"Is everything okay?"

"Hm? Yes? Oh Yes." Chanyeol flashed an evidently fake smile, and that bugged Baekhyun even more.

On trying to work once again, Baekhyun sighed because clearly, Chanyeol was not into the session at all. 

"You know what? Let's take a break." Baekhyun said, as he switched the extra lights out, gestured his assistants and the makeup unnie to take a coffee break, and dragged two chairs- one for himself and the other for the idol. Chanyeol was hesitant to sit down, so Baekhyun sat first, and then patted the other chair to signal Chanyeol to sit down. Baekhyun pulled out a tiny water bottle from his pocket. "Do you want some water?"

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun, nodded as he sat down silently, and took the tiny bottle from Baekhyun's hands, with his fingers brushing off Baek's skin. Baekhyun noticed that his hands were cold. The two sat in complete silence, and Baekhyun knew Chanyeol wouldn't say a word, unless he asked.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Baekhyun asked, in the softest of voices, making sure his concern for Chanyeol shone in his words.

Chanyeol kept mum. He kept fidgeting with the tiny bottle turning it from side to side. Baekhyun continued to look at Chanyeol hoping he'd say something. It was starting to get a little awkward.

"I'll give you some space, then." Baekhyun said, as he realised the idol wasn't going to say anything to him. And why would he? He wasn't complied to. They were not best friends or family members, or lovers. ‘Or even...friends?’ The thought pained Baekhyun and sitting there with him any longer meant more hurt.

"Please be ready when I come back." Baekhyun said, his voice soft, yet strict. He got up from his chair, ready to walk out, just when strong hands clasped his wrist.

"Don't go, Baekhyun. Please. Just...stay here with me. I don't want to be alone with my thoughts. Please, Baekhyun." Chanyeol said, almost begging.

Baekhyun was taken aback by this action. The tone in which Chanyeol had just spoken in, felt like a bullet shot to the heart. Chanyeol's hands guided Baekhyun back into his chair. Baekhyun was afraid Chanyeol would get to know of his fastening pulse by the way he held his wrist, when Chanyeol sighed and begun to speak.

“Look, Baekhyun-aah..” Baekhyun’s stomach tied up in knots. “I know it’s weird for you. And I’m sorry to delay your work, but I...today...um...my” Baekhyun had been looking at Chanyeol intensely, observing every single beautiful feature on his face. Chanyeol’s hands had loosened their grip, and his hands were just there, on Baekhyun’s, sitting as softly as possible.

Baekhyun knew what Chanyeol wanted to say was something extremely personal, and close to his heart. The thought that he was even trying to say this, overwhelmed Baekhyun to the point where he interrupted Chanyeol. “Chanyeol-ah.” Baekhyun lifted his hand to hold Chanyeol’s in his. “I will listen to everything you have to say, and I will not judge you. I will quietly listen, and I will absorb. I’m here.” Chanyeol looked up at Baekhyun only to see him with such an expression he had never seen on any other person except his mother and elder sister. Pure concern, and care, tinged with love. Chanyeol looked on, like a child who had spotted his favourite candy at the confectionary.

As if having found the slightest bit on comfort, Chanyeol squeezed Baekhyun’s hand, and continued, “It’s...Tao’s birthday today.” Baekhyun’s heart thumped. “And I..I still haven’t gotten used to not...not wishing him- anyone- on his birthday. It’s the first t-time that he- we- aren’t celebrating together.” Baekhyun petted Chanyeol’s hand as Chanyeol paused for a while, then continued, “Today morning I woke up and I thought I’d....I’d wish him, you know?” His voice cracked a little bit. Baekhyun tightened his hold. “But, he didn’t pick up my phone, and neither did he call back. The next time I called him, he...he cut the call. So I left him a message saying hyung wished him a happy birthday.”

Baekhyun kept the top of his hand, as Chanyeol kept quiet for a while, then he said out, “I don’t know, B-Baekhyun-ah. But, I kind of...miss him a little, you know?” Chanyeol looked up at Baekhyun expecting him to say something in return.

‘What do I say? What do I say to make it better?’ Baekhyun thought all along.

“I think its okay to miss people.” Baekhyun said. “You did what you had to do. It’s his loss if he-”

A hint of anger appeared in Chanyeol’s eyes. “I know, Baekhyun-ah.” Chanyeol withdrew his hand from Baekhyun’s. “I know what I’ve done. And I know what people have done for me. For a fact, I know that I am the one who has always lost things, not them. ” After a while, he continued. “It’s been like this for as long as I have known. People walk in, take the things they like, and walk away. Like, nothing ever happened. One moment, everything is fine, and they are fine, and we are fine. And, just when everything feels alright, something happens, and they leave. They just leave. Just like that. And what happens when I try to contact them? They cut the call. They don’t respond.”

Baekhyun had never felt like this, before. The agony of seeing Chanyeol like this, the regret of not having said the right thing, the confusion of what to say next, and his overall, overflowing concern for Chanyeol, made him feel like his insides would burst.

“But, you can’t always sit on that issue, and let it hurt like this. Can you?” Baekhyun said.

“Of course, I can’t. But, how can they forget?” Chanyeol stood up. “How can they forget so easily, Baekhyun-aah?” Chanyeol had an almost maniacal expression on his face.

“Okay, okay. Calm down, Chanyeol. Maybe they haven’t forgotten anything.” As he said this, Baekhyun got up.

“How are you so sure?” Chanyeol asked.

“Because,” Baekhyun smiled as he continued. “One can never forget gestures of true friendship and love. Even if they try, they won’t be able to, because it’ll keep flashing in their minds. That too, randomly.” At that moment, Chanyeol suddenly remembered the day Baekhyun had asked him to take care of himself, and the countless “take care”s he received while talking to Baekhyun over Instagram. He remembered everything, and Baekhyun's beautiful, smiling face flashed in his vision. “And I know you’ve been kind, and you’ve loved...and you’ve gotten hurt, Chanyeol-aah. But, love and pain go hand in hand. One day, someone is going to give it all back to you. I promise.”

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun with a soft expression on his face- a mixture of the sadness he had been feeling, the hope Baekhyun had instilled in him, and the little bit of love he wanted to shower on Baekhyun, himself. 

"But...." Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun, then turned away. 

"Hm?" 

“But I’m a mess.” Chanyeol’s hands trembled just a bit, but enough for Baekhyun to notice.

Baekhyun glanced at Chanyeol’s hands, then into his eyes.

“It’s okay...” he said softly, slightly touching Chanyeol’s little finger, who responded by entwining it, in Baekhyun’s. “We all are.”

By this time, Chanyeol’s eyes brimmed up a little, and he looked at Baekhyun, whose sight was downcast again. For the first time in a while, Chanyeol felt happy. So happy that he could hug Baekhyun and fly away with him. So happy that he could give Baekhyun everything he's ever treasured. He didn't even know why he was feeling this way. He had only opened himself up to a person- something he hadn't done for a while- and that person had listened to him sincerely, and helped him out of it.

‘What if Baekhyun is the one?’ The thought crossed Chanyeol's mind for a moment, and then he blushed furiously.

“Aaah. What am I even thinking.” He said out aloud as he wiped his eyes, and smiled. 

Baekhyun looked up, slightly startled, and saw the look on Chanyeol's face. No matter how ruffled his hair was, how soiled his make up was, or how messed up he, himself, was, Chanyeol radiated a certain warmth Baekhyun had never felt before. He saw Chanyeol's real smile for the first time, up close.

Ba dump   ba dump   ba dump. Baekhyun's heart raced like a race horse. 

"Is something the matter, Baekee?" Chanyeol said when he realised Baekhyun had been staring at him for a while. 

'Baekee?!?!?!?!?!?' Badumpbadumpbadumpbadumpbadump. 'What the hell, Park Chanyeol?!?!?!?'

"Um. I'll go fetch make up noona." Baekhyun said, hiding his flushed face. "Go get yourself a touchup, Mr. Park Chanyeol. We’re running late.”

By the end of the shoot, Park Chanyeol and Byun Baekhyun were closer. So much, that Baekhyun was in trouble. He now knew, for sure, that he was heedlessly and destructively in love with Park Chanyeol. Every interaction pulled at his heart strings, and every bit of physical contact felt like a burn on his skin. 

But he wasn’t the only one in trouble. In Chanyeol’s heart, tiny seeds of a strange emotion had started to germinate, and every contact he made with Baekhyun, every smile Baekhyun smiled, every smile that Baekhyun made him smile, watered them. And, they grew, they grew, they grew.