his last resort to make Kyungsoo happy failed with flying dark gloomy monochromatic colors. He uttered sorry in return but Kyungsoo got his focus back in the game.

Baekhyun really  really bad. He didn't do anything good that can totally cheer Kyungsoo. He even distracted him from his game many times. This competition is very important to his boyfriend but he just messed it up. Baekhyun's disappointment from his first failed mission returns and added up to his new disappointment record. Maybe he doesn't need to be here. Maybe Kyungsoo realized how unfortunate to have a boyfriend like him. This is a cue for him to leave the hall.

He gave his last banner to the man beside him who is one of Kyungsoo's co-members named Insung. Baekhyun instructed Insung to show the banner once Kyungsoo receives his award if ever he wins. But he believes and a hundred percent sure that Kyungsoo will enter to the nationals and receive his award later. Insung wanted Baekhyun to wait and hold it himself because it would be better for Kyungsoo to see his boyfriend waving that banner with bragging rights. Baekhyun on the other hand, tried his best to convince Insung with a long face like he is down. Insung can't win with the former's stubbornness so he agreed and took the banner in the end. Baekhyun left the hall a few minutes before the awarding starts.

Kyungsoo is not admitting to himself but he is waiting for another noise from the audience or from the announcer if they notice another banner. He looked at Baekhyun's spot but his boyfriend is no longer there. He thought that Baekhyun went to the restroom so he didn't mind at all and just anticipates his last three games. 

After a few minutes, the awarding began. All the winners from different universities were called on stage to receive their awards. When Kyungsoo's name was called, he heard his chess guild co-members' applause. He was expecting to see Baekhyun waving his banner with matching his loud annoying cheers and whistles but it was Insung who waved the last banner Baekhyun made for him. His smile was gone. Baekhyun left for real because he said so.

Stupid Do Kyungsoo He mumbled silently. He remembers the reason his boyfriend left. 

The Chess guild invited Kyungsoo to celebrate his victory but he apologized that he can make it because he has something important to settle. He requested to reschedule it and his co-members said it was okay and agreed to move the celebration on Monday. Insung gave the banner to him and told that he had no idea why his boyfriend left without waiting for him. Insung wanted to know what happened but he doesn't want to pry at all since it's too personal. Kyungsoo nodded and said thanks.

Kyungsoo prepared his things in a rush so he can go home to beat the out of Baekhyun for being annoying and for causing the ruckus earlier. But in all honesty, he just wants to hug, kiss, and spend more time with his boyfriend to catch up with all the times he spent practicing for the competition. He realized how much he misses Baekhyun and their nonsense bickering spree. He knows that Baekhyun misses him more. 

But what did you do? The guilt in him made a sudden pang in his heart. He feels sorry for hurting Baekhyun who just wants to make him happy. He walks to the main door of the hall and is about to run when he sees a familiar dark green sweater with a big 'SHUT IT' printed at the back same as the new sweater he bought last week.

"You always wear the new clothes that I bought!" Kyungsoo said in an annoyed manner after sitting beside the gloomiest Baekhyun of all time and taps his boyfriend's shoulder. The latter was stunned when Kyungsoo seated beside him holding the last banner on his other hand. Baekhyun keeps his head on the ground. They are now sitting on the second to the last step of the stairs outside the hall.

Baekhyun is still giving him a silent treatment. Kyungsoo can feel that his boyfriend is guilt-tripping him. He hates it when Baekhyun is doing this when it was his fault in the first place. 

Ugh, fine! Kyungsoo mentally sighed as he crushed his ego to wait for Baekhyun to talk first. He stands up as he pulls Baekhyun's hands for him to stand as well. 

"Come on,Baek! You said you'll cheer me up?" Kyungsoo said not letting go of his boyfriend's hand on his right hands and the banner on the other.

"Aren't you mad at me, Soo? Like for being annoying-" Baekhyun, at last,  looks at Kyungsoo with his sincere sad puppy eyes. He can't let his boyfriend gets mad at him. No one will want Kyungsoo mad as it will start a worldwide mayhem. "Sorry for always being a pain in your ." Kyungsoo is trying his best not to laugh after hearing Baekhyun's brief lamentation. He feels like he needs to transfer the title 'epitome of cuteness' to Baekhyun because of this. He proves that him, being the cutest is not applicable to every situation. 

"You are annoying ever since, okay? And I also don't have the right to get mad at my decision for being with you because that will make me stupid." Kyungsoo said as he intertwined his fingers onto his boyfriend's and signals him to start walking.  Baekhyun stops abruptly and pulls Kyungsoo into a tight hug. All the worries and negative what-ifs suddenly wet down the drain. 

"Yeah? Like-" He pecks Kyungsoo's neck softly. "-me, being annoying bewitched the real man of steel, Do Kyungsoo? What an honor!" The original Byun Baekhyun is now back on track. 

Kyungsoo jolts after feeling the peck Baekhyun planted on his neck. He is not fond of public display of affection but he doesn't mind hugging his boyfriend right now. He deserves this kind of affection after a week of practice and competition that he needed to win. He must admit that he misses being intimate with Baekhyun and with that, they have a lots of cuddles and doings to catch up. 

"Excuse you, Byun! I was not bewitched. I became fed up on how annoying you were and and just gave in so you'll stop pestering me that time. I remember I was playing chess with your brother and lost because of you." Kyungsoo argues while still hugging Baekhyun. They don't really care if there are people who are looking at them. The latter can't help not to grin.

"And Mind you Mr. Do, you won after saying yes to me, you already won my heart that time." 

Kyungsoo taps his boyfriend's back that made the latter wince. Baekhyun is too happy right now and continues to plant tiny kisses on Kyungsoo's neck.

"Baek, you said you're sorry for being a pain in my right?" Without breaking away from Baekhyun's hug, Kyungsoo asked in a more serious manner. Baekhyun sensed the seriousness in his voice and nodded in response.

"Very sorry as in super sorry. Good thing you still won." 

"It's fine with me. Although, it's been a while since you become a pain in the . if you're very sorry then maybe we'll just sleep once we get home?" It takes a while for Baekhyun to realize what did Kyungsoo mean. He pushes Kyungsoo away from the hug and holds his both shoulders. Baekhyun stares at Kyungsoo with full of longing. Call him crazy, but even it's just a week of not being together during the whole sembreak makes him misses the latter so much he started to make and update Kyungsoo's information multiple times on Wikipedia (from his early background up to the time he met a wonderful man who loves him a lot names Baekhyun).  He gradually feels the heat looming in his body that also prompted his sleepy member to get ready for some warm up. Kyungsoo giggles at his boyfriend's surprised reaction. 

Since they have started showing PDA today, he push all the  the embarrassment and chastely kiss Baekhyun on his lips. It was just a  short but sweet kiss to make the latter's heart to go wild and explode.

"Thank you for your cheesy to dirty real quick banners, Baekhyunie. I never thought your annoyance will make me love you more." Kyungsoo puts his arm on Baekhyun's shoulder. Baekhyun doesn't know what is the right response so he just said "I love you, Do Kyungsoo." that makes the other man giggle. His happiness devours his whole being he doesn't know how will he react. He just  put his arms on his boyfriend's shoulders and they walk not hand in hand but arm in arm. (Is that even a term?) His smile is almost permanent on his lips while they are walking. He knows that Kyungsoo is not vocal about his feelings and strongly agrees that actions speaks louder than words. So hearing this from him made Baekhyun believed that he will definitely  annoy  love, support and cheer him for the rest of his life. 

*Dzindzichashvili is a chess grand master.