“Hey, Taehyungie, if you’re free, can we meet today?” Baekhyun spoke nervously into the phone. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“Sure, hyung! I’m freee.”

Kim Taehyung, often going by the name ‘Vante’, was one of Korea’s most loved nature photographers. His work was not only widely appreciated all over South Korea, but also featured by nature magazines from all over the world. Not to mention, Baekhyun and Taehyung were great friends, and often went on phototrips together. That is, before Baekhyun joined SM.

“Let’s meet at Ko Ko Bean, then?” Baekhyun suggested.

“Done!”

As Baekhyun sat in the cafe waiting for Taehyung to arrive, he recalled the events from a fortnight ago.

“Hey, Baekkie. Get up.” Chanyeol said, softly patting Baekhyun’s cheek. “We’re home.”

Baekhyun opened one eye, and then, the next. He blinked. As the blur from his sleepiness dissolved, Chanyeol’s face appeared right in front of him. He remembered everything at once and woke up with a start. He looked around, to see that they were in front of his apartment.

“Oh . Did I fall asleep?” Baekhyun said rubbing his eyes. “I am so sorry for the trouble, Chanyeol” 

Chanyeol had been smiling all this while and looking at Baekhyun like he would kiss him any moment now. “I-is there something on my face?” Baekhyun said, noticing Chanyeol’s gaze.

Chanyeol, who had just realised he had been staring at Baekhyun, blushed furiously. “N-no. I packed some dinner for you, Baekkie. Make sure you eat all of it okay?”

“And you? Did you eat?”

“I’ll eat mine at the dorm.”

“Are you sure?” Baekhyun’s mind was screaming to ask Chanyeol to have dinner with him.

“Yes, Baekkie. Okay the-”

“Wh-why don’t you...um...why don’t we have dinner together?” Baekhyun interrupted him.

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun with his mouth slightly open, then laughed out. As he laughed, Chanyeol’s eyes gleamed with joy, almost as if Baekhyun had read his mind.

“Okay!” He agreed at once.

The two got out of the car, and began to walk the stairs up to the third floor, where Baekhyun’s apartment was.

“Hey, Chanyeollie? My apartment is a little..um..small.”

“That’s okay.”

“And disorganised”

“That’s okay.”

“And might not smell the best.”

“That’s okay.”

Baekhyun felt extremely nervous as they reached the third floor, and stood in front of Baekhyun’s apartment door.

“Come on!” Baekhyun invited Chanyeol in, as he opened the door.

Baekhyun’s apartment was a two room apartment with a large bedroom and a smaller sized one adapted to become a darkroom. The living area included a television, and together with the dining area and kitchen, it was just a little bit larger than the bedroom. Happy-looking yellow wallpaper adorned one of the walls of the living room. The bedroom was a beautiful lilac, had a large bed, a workspace, and a very small attached verandah. He had two cupboards for his equipments, and a wardrobe for his clothes. The room also worked as a home theatre to Baekhyun. He had a projector, speakers and a gigantic white screen installed.

On switching the lights on, Chanyeol was surprised. The apartment was pretty clean, and smelt like sweet citrus and cherry. The only messy thing about Baekhyun’s apartment was the fact that there were over twenty magazines all over the dining table, and clothes all stacked upon the sofa.

“Oh! I’ll clean that up.” Baekhyun rushed inside as he noticed Chanyeol staring at the pile of magazines, and started to collect them. Chanyeol walked up to him, and did the same. Most of them were issues from Vogue, Harper’s BAZAAR, Elle, or Marie Claire. As Chanyeol piled the magazines one upon another, he felt something cold touch his skin. Lifting the magazines, he found it to be an ashtray. Chanyeol’s expression didn’t look too pleased with what he had just found on Baekhyun’s dinner table. Baekhyun immediately snatched it away. Before he could say anything, Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun with a sharp look in his eyes, and said, “You smoke?”

Baekhyun tensed up a little. “N-Not really. Only when I am super, super stressed.”

Chanyeol nodded, but didn’t say anything. Baekhyun got a little worried. He wanted to say something, but didn’t know what to. He wanted to explain something to him, but didn’t know what to. He wanted Chanyeol to understand something, but didn’t know what to. Baekhyun kept giving Chanyeol side glances as they cleaned the table together, trying to think about what Chanyeol could’ve been thinking about. Was he angry? Was he judging Baekhyun just because he smoked? A part of Baekhyun felt pangs of anger, and another part felt pain. Chanyeol had been doing that side-glance thing too. He had been wondering why this beautiful precious little boy smoked. Was he bluffing about the stress, or did something happen to him? This one time, their eyes met, and the brief eye-contact prompted Baekhyun to turn his face away immediately. And in that one moment, Chanyeol had read what his eyes said.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

Chanyeol heart thumped as he thought about it.

“It isn’t anything wrong...or anything. I mean...” Chanyeol begun to say, then stopped, realising he had said his thoughts out aloud. When he turned towards Baekhyun, Baekhyun was already looking at him. Seeing the inquisitive expression on his  face, Chanyeol continued, “I-It’s just bad for your health. S-So it’d be nice if you don’t, you know, smoke..”

Baekhyun was moved, and stared at Chanyeol’s face in awe. Baekhyun was about to say something when Chanyeol interrupted him-

“Baekhyun, I didn’t judge you because you smoke.” His ears were reddening. “I didn’t judge you, and I will never judge you. Because, I know you’d do the same.”

Baekhyun smiled. “Thank you, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun kept fidgeting with his fingers. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”

“But, tell me something, Baekkie.” Chanyeol continued. “Everything’s okay, right? I mean, the smoke and all....”

Baekhyun let out a little chuckle. “Everything is better than okay, yeollie! Don’t worry.” The microwave in the kitchen beeped. “Oop. Food is ready!” Baekhyun and Chanyeol put the magazines away, and Chanyeol sat on one of the chairs. Baekhyun brought the food packets out from the microwave oven. “Let’s eat!"

They enjoyed their dinner in silence, and the light of each other’s comfort. Later, Baekhyun gave Chanyeol an apartment tour.

“Whoaaaaaaaaa. IS THAT A HOME THEATRE?!?!” Chanyeol’s excitement earned Baekhyun a curse word from the old lady living downstairs. He mouthed a sorry to Baekhyun.

“Can we watch a movie pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease. Oh my god, this is so cool.” Chanyeol was acting like a complete ten-year old.

“But it’s really late, Yeollie. Don’t you have to go back? Won’t EXO say anything? And manager hyung?”

 Baekhyun wished he could say the words in his head which kept saying ‘It’s not like I’m asking you to leave, you know. I’d rather have you stay the night- no ill thoughts, I promise- or maybe you could stay here all your life, I mean the only thing I’ll do to you is probably kiss you a lot.’ Baekhyun blushed at his own thoughts, then shook them off.

“It’s just a night, they won’t say anything. And I’ll leave as soon as the movie finishes, so let’s just watch one, pleasepleasepleasepleas-”

“OKAY. Okay. Stop saying please. We’ll watch it. Okay? We’ll watch a movie.” Baekhyun said, to end the child’s pestering.

They decided to watch Moana with Korean subtitles. They sat on the bed with a couple of pillows and some chips Baekhyun had stacked for emergencies. Chanyeol laid on his stomach, watching the movie, and Baekhyun sat crosslegged on the bed.

As the movie commenced, Chanyeol would ‘whoaaa’ or ‘oooooo’ or laugh or complement the singer’s voice. He definitely was a loud person to be watching a movie with.

Not to mention, Baekhyun liked it. He had watched this movie before, and loved it no matter how many times he had watched it. He loved to laugh along with someone, unlike the usual silence which would surround him whenever he decided to watch a movie. Halfway through, Baekhyun noticed that his movie partner had gone silent. He glanced sideways to see Chanyeol’s head resting on the pillow, eyes closed, breathing loudly, making weird sniffling noises in between. The large man had fallen asleep. Baekhyun giggled a bit, and then proceeded to brush Chanyeol’s hair off his forehead.

“Chanyeollie?” Baekhyun softly said, as he looked at him lovingly. He got down the bed, turned the projectors off, and put a cover on Chanyeol. “I had the best day, today. Good night.” He softly said, his hand still on Chanyeol's head.

Having slept a lot, Baekhyun proceeded to clean his apartment, and work on his portfolios a little bit. At around 4 AM, he got tired, and headed over to his bedroom to see Chanyeol sleeping soundly. He sat himself on the bed, beside him and fixed his gaze on his ultimate bias. Chanyeol looked like a child, his innocence beaming out of him. What a peaceful sight, Baekhyun thought. But then, his sight trailed down at Chanyeol’s lips- plump and slightly open. He really wanted to kiss him, but at the same time didn’t want to take advantage of a sleeping Chanyeol. ‘One kiss won’t hurt, right? It’s not like he’s awake.’ Baekhyun inched closer to Chanyeol, until he was so close that he could feel Chanyeol’s warm breath brush against his lips.

“Hyung!! Hyuuuuuung!!” Taehyung waved his hand in front of Baekhyun’s. Baekhyun got out of his daze, and apologized.

“Ahhh, Taehyungie! I’m so sorry.”

“No, no. It’s okay.” Taehyung said as he seated himself opposite to Baekhyun. “You looked really deep in thought, hyung.”

Baekhyun laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

“And,  pretty stressed as well. SM treating you well?” Taehyung smiled.

“They’re a little...rigid. But, it’s great, yes. How’s it going with Jungkookie?”

 By that time, the waiter had arrived, and they ordered a blueberry cheesecake, a macaroon tart and two cups of coffee.

“Never been better.” Taehyung winked suggestively to which Baekhyun blushed a little. Sipping on his coffee, Taehyung asked, “So? What’s up hyung?”

“Um. Well-um. There's something I've been meaning to tell you about.” Baekhyun’s skin was tinted red.  “I think I’m in love with a man.”

Taehyung’s eyes widened in wonder, and he put his drink down. “Love, hyung?” He smirked.

“Y-yeah. I mean, all this time I thought I only liked him a lot. Like, a lot. But, things happened and bit by bit I-”

Taehyung got slightly excited. “Did you guys do IT?!” He said, in a hushed, yet clearly enthusiastic tone.

“N-No! NO! Are you mad?!” Baekhyun was pretty loud. The people in the cafe turned to look at him. He apologized, and hid his face in his arms.

“Geez, hyung. Look at you! You’re completely red.” Taehyung giggled. “So, what kind of things happened?”

Baekhyun went on to tell Taehyung everything which happened on the day they went to the beach, and what happened later at Baekhyun’s house.

“Oh my god, did you kiss him, hyung?!?” Taehyung waited curiously for Baekhyun to answer, as the elder pouted.

“.....no.” Baekhyun looked like he regretted it, just a little bit.

“Aw, daamnnnnn. If it was kookie, I’d have kissed him a hundred times!” Taehyun put his hands behind his back. “That sounds like a hell of a day, hyung.”

“It sure was, Tae...”

“Days like that must be...oh wait. Wait. You didn’t finish your story. What happened after you almost kissed him, but didn’t?”

“Well, uh, I somehow fell asleep. AGAIN. And when I woke up, he was gone. He left a note saying ‘Sorry for the trouble, I had a great night’s sleep. See you soon, Baekkie’ and a heart sign.”

“Baekkie?!?! Can I call you Baekkie too, hyung?!" Taehyung teased.

Baekhyun had a slightly annoyed expression as he watched his friend and junior laugh a little.

"Ahh, I'm sorry hyung. But, you know what? Seriously speaking...” Taehyung thought for a while. “That sounds like a great relationship, you know. Do you want to take it forward?”

“I...I don’t know, Tae. I mean, I don’t know how he’ll take it. It’s my first time being attracted to a man. I don’t even know what he thinks about this. I’m afraid if I tell him, he’ll think of me as disgusting or something, and I’ll lose everything we had.”

There was a moment where neither spoke.

“Hyung, let me tell you one thing. Before Kookie happened to me, I was as straight as uncooked spaghetti. He came in my life, spun it around 180 degrees, and before I knew it, I wanted him to be mine.” Taehyung said. “Honestly, I’m gay only for Kookie.”

“Did you ask him out? Or...”

“Oh, I wish I did. But, no.” Taehyung smiled. “He took me on a video game date, and well, he did.”

The two sat in silence for a while, then Taehyung said, “So, who is this man, hyung? The one who has taken over your life?”

“He’s an idol, Tae. He works with SM in the group called EXO.”

“Oh. Ok-WAIT A SECOND. EXO?” Taehyung said out. “Don’t tell me it’s your bias?!?! What was his name again. Park Chanyeol?!?!”

“.........ye-”

“OH MY HOLY GOD. The Park Chanyeol took you to the beach and then came over to your apartment, and you guys had dinner together, and watched a movie with you, and fell asleep on your bed, and left a note for you, and gave you a nickname?!?”

“........ye-”

“HYUNG. I am sure he likes you too! He’s an idol, right? Why would an idol go such lengths -no offence, hyung. You know I love you- just to be friends with a photographer!”

“Oh come on sto-”

“I am serious, hyung! He definitely lik-”

“Will you stop interrupting me, Kim Taehyung.” Baekhyun said, sternly.

“Oops” Taehyung stuck his tongue out. “Sorry, hyung. I got distracted.”

Baekhyun sighed. “Listen. I don’t think he likes me. He’s been taken for granted and tossed around all his life. He’s just looking at me like a friend.”

“Okay.” Taehyung said, taking a deep breath, and calming down. “Friendship is great, hyung. But, won't you tell him how you feel about him?”

“I don't know, Taehyungie.”

“No, hyung. You are the only one who knows. Tell him before it's too late.”

“What do you mean by ‘too late’?”

“He is an idol, after all. He’s handsome, and attractive, and talented.” Taehyung said. “He is desireable, hyung.”

Baekhyun realised the truth in his words. A happy Chanyeol would make Baekhyun, the happiest. But what if they hurt him again? Baekhyun couldn’t stand to see Chanyeol hurting. Even so, a part of Baekhyun ached to imagine Chanyeol with a woman. Even worse, with a man.

Seeing the dejected expression on Baekhyun’s face, Taehyung spoke out, “Hyung, cheer up! What you have now, is beautiful. Without having physical contact, even most lovers can’t be this intimate with each other.” Taehyung smiled when Baekhyun lifted his face to look at him. “When you feel the time is right, tell him. Tell him, hyung, because my gut tells me this will go well.”

“How long are you going to take the shower for?!?” Chanyeol's roommate, Jongin, shouted across the room.

“Five more minutes, Jongin-aah!” Chanyeol shouted back.

In precisely five minutes, the sound of the shower stopped, and Chanyeol came out, wearing a towel around his waist, and another on his shoulders. His wet hair fell on his face, and he brushed them off face in an upward motion. He noticed Jongin sitting on the bed, wearing a suit, texting someone on his phone.

“Whoa whoa. Where are you off to?” Chanyeol said.

“I knew it.” Jongin sighed. “Not me. All of us. How could you forget? We have that dinner party thing at Amoureux, hyung!”

Chanyeol suddenly remembered. “Oh. OHHH.”

Jongin sighed. 

“Hey, Jongin-aah. There’s something I needed to talk-”

RING RING RING. Jongin’s phone rang up. Jongin excused himself for a moment, and picked up the call. Jongin’s face drained off his colours while he talked over the phone. When he kept the call, Jongin looked at Chanyeol, and said “I need to go.”

“What happened?” Chanyeol asked, concerned.

“It was Kyungsoo.” Jongin gulped. “He demanded I go down at once because we’re late.”

“Oh,no.” Chanyeol knew what a furious Kyungsoo was capable of. “By the way, Jongin-aah, I had to tell you something.”

“Sorry,hyung. Tell me later, tonight, okay?”

“It’s impo-” BAM! The door closed. “-rtant.” Chanyeol sighed. He had finally decided that he'd let the members know about Baekhyun, one by one. He wanted to tell them that he treasured Baekhyun unlike any other, and that he was special. Alas, that had to be kept for a later time.

After Jongin left, Chanyeol shuffled inside his room, confused what to do. He picked a suit from his closet, and got dressed. A make-up artist had been called to get their hair and make-up done. Chanyeol, obviously, was the last to get downstairs. When he did, he saw that everyone else had left. It disheartened him. ‘Ten minutes wouldn’t have hurt.’ He thought.

“Come on, I’ll drop you.” It was manager hyung.

“Why did they leave?” Chanyeol asked, in a somber voice.

“The director was fuming because EXO still weren’t there.”

“Oh.” The explanation didn't quite help.

On reaching the place, flashes from cameras came raining down upon Chanyeol as he got out of his car. It made him think of Baekhyun, and the way he’d move a lot while taking photographs, and talk constantly. He wanted to see him. Inside, the light was yellow and white. It was crowded, and a soft classical music compilation played in the background. He saw a few people from his company, and a few others he did not recognise. Random people came up to Chanyeol, and started introducing themselves to him. It was awkward for him. He had never liked crowds or these parties, in general. In an attempt to find one of the members of EXO, Chanyeol began to scan all directions. He spotted Jongdae talking to someone, near the alcohol counter. He immediately began to make his way to where his friend was.

“If it isn’t Park Chanyeol.” A woman patted Chanyeol’s shoulder. He turned around to look at her. She wore a blazing red maxi dress with a slit till the thigh, had long hair as dark as the night, which fell over her shoulder luxuriously, her eyes were the colour of smoked honey, and her skin as soft as the underpetals of rosebuds. In a word, she was stunning.

It didn't even take a second for Chanyeol to recall her name. “Sunhee?”

Hello, lovely people of the fanficnation.

While thinking of names for a Coffee Shop, Ko Ko Bop began to play on shuffle, and I practically cracked up (only i laugh at my jokes rip me) when I thought of Ko Ko Bean lol. ANYWAY. I know this chapter was all passive chanbaek. So passive. So passive. And, if you're getting BaD VibES, you're not entirely wrong. Because Chanyeol needs a push too, right? So, buckle up! But but but, I assure you, the next few chapter(s) will put an end to those bad vibes and bring about rainbows and sparkles. huhuhu.

That said, my vacations have come to an end, and college reopens in two days! Bleh. But, don't you worry. I won't leave any of you hanging because I know how torturous that is.

Also, if you're reading this, I love you because you reading my work means a lot to me, and fills me up with so much joy, I literally inflate like a balloon. No kidding.

Do let me know your thoughts about this! <3