He's at the indoor gym shooting some hoops today because the game that's coming up is important to him and he wants to remind himself that even with cancer, he can do exactly what he's done all his life. He went straight there after classes ended for two reasons. The first was because he was looking forward to shooting some hoops. The second was because Yifan was looking for him.

Yifan tried repeatedly to catch him alone to talk about whatever it was he needed said, but Chanyeol didn't want to hear it because what if Yifan would tell him to get lost? So, he avoids Yifan harder than he already was and doesn't mind the way the tall boy's shoulders deflate whenever Chanyeol hurries off.

And of course, it hurts to be walking away from Yifan because Yifan is someone he wants to be close to, but this is his last and most desperate attempt to protect himself from being hurt again. He just shoots Baekhyun a text to tell him where he's going because he doesn't want to see Baekhyun's worried eyes and ignores the text that asks him to please reconsider because you can hurt yourself.

As far as Chanyeol's considered, there's no pain that's worse than the one that reminds him he's not with Yifan and Yifan doesn't want anything to do with him. He sighs as he lifts one of the basketballs in his hand and readies it for a shot beause it's not like he just misses Yifan as a friend, either. He curses himself for gaining feelings for Yifan because Yifan deserves better than someone who is going to die soon anyway.

"It's so stupid!" He shouts at no one, and he's not surprised that his shot misses because usually when he's upset he can't play very well, and coupling that with his sore muscles makes him a little unfit to be on the court in the first place.

The basketball rolls away and Chanyeol just rolls his eyes as he grabs another one from the rack and shoots it. It misses as well and though he's not surprised, he is frustrated. He's supposed to be their team's best player and yet he can't even make a single shot! By this point, it's too late to get anyone on the team to substitute him, because Jongin's still lacking in skill no matter how hard he tries.

The final basketball he takes is just chucked at the headboard. Chanyeol just chucks it because he's done with practice and he just started, and he watches in disbelief as this ball actually makes the shot. The irony of the situation makes him laugh bitterly and he takes a seat right on the ground with his head in his hands.

He almost misses it when the doors open to the gym due to his continuous strings of mental complaints, but he can hear Yifan's voice. Yifan? But what was he doing at school? So Chanyeol slowly lifts his head to make sure that it is indeed Yifan and that his imagination isn't just messing with him; and there he is in his work uniform with a cup of coffee and a bun in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" He asks, and his voice is full of disbelief as Yifan comes closer and holds out a hand for Chanyeol to take. The shorter of the pair is hesitant because of what's been happening between them but eventually takes Yifan's hand anyway and is off the ground within seconds.

"Jongdae stopped by to tell me you'd be here practicing." Yifan says, and Chanyeol sighs as he drops his head because it was bad enough that he had to make both Baekhyun and Jongdae worry about him. What was the point of telling someone who should have no part in his life or his pain?

Chanyeol stares up at him for a moment from beneath his eyelashes, and when Yifan returns his gaze, Chanyeol has no choice but to look away so he doesn't hope for more again, "Thanks for coming to check on me, but I'm fine, Yifan."

"You don't really look like you are." Yifan says with his eyebrows furrowed, and Chanyeol just sighs and picks up one of the basketballs he had used earlier.

"I can't really do anything about that now can I?" He asks, and his voice is a little bitter. He makes the mistake of looking back at Yifan and winces when he sees Yifan's hardened eyes, because Yifan hasn't given him that look in a long time and he remembers how desperately he wanted to get closer to a boy he can't have.

"So instead you're going to play basketball when you're already weak even knowing you can easily faint or get hurt?" Yifan questions, and Chanyeol doesn't realize that Yifan's walking closern for a moment. When he does, he takes in the sight that Yifan has put down his coffee and his bun and then there's just an inch of space between them.

"I feel okay again when I play." Chanyeol answers in a small voice, and Yifan cups his face with both hands and tilts his head back enough for them to look each other in the eye.

He's silent for a good moment as he searches Chanyeol's eyes for something, but then his lips curve into a worried frown, "Tell me what you're thinking."

There's something about the soft look Yifan's giving him now that makes Chanyeol breathless; and he lifts his hands to pull Yifan's off, but when their hands are in contact with one another, Chanyeol just forgets what he's supposed to be doing, "I'm scared, Yifan."

"I'm going to lose everyone I care about because of this. You already walked away once. I barely see my own parents. My own best friends treat me like I'm made of glass. Being on the court... when I play, I feel like I'm the only one in the world and everything else just fades away."

A smile so soft that it feels a little unusual coming from Yifan hits him and Chanyeol just gapes because he's already wanting more of it and he was already left behind once by this very male. Remembering then what his original intent was, he slowly pulls Yifan's hands off his face. When he starts to step away, however, Yifan starts to speak, and he's frozen where he stands.

"I got scared. For me, it's weird to want to know someone. It's weird to have anyone want to know me. And then you came along with your bright smiles and your loud voice. I never thought I'd become this drawn to you. And yet it's not enough for me. I spend my days thinking about you, my thoughts imagining all the things I can do with you before I lose you. And I got scared. I already lost my mother, why do I have to lose the one person who wants to know me?"

Chanyeol looks back up at him slowly, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion because he has no idea what Yifan is saying. Is he apologizing for having walked away? Because Chanyeol had tried walking away from him as well and there's no reason to apologize because if it's best for the both of them in the end, shouldn't they just stay away from one another.

"But as scared as I am to lose you, I'm even more scared that I'll never get to know you."

"What are you saying, Yifan?" Chanyeol asks quietly, and he's still as Yifan steps forward again.

The next thing he knows is that Yifan has his arms wrapped around Chanyeol's shoulders and Chanyeol sighs into the embrace because it feels so damn natural, "Give me another chance to get to know you."

"Will you leave me again?" Chanyeol can't help but voice his doubt, because he doesn't know if he can just accept being abandoned again if Yifan is ever to decide that staying away is the best choice.

"Only if you tell me to." Yifan says decisively, and Chanyeol can feel the wide grin that grows on his face as he squeezes Yifan's waist.

"Now let's get to practice."

Chanyeol is dumbstruck as he watches Yifan pull away and grab a basketball because he didn't even peg the tall boy as an athlete. He continues to watch, even clapping his hands when Yifan makes a shot because the boy might be better than even Chanyeol is. So they play together for three hours, and though Yifan's covered in sweat and his work uniform sticks to him, he doesn't seem to mind it one bit. He looks completely absorbed into the sport and Chanyeol has never seen this coming. He's even more surprised when Yifan wins because at first glance, Yifan looks like the kind that refuses to do anything remotely similar to athletics and yet he makes shot after shot while Chanyeol struggles to just stay on his feet.

"I had no idea you liked basketball!" Chanyeol pants, and he spreads his arms so he can take in more air. Yifan is lying on the ground with his chest heaving but there's a smile on his face like he's enjoyed himself.

"I don't." Comes Yifan's answer, and Chanyeol raises an eyebrow as Yifan slowly sits up.

They're both seated on the ground now and Chanyeol's amused by Yifan's answer. Why was he playing a sport he didn't like in the first place, and what made him come after Chanyeol? Yifan was an evergrowing mystery, one that Chanyeol wanted to crack desperately.

"Then... then why are you playing if you don't like basketball?" Chanyeol asks, and his tone is doubtful because he thinks Yifan is lying. Or else, why would have spent three hours playing the sport with him?

Yifan looks at him and the look in his eyes say that the answer is supposed to be obvious, but Chanyeol doesn't get it and when Yifan just lays back down instead of answering him, Chanyeol moves over to him and hits his shoulder.

"Come on! You can't just expect for me not to get curious! Come on, Yifan! Why are you playing if you don't like the sport?" But Yifan doesn't answer his question and it causes for an irritated Chanyeol to poke at his face several times. He knows it'll eventually make Yifan do something, he's just not sure of what.

And what does Yifan do when he finally has enough of Chanyeol's consistent poking? He wraps his hand around Chanyeol's wrist to stop his attacks and Chanyeol's hand lay limp against Yifan's chest. He can feel how quickly Yifan's heart is beating and when he looks into Yifan's eyes, there's something akin to fondness in his gaze.

"Because you like this sport, and I like you."

Chanyeol just stares at him for several moments because he doesn't believe that kind of confession could ever come out of Yifan's mouth.