Chapter 2: I Won't Let You Fall

1181 words

“Like today

A white star came down into my heart

It’s floating and shining in your eyes”

• Listen to Heartbeat by Suran while reading this section

<>Chanyeol POV<>

As Chanyeol began to gather equipment for cleaning out the stalls, he replayed the past moments again and again in his head, smiling to himself as he opened a stall door. He heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs and turned around to see Baekhyun standing on the floor wearing a white t-shirt, jean shorts, and a pair of work boots that looked much too big to be his.

“You ready?”

Baekhyun nodded slightly in response, a light shade of pink still dusting his cheeks. Chanyeol smiled at him and held out a pitchfork, which the smaller male took in his slender, beautiful hands.

Chanyeol had never been so entranced by anybody in his whole life. As he led two horses toward the pasture so he could clean their stalls, he tried to sort through all of his emotions towards Baekhyun. Everything about him made Chanyeol feel like he was on fire, and he had only known the boy for less than a day. How could one pint-sized man have such an immense effect on him? His beautiful hands, his droopy eyes, the curve of his hips…

Chanyeol was so lost in thought that he almost ran right into him as he reentered the barn.

“Ok, so what am I supposed to be doing right now?” Baekhyun was still standing in the same spot Chanyeol had left him, holding the pitchfork like it was a foreign artifact.

Chanyeol chuckled before taking the pitchfork from him and beginning to clean the stalls out. After the first stall, Baekhyun picked up his own pitchfork and began to clean. They both continued their work silently for what seemed like an eternity, Chanyeol working steadily and efficiently while Baekhyun struggled to clean out one stall.

In the time it took for Baekhyun to finish emptying one stall, Chanyeol was starting his third. He considered going over to help the struggling male when he heard a faint voice coming from Baekhyun’s location.

“Stupid farm boy”

Chanyeol peeked his head out of his stall to see Baekhyun muttering to himself as he angrily stuck a pitchfork into a bale of hay. Chanyeol smirked and strode over to Baekhyun, leaning in close to his ear without being noticed.

“What did you just say?”

Chanyeol could have sworn Baekhyun jumped at least a foot in the air when he whispered to the shorter boy, purposely letting his lips brush the side of his ear.

“N—Nothing”

Chanyeol smirked as Baekhyun struggled to pull some hay out of the bale using his pitchfork, watching him for a few seconds before deciding to help. Chanyeol wrapped both of his arms around Baekhyun’s and placed his hands over his delicate ones, using his strength to lift some hay from the bale. He felt Baekhyun freeze as he pressed his chest closer and moved the pile of hay to the wheelbarrow. He purposely held on for a few seconds more, feeling Baekhyun’s shallow breaths before removing his arms, not failing to notice the color on Baekhyun’s cheeks before moving back towards his own stall.

<>Baekhyun POV<>

“N—Nothing.”

Baekhyun struggled to use his pitchfork to get fresh hay out of the bale, but either his arms were too weak or his heart was beating too fast to function properly because he couldn’t make a single piece of hay budge.

Suddenly two long, strong arms were on top of his and two rough hands slid into place over his own. Chanyeol’s chest was pressed against his back, and the giant easily lifted a pile of hay out of the bale and into the wheelbarrow next to him, holding on for a few more seconds than necessary before removing his arms. Baekhyun suddenly felt very cold without Chanyeol’s warmth behind him and didn’t dare to turn towards the taller boy in fear of him seeing the blush on his pale cheeks.

“T-thanks” Baekhyun muttered as Chanyeol walked away, not even sure if Chanyeol heard him or not.

. Why is my heart beating so fast. I don’t even know this guy. I can’t let him keep doing this.

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“Like a lion you ran, a goddess you rolled

Like an eagle you circled, in perfect purple…

There’s a light that you give me when I’m in shadow

There’s a feeling you give me, an Everglow”

• Listen to Everglow by Coldplay while reading this section

Baekhyun became lost in thought as he piled fresh hay into his last stall. As he looked outside, he saw the sun beginning to sink in the sky. As he exited the stall to get a better look he turned to see Chanyeol walking towards him.

“Do you want to watch it from the roof?” Chanyeol smiled as he made the offer.

Baekhyun nodded, and Chanyeol walked towards the outside of the barn, heading towards a ladder on the side of the barn and beginning to climb. Baekhyun hesitated for a second before following him and sitting next to Chanyeol on the edge of the roof.

“Is this safe?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.”

Baekhyun was mesmerized by the colors painting the sky in front of him. It was like somebody had taken a paint brush and swirled the colors into the sky. Vibrant oranges melted into luscious golds and transitioned into deep scarlets and purples, turning the whole sky into a magnificent inferno of color. As Baekhyun turned towards Chanyeol, the array of colors reflected on his face and cast his face into hues of gold and red.

“Isn’t it beautiful…” Chanyeol smiled softly.

“I haven’t seen a sunset in so long.”

“What? How?” Chanyeol seemed appalled.

“In the city, you don’t really get to see the sunset that often. I guess I’ve really been missing out.”

“I feel like at the end of each day, no matter how hard the day was, I can always just watch the sunset in the evening and feel that everything is going to be ok, you know?”

Baekhyun nodded slowly, turning back towards the setting sun.

As they sat and watched, the colors slowly dissolved. Oranges and reds melted into blues and purples as the sun sunk deeper on the horizon. The last rays of light clung on for just a few moments before disappearing completely below the horizon, plunging them into darkness, and the stars began to glow above them.

A few minutes later, Baekhyun felt his eyes fluttering shut as he struggled to stay awake. Chanyeol glanced over at him and the sleepy male felt an arm around his shoulders.

“It's getting late. Let's head back down to the loft and call it a day"

Baekhyun gladly let Chanyeol’s strong arms guide him off of the roof and up towards the loft, and as he lay in bed listening to the sound of him breathing, Baekhyun only had one thought in his head:

“Maybe this summer won’t be so bad after all”