Chanyeol lived in a expensive villa on the outskirts of Gangnam. It was a stately two-floor building which had its own garden and outdoor pool. Its pristine whitewashed exterior presented a stark contrast against the foreboding, inky sky. Baekhyun stared up at the building, unsettling emotions swirling within him.

“I’ll go in with you.”

“No, you stay in the car. I’ll text you if I need help,” Baekhyun said hurriedly, flinging open the car door. He jogged towards the door, using a hand to shield himself from the rain and strong winds.

He raised a hand to knock, only to realize that the door was slightly ajar. Why was it unlocked?

He drew in a shaky breath and prayed that Chanyeol was alright as he pushed the door open.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun called out loudly, his voice reverberating in the large room. There was not a single light in the house and Baekhyun could barely make out the path in front of him. He had to rely on brief flashes of lightning to navigate his way around.

“Chanyeol? Where are you? I’m here!” Baekhyun hissed in pain as he stubbed his big toe on a chair.

“Baekhyun? You really came?” Chanyeol’s small voice called out.

Baekhyun turned towards the source of the voice and slowly inched towards to the sofa. He could make out a dark shadow on the sofa. Another flash of lightning lit up the place momentarily and he saw a familiar pair of eyes peeking out at him.

Park Chanyeol was crouched on the sofa, hiding his face behind a cushion.

“Oh my god are you okay?” Baekhyun ran towards Chanyeol’s side, feeling a wave of relief wash over him when it appeared that Chanyeol had no visible scars or injuries on him. He could however, feel small tremors from the sofa. It was then that he realized Chanyeol was trembling.

Something clicked in Baekhyun’s mind and suddenly, he understood.

“Are you afraid of the storm?” Baekhyun asked softly.

Chanyeol gave a small nod, flinching at yet another ear-splitting roar of thunder. “It b- out.”

Baekhyun did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had gotten so worked up and worried to death, only to find out that Chanyeol was simply afraid of the storm. And he had thought Chanyeol was in grave danger, judging from the tone of the phone call! An amused smile slowly crept onto his face when it dawned on him how funny this whole situation was.

High and mighty Park Chanyeol was afraid of a measly thunderstorm. He would never live it down if word got out. He chuckled to himself and whipped out his phone to send a quick text to Sehun.

To Sehun: Don’t wait for me. I’ll be staying the night.

The storm did not appear to be subsiding any time soon. Baekhyun straightened up and mentally prepared himself for a long night ahead.

--

Baekhyun managed to coax Chanyeol upstairs to his bedroom after fiddling with the electric breakers and restoring light to the house. Now that it wasn’t so dark anymore, Chanyeol felt a little less on edge. He immediately dived under his sheets the moment they reached his room, not sure whether he was hiding from the storm or hiding from the burning embarrassment. He had single-handedly ruined his confident and poised image in front of Baekhyun, the one whom he had been trying so hard to impress. He felt like kicking himself—why on earth had he called Baekhyun? Now Baekhyun probably thought of him as a loser. After all, what sort of grown man was afraid of storms? Even Chanyeol thought it sounded ridiculous.

He lifted the sheets from his head and watched as Baekhyun wandered around his room, slowing taking in the surroundings. Baekhyun paused to take a look at the framed photo of Chanyeol and his family. The fact that Chanyeol actually had a photo of his family in his room pointed to the fact that he was probably a sentimental person. Baekhyun smiled to himself—he would never have figured Park Chanyeol to be a family guy.

Chanyeol noticed that Baekhyun’s clothes were damp and his wet hair stuck to his forehead. It occurred to him that Baekhyun had probably got caught in the rain on the way to his place. A twinge of guilt knawed at him. “Do you want to change? I have some towels and clean clothes in the closet over there.”

“Oh, thank you,” Baekhyun smiled gratefully. He had just been about to ask if he could visit the bathroom to dry himself up—it had begun to feel unbearably cold in his wet clothes.

Chanyeol had an impressive walk-in closet that was meticulously organized into sections. There was a section for suits, a section for shoes, a section for accessories, and another section for casual clothing. Baekhyun picked out the smallest-looking shirt Chanyeol owned and changed into it. As expected, the shirt still looked too large and baggy on him, the sleeves almost slipping off his narrow shoulders. However, it felt warm and comfortable, and if he inhaled deep enough, he could detect the familiar scent of Chanyeol.

Baekhyun dried his hair and walked out to find Chanyeol buried deep in his sheets again. He found it endearing how Chanyeol had his little moments of vulnerability that made him appear more human. Usually, Chanyeol appeared so self-assured, and seeing him like this was a refreshing change. This was a far cry from the Park Chanyeol that he had gotten to hear about in the gossip magazines or through the grapevine. The Park Chanyeol in front of him was just like a lost, frightened little puppy that begged to be protected. Warm feelings bubble in the pit of his stomach yet again, and Baekhyun had to force himself to ignore them.

“Chanyeol. Have you had dinner yet?”

Chanyeol lifted the sheets and gulped when he took in the sight of Baekhyun. Baekhyun looked so y and delectable in the shirt that was way too large for him, and Chanyeol was sure that he would have jumped him if it weren’t for the fact that he was temporarily debilitated by his astraphobia. He in an unsteady breath as he mentally undressed the shorter male. Did Baekhyun know he was being such a tease? He must be determined to torment Chanyeol by playing so hard to get. Baekhyun was right in front of him, in his bedroom, just as he had always fantasised, and yet all Chanyeol could do was just watch, too afraid of the raging storm to make any moves.

“No,” Chanyeol answered, his stomach growling as an affirmation to his words. He did not have the time to grab a bite as he had rushed straight into the house to seek refuge from the storm, which had begun brewing above him as he drove home. He was so flustered that he forget to lock the door, and it was a wonder that he had actually managed to drive home in one piece.

Baekhyun shook his head. “I’ll go make you something to eat. Wait here.”

Chanyeol almost tripped as he leapt out of the bed at lightning speed. “Don’t leave me alone,” he whimpered, clutching tightly onto Baekhyun’s shirt. “I’ll go with you.”

Baekhyun smirked. Puppy Chanyeol was actually pretty interesting.

--

Baekhyun managed to whip up a simple seaweed soup with warm rice to go with it. Chanyeol’s fridge was surprisingly well stocked with fresh vegetables and ingredients, and Baekhyun was relieved that he did not have to resort to cooking instant noodles, something that he was all too used to doing.

“This is crazy delicious, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said in between hungry bites, giving Baekhyun a big thumbs up. “It’s better than anything I’ve ever eaten!” 

“It’s just seaweed soup,” Baekhyun replied, trying to act nonchalant when in truth, his heart was bursting with pride from the compliment. Baekhyun had always been a er for compliments, and the fact that it came from Chanyeol made his chest swell with happiness and his ears turn hot. It was a nice feeling, being appreciated.

Chanyeol wolfed down his late dinner and Baekhyun watched by his side, reminding him to eat slowly in case he choked. Chanyeol still jumped whenever there was a sudden round of lightning and thunder, but he seemed to become calmer in Baekhyun’s presence. There was something about Baekhyun that soothed his frazzled nerves, and maybe that was why he simply had to visit Baekhyun at work every day. Baekhyun had an uncanny ability to cheer him up and throw all his worries out the window. Perhaps it was the sweet vanilla scent that always clung to Baekhyun’s skin, or his charming smile that never failed to send Chanyeol’s heart into overdrive. 

Whatever it was, Chanyeol knew that he was ing addicted to Baekhyun.

“You must think I’m a such a big baby. I’m sorry for letting you see this side of me,” Chanyeol said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “And I’m sorry for making you rush all the way over here.”

“That’s okay. Everyone has their own phobias,” Baekhyun smiled.

“Oh? And what’s yours?” Chanyeol straightened up in his chair, feeling genuinely curious.

Baekhyun seemed to ponder this question for a minute. “I don’t think I have any phobias,” he shrugged casually.

“You’re my personal lighthouse,” Chanyeol mused.

Baekhyun looked like he was caught off guard by Chanyeol’s random comment. What was he talking about? What lighthouse?

“When I called you, I didn’t expect you to come, but you did. I think you’re just like a lighthouse—so bright and pure. You saved me from the darkness tonight, Baekhyun. Thank you.”

“So cheesy.” Baekhyun made a face of disgust when in reality, his heart was pounding at a mile an hour. Such a sweet talker. No wonder he had so many women held in the palm of his hand.

And this is why you should be wary of him, Byun Baekhyun, he thought to himself.

--

He did not know how, but Park Chanyeol had managed to convince Baekhyun to join him under the covers.

“It’s cold and scary. Let’s stay like this tonight, okay?” Chanyeo