It numbly registers in the back of Chanyeol's mind that his hand is encircling Baekhyun's waist, that the morning sun has forced his eyes open against his better judgement, and, most importantly, that there's a sense of mortification sweeping over his newfound consciousness. 

For a moment, he doesn't comprehend the reason why his cheeks are tinted, why his hand tightens around the dip of Baekhyun's torso. But when he feels just how and warm the torso is, it hits him suddenly, all consumingly -- he and Baekhyun had in his childhood bedroom. He's embarrassed, partly because of the fact that everything had happened so feverishly and suddenly, and partly because he knows that this is the least romantic place he could've imagined (and he had, many times.) But when he thinks back to Baekhyun's dark eyes and tantalizing lips, to the way he'd whispered so sweetly against Chanyeol's neck as they fell asleep, the embarrassment gives way to adoration, to a heavy heat lining his heart. 

He thinks about how Baekhyun had said his name, how the smaller's body was so strong yet so delicate when it moved with his, how they'd drifted off to sleep together in a state of bliss, arms and legs and hearts tangled together.   

It feels surreal to look at Baekhyun's closed eyes and pouty lips like this, to rub his and share a warmth so wholly new to them both. He wants to marvel at the curve of Baekhyun's hips and memorize the moles dotting the shorter's shoulders and neck as if they make up his favorite constellation. He longs to spend hours tracing the outline of Baekhyun's lips and arch of his nose, to learn each imperfection that marks his skin and commit it to heart.

But he quickly realizes that he doesn't have time to fawn over the sleeping boy beside him, not when he notices that the sun isn't the sole reason for his waking up. Someone is calling his name over and over and over -- loudly. Belatedly, he connects the voice to his mother and the source as downstairs, an aggravated tone drifting up the staircase. 

, Chanyeol is trying his best to detach himself from the smaller without disturbing him, shit, , . 

He realizes very suddenly that he's and a little sticky and extremely shaky. He needs to shower, yet here he is, with less than a minute to get downstairs before his mom is barging in and judging him in a completely new light. Sure, she was fine with him dating Baekhyun, but he'd never really asked her permission for any of last night's events, and, in all honesty, he hopes to never have to address it with her. 

Grabbing a pair of boxers off of the floor and shimmying into them, he takes a deep breath before he leans out of his room, chest exposed to the bright hallway. 

"I'll be down in a minute!"

He hopes that he's yelled loud enough for her to hear, but he can't tell if he's satiated with her response, not when he feels warm hands on his back. They move from the center to wrap around his chest, a soft cheek pressed against his shoulder only a second later. The cheek rubs against him and then it's gone, a tiny kiss lingering where it used to be. 

"Cuddle," Baekhyun's voice is overly sleepy, and it makes Chanyeol wonder whether his heart with fall completely out of his chest and through the floor. "I'm tired and my hurts." 

Chanyeol coughs on air, turning around to see Baekhyun wrapped in his comforter, eyes lidded and mouth parted in a yawn. He looks too divine to be real, too golden and luminous to be contained in this tiny room, in Chanyeol's arms.

"I'll get you painkillers from downstairs, okay?" Chanyeol hates the blood that rushes to his cheeks, hates how Baekhyun smiles back at him like he's hung the stars. Most of all, he hates how his hands are trembling to touch the smaller, to ease any pain with soft lips and softer words as if there's nothing more that matters in the world. "My mom's yelling for me." 

"But I don't need medicine. I need to cuddle."

Baekhyun's pouting fully now, the abrupt wake-up call and sudden brightness putting him in a mood that Chanyeol's never witnessed before -- a mix between whiny and cuddly, all wrapped up in a pokémon duvet. It's cute, so utterly cute, he decides.

He leans toward the shorter, momentarily forgetting the chaos that's streaming through the back of his mind, thoughts focused only on the way Baekhyun's lips curl up in a pleased smile as he inches closer. 

"Chanyeol?" His mom's voice is much closer now, as if she's headed up the stairs, and the pair's eyes meet in shock, pushing on each other as they fumble back into the room, resulting in the door shutting with a tiny bang. Chanyeol curses internally at the noise that it makes, but he has no time to regret, not when he's positive that she's on her way, that he'll have to face his mom like this. 

"Put on clothes," Chanyeol's already rummaging through his closet, grabbing a hoodie and sweatpants and chucking them toward his boyfriend.

Baekhyun makes a whiny noise as he tugs the pullover on, his voice muffled yet informative when he speaks up next: "You have a big hickey on your neck." 

Chanyeol guffaws, and Baekhyun laughs at the sound, pointing toward a dark red turtleneck on the far right of the closet. He's seemingly already chosen this as the perfect garment to cover the mark up, and Chanyeol obliges, pulling it on as Baekhyun hurriedly throws the cover back over the entire bed. The taller's tying the drawstring of his sweatpants when he hears footsteps approaching his door, and he lunges to open it, sidestepping into the hallway to meet his mom's eyes. 

"Are you up? I called for you," she shakes her head slightly. "Breakfast is ready. And we're going to the market today, so dress warm, alright?" 

Chanyeol nods, feeling his cheeks and ears heat up at the way his mom's eyes drift to his turtleneck. She seems a little confused, and Chanyeol feels his palms turn sweaty, but then she smiles approvingly at the garment.  

"That works. Bring a jacket, too, though. And give Baekhyun some gloves, will you?" Chanyeol nods firmly. "Come eat!" 

He watches her turn on her heel to go back downstairs, finally catching his breath as she disappears from his view.

When he finally shuts the door and makes eye contact with the shorter, he can't help but laugh at the sleepy, annoyed eyes that greet his. Baekhyun is still pouty, yet now he's dazed, eyebrows furrowed and cheeks pink from the way he'd dressed so quickly only moments before. 

"You're lucky I told you about that turtleneck," Baekhyun huffs, though Chanyeol detects no real anger in them, only a combination of drowsiness and neediness. He launches forward, placing a chaste kiss on Baekhyun's cheek in lieu of saying thanks, relishing in the gentle smile that the smaller offers in return.

"Do you still want to cuddle?" Chanyeol asks, though he knows that Baekhyun is much too awake (and too petty) to accept it now. "We could cuddle a little before breakfast." 

Baekhyun blushes, turning away from the taller to hide his reddening ears, and suddenly the events of last night seem to be hanging in the air, a silent tension working its way between the blushing pair.

"That charm doesn't work on me," Baekhyun protests, even as Chanyeol watches him break into another tiny smile.

He feels his stomach flip at the realization that he affects Baekhyun this much, that his words stir something in the shorter -- it makes him want to say something reckless, makes him want to close the distance between them, makes him want to forget breakfast altogether in favor of holding him again. 

"You look beautiful," he whispers, leaning toward the smaller as slowly as he can bear. Baekhyun seems fully awake now, nose scrunching, and he pushes the taller back with a teasing smile. He pinches his nose and shoos Chanyeol away with a flailing hand.

"And you smell bad," Baekhyun sticks out his tongue, eyes glimmering with warmth. "You can only cuddle me after a shower."  

--

The market is filled with bright colors and brighter smiles, and as the trio wind their way through endless stalls and storefronts, the whirlwind of scattered voices and vivid images fill each of Baekhyun's senses to the brim. He spends the entire time attached to Chanyeol by their connected hands (much to the taller's delight, as he makes a point to squeeze Baekhyun's hand every few minutes). With countless distractions and unavoidable attractions, Baekhyun is focusing on weaving through crowds without losing the tiny Mrs. Park or each his boyfriend. 

Chanyeol is a bit of a sweetheart in this town, he soon realizes. Famous for his own achievements or his mom's praises, he's not sure, but it's clear that people know his name, know his mom, know that there is something magnetic about him. Baekhyun sees the recognition flare in each pair of eyes, and it's obvious to him that they're well-aware of Chanyeol's existence, whether they act on it or not.

For the most part, people greet Chanyeol's mom, nod to Chanyeol, and eye Baekhyun, confusion and unanswered questions floating in the air. To Baekhyun's relief, his boyfriend's mom doesn't seem to feel the need to overly explain anything, bidding everyone a good day and turning to motion for her boys to follow her. At the next shop, she again refuses to indulge anyone's judging looks, focusing only on the freshness of the food in front of her and the status of the boys behind her. It gives him a bubbly, warm feeling, and he thinks that, when he's surrounded by these two people, even a bustling winter market is bearable. 

At one point, they have to break their hands apart in order to carry the groceries comfortably, but Baekhyun doesn't think he's scared, not when he reflects on Chanyeol's warm hands on his shoulders, waist, hips. It's hard to forget what happened last night; the sizzle in his chest and the way all the air had escaped his lungs when Chanyeol's hands framed his face loop through his consciousness. He pushes it to the back of his mind, but it's still there, a simmering memory of tender touches and loving stares. Even when Chanyeol is seperated from him, arms shaking under the weight of vegetables and fresh fish, he feels a sense of security from his presence, a comfortable warmth draped over his shoulders. 

A group of uniformed boys passes them by, and Baekhyun feels his breath catch for a second, palms going slick. Of course there's a high school nearby, he reminds himself, and of course they would wear their uniforms -- they're not on break yet. He chides himself silently, willing his heart to cease its stuttering. 

"You okay?" Chanyeol's voice is low, as if he's making sure his mom can't overhear. 

Baekhyun's head snaps toward the taller instantly, still on edge, but he feels his staccato heart softening to a regular tempo when he recognizes familiar eyes. Calm down, he reminds himself, it's Chanyeol. Chanyeol with fingertips that leave his skin tingling, Chanyeol who outshines the sun.

"I'm okay," Baekhyun's just as quiet as his boyfriend, nodding vehemently as he says it. He's not sure whether he's trying to convince himself or Chanyeol more, but he decides it doesn't matter, not when Chanyeol breaks out into a tiny, radiant smile in his direction. 

"You're okay. You're safe," the shorter wants to kiss his dimples. "You did well. I'm proud." 

Baekhyun nods back and scoots his way to the taller, allowing his head to rest against Chanyeol's shoulder for the briefest of moments. Chanyeol slows his walking pace, a look of soft astonishment taking over his entire face. Suddenly, Baekhyun recognizes the look as something bordering devotion, and it sets his cheeks alight, the strawberries weighing him down tenfold as his limbs seemingly melt. 

"I know I'm safe with you," Baekhyun's whispering, voice as low as possible, entire face turning red. He wants to kiss the taller, wants to feel strong arms wrap around him, wants to pepper kisses against Chanyeol's cold-chapped cheeks. "I always am." 

Maybe he's going to say something, or maybe he's debating leaning in for a soft kiss, but Chanyeol's eyes are completely focused on the shorter, lips parted. It's intense, and suddenly the memories of Chanyeol's deep voice in his ear and tight grip around his hips rushes back, leaving his skin broiling under his many layers. 

He's truly considering launching forward and capturing those pink lips with his, but then he hears an exasperated sigh from in front of him, a familiar motherly voice dragging the pair from their reverie. 

"Boys, we still need to go get fish. Can you please walk faster?" 

Chanyeol in a breath so violently that it turns into a coughing fit, his face red from a lethal combination of embarrassment, chilly weather, and lack of air. He nods to his mom, eyes scrunched, and Baekhyun stifles a giggle when he sees just how red the taller's ears are. Red cheeks, red ears, red lips, red turtleneck -- Baekhyun thinks that the entire world is prettier when it's tinted rose.

-- 

"Let's call Jongin," Baekhyun's voice is whiny and drawn-out, his warm, drunken state of mind spilling into his actions. "I haven't talked to him in so long. I want to tell him things." 

Chanyeol is only slightly less drunk than the shorter. Their state is the product of mixing an awkward family gathering (and the obligatory drinking that follows it) and their attempt at getting in the Christmas spirit, achieved through overly boozy eggnog and cheesy movies. This combination proved too much for lightweight Baekhyun, leaving him a cuddly, gooey mess of emotions on the couch, tiny voice making Chanyeol's heart leap with each syllable. 

"Jongin needs to hear my life updates!" 

"Baekhyun, shh," Chanyeol unwraps his arm from the shorter, reaching for the TV remote. "Don't be so loud. My parents have a Christmas party tonight, and they're leaving in a few minutes. You can call Jongin then, okay?" 

"Yay!" 

His voice is small albeit happy, and he raises his hands, shaking them, as if to express the joy radiating through his entire body at that very moment.

"What do you want to watch next?" Chanyeol yawns and runs his fingers through his hair, the events of the day suddenly catching up to him -- he's deadly tired, filled to the brim with savory foods and adoration for the smaller boy next to him.

"Oh," Baekhyun draws the syllable out, voice high and pleased. "Look at that! Your hair! So cool! You're so handsome." 

The taller turns red, deciding to focus on the remaining movies rather than comprehend just how adorable Baekhyun is when he's warm and cuddly and tipsy. 

"Chanyeolie," he giggles. The taller tries to act like the nickname doesn't er punch him in the gut. "You're so handsome. I love your face. Your cheekbones are so good. And so are your hands. Your fingers are so pretty. And I like when you use your fingers to --" 

Chanyeol leaps forward, covering Baekhyun's mouth with a gentle hand, shaking his head. 

"Please don't say that when my parents are right upstairs," Chanyeol feels his heart thudding far too fast, knowing where Baekhyun was going with that sentence, knowing that the smaller has no filter at the moment, knowing that it makes his mind take a turn. 

"Don't say what?" Baekhyun's voice is muffled, but the question rings clear. "It wasn't bad! I was saying loving things! I said your fingers are pretty! I love when --" 

"Baekhyun," Chanyeol's pleading as he removes his hand from the other's mouth. Baekhyun smiles, leaning in for a tiny, sloppy kiss on the taller's cheek. He makes a loud smooching sound, laughing at the way Chanyeol winces at both the action and the sound. 

"Chanyeol," he imitates the taller's begging tone. "Chanyeol, Chanyeol, Chanyeol." 

The taller can't lie and say that Baekhyun's voice and shimmering eyes aren't affecting him, that he doesn't want to giggle and lean on him, doesn't want to smother him with small kisses. But he wishes that Baekhyun could tone it down until they're alone.

"We're heading out! We'll be back by midnight!" 

Baekhyun smiles at the now-familiar voice of Chanyeol's mom, cheeks puffing up as he beams toward the taller. He nods towards the staircase as his parents descend, prompting Chanyeol to look as well. What he sees makes him dissolve into laughter -- Baekhyun is waving wildly to his mother, and she's reciprocating the excitement, waving back just as quickly despite the heavy coat she has on over her dress. 

"We'll miss you! You look beautiful!" Baekhyun screams back and forms a heart for her with both of his arms, leaning back immediately after to join Chanyeol in giggling like fools on the couch. He turns on his side so that he's enveloped in Chanyeol's arms, Chanyeol's warmth, and continues his laughing. "I love her so much!" 

Over the sound of their own laughter, Chanyeol can vaguely hear his father mumbling something about them being drunk, but he's hushed by his mother and shooed out of the house shortly after, a newfound silence ringing throughout it. 

"Chanyeolie, I know," Baekhyun yawns before the corners of his mouth upturn in a satisfied smile. "Let's watch that one movie." 

"That's vague," Chanyeol's transfixed on the mole above Baekhyun's lips, on the way the room feels cozy and thrilling at the same time, on the effect Baekhyun's presence has on him. 

"The ice skating one. The one we watched in my room when I was sick," Baekhyun's smile grows at that, nestling further toward the taller. "You remember -- I told you I was sick, and you ran to me. And we were in my bed. We didn't cuddle then, though. Let's fix that." 

Chanyeol remembers. He remembers enough that it's probably considered embarrassing, but he doesn't mind, not when he thinks about the nervous way he'd swallowed the lump in his throat and the severe jolt of electricity he'd felt the second their shoulders had brushed together. 

He looks down at the glowing boy in his arms, at the warmth spreading from his eyes, at the memories that swim between them. 

"Okay, let's watch that one," Chanyeol leaves a kiss on the tip of his nose, noticing that Baekhyun has scrunched his lips up in expectation. He leaves one there, too, if only to appease the smaller -- or at least that's what he tells himself. 

Halfway through locating the DVD and getting the machines in the living room to cooperate with him, he's interrupted by a loud, overjoyed scream. He whips around to see Baekhyun yelling into his phone, a look of confusion taking over his face. 

"Siri, facetime Jongin," Baekhyun's voice is stern, as if his tone will get her to understand. "Siri." 

"Baekhyun, that's my phone," Chanyeol shuffles across the carpet, shaking his head, and replaces the empty space in Baekhyun's outstretched palm with the correct phone. "I don't have Siri." 

Baekhyun nods in understanding, a newer, brighter smile breaking out at the familiar device in front of him. "Siri, facetime Jongin." 

"Jongin!" Baekhyun's voice is sugary sweet, overhelmingly cute. "Jongin, look -- look how cute my boyfriend is. Look at him in his little turtleneck, and his reindeer socks!" 

"What?" Jongin is confused but fond, obviously out of it from the sound of his voice.

Chanyeol is back to being huddled over the DVD player, but he turns in time to watch Baekhyun stumble to his feet and start on the three-foot trek toward him, arms outstretched and eyes glimmering. 

"He's looking at me, Jongin! Did you know that Chanyeol is scared of bugs? And that he doesn't like spicy food? I had to hold his coat because he got hot after eating spicy street food. He started sweating so badly, and it was so funny, Jongin, he's so funny. Really, he makes me laugh so much!" 

By the time this rant is over, Baekhyun has happily made his way over and draped himself across Chanyeol, face cradled in the taller's neck. Chanyeol makes eye contact with an extremely confused Jongin and smiles awkwardly, suddenly feeling a little tipsy with Baekhyun's entire body weight on top of him. 

"Baekhyun, are you drunk?" Jongin poses it as a question, though there's no doubt his facial expression of the true answer. "Are you okay?"

"Yes! Drunk in love!" Baekhyun guffaws at his own joke and rubs his cheek all over Chanyeol's. "Beyoncé sang that. And yes, I'm doing great! Chanyeol is the nicest boy alive, and he is so soft with me. Watch."

Suddenly, Baekhyun is wrapping his arms entirely around Chanyeol's neck and jumping toward him, attempting to climb up the taller, literally. Chanyeol yelps but catches him, stumbling back and wrapping strong arms under his boyfriend's thighs. Baekhyun, situated against Chanyeol and extremely proud of himself, adjusts his phone, screaming in joy again to Jongin's blurry face. 

"See? He caught me! And we weren't even skating a routine," Baekhyun drops his voice. "He didn't have to catch me -- it's not his responsibility! He just likes me!" 

"Baek, I'm happy for you," Jongin's laughing, though Chanyeol detects a hint of sleepiness in his voice. "I'm actually really tired and busy, so I want you to be safe and have fun with Chanyeol, okay? I have to go." 

"Okay, okay, Jongin," Baekhyun swings his feet, leaving Chanyeol to compensate for their thrown off balance. "I'll talk to you when I get back to school. I love you!" 

Jongin laughs over the phone and begins to repeat it back, though he's cut off suddenly by Baekhyun's shrill scream. 

"Kyungsoo!" Baekhyun is practically yodeling, and then he's unwrapping his arms and leaning back so that Chanyeol can see him fully, pushing a phone into the taller's face. "Kyungsoo is there!" 

Chanyeol registers that, yes, that is his teammate on the phone. The football player had walked in the door while Jongin was still facetiming, face frozen in confusion. A lot of things connect at once for the taller -- Jongin and Kyungsoo were in the same room this late at night, and Kyungsoo came out in clothes a size too big for him. He was wearing Jongin's clothes -- it's painfully obvious. Chanyeol's cheeks burn in embarrassment for the both of them.

"Hi, Kyungsoo," Chanyeol smiles, giggling slightly at the short boy's wide eyes. He feels bad, really, but the bubbly effect of the alcohol does nothing to help his empathy at the moment. 

"Why is Kyungsoo there?" Baekhyun's voice is as slurred and loud as ever, but now his excitement has subsided, head seeking out Chanyeol's shoulder once again. Chanyeol pays no mind to the burn in his biceps, focusing rather on the way Baekhyun's chest is pressed so wholly against his, at how tiny he is when he's held like this. 

Jongin seems like he might answer, but then he's hung up, avoiding the conversation altogether. Baekhyun blows a puff of air onto Chanyeol's neck when he notices that it's been disconnected, disappointment ringing through in the tone of his voice. 

"He hung up," the taller can feel Baekhyun's pout against his neck. "He's way too shy about it. We all know." 

"I'm sure they'll tell us more when they're comfortable," Chanyeol reminds, voice deep and laced with exhaustion. "Let's watch the movie, okay?" 

And watch the movie they do -- although, Baekhyun refuses to let himself be detached from Chanyeol, leaving them sitting on the couch as one, a jumble of blankets and limbs and soft words. They barely make it twenty minutes before Chanyeol feels like he might actually fall asleep and, upon further inspection, he realizes Baekhyun already has. The smaller is knocked out completely, still wrapped around him, and he places a soft kiss on the top of his boyfriend's head. 

Baekhyun drifts in and out of sleep, feeling only truly awake for a brief moment in Chanyeol's room. The taller has just laid him down on the bed, and he wakes to the feeling of Chanyeol slipping off his jeans and covering him with the comforter. His mind is blurred by the alcohol and sleep, and the only thing that registers fully is how warm and safe he feels when Chanyeol slips into bed next to him, a small kiss placed on his forehead and gentle hand flared across his back. 

He smiles into the sheets, Chanyeol's affection seeping into every pore as he falls back asleep, warm and loved. 

-- 

With a competition in only a few days, Baekhyun has to cut his time at Chanyeol's house short, leaving before Christmas truly arrives. But with the way his mom hugs him, Baekhyun decides that it's probably okay, that he'll get the chance to come back again soon if everything works out. 

Chanyeol had brought him back, despite him maintaining a full winter break, and Baekhyun laughs out loud as he watches his boyfriend struggle to drag all of his luggage through the small dorm hallways. As strong and agile as Chanyeol is when he plays sports, Baekhyun is baffled by the sheer clumsiness that slips out, though he's sure that it's one of the things that made Chanyeol so endearing to him. From the first time he'd watched the taller stumble his way across the rink, Baekhyun had known, had felt a tiny clench in his stomach, had laughed off the affection building for this boy. 

"I'll help," Baekhyun steps closer to grab one of the suitcases, close enough that he can see frustration hiding in Chanyeol's eyes. 

"It's not my fault that you packed twenty-five outfits for a week at my house," Chanyeol tries to sound exasperated, but his voice gives away his happiness at the last few words. It was so domestic, so lovely, and Chanyeol couldn't conceal how it made him feel, even if he tries. 

"You're lucky I'm too tired to argue with you," Baekhyun rolls his eyes playfully. "I need to say hi to Jongdae and take a giant nap before practice tonight." 

His roommate and best friend had scored a job on campus earlier that year, and so he'd decided to stay and work over break -- for the extra money, he'd informed Baekhyun, as if this was obvious. Jongdae had always been motivated by money, especially when it meant that he got free meals while on duty this winter. 

It had worried Baekhyun to leave his best friend completely alone over the break, but he's back early and fairly sure that the boy will be overjoyed to see him, that they will be able to watch movies and catch up until school starts again. With Chanyeol heading back to his parents house after dropping Baekhyun off, he knows he'll need someone to annoy -- luckily, Jongdae fits the bill. 

"Did you tell him you were coming back earlier than you thought?" Chanyeol asks, out of breath, as he lugs his end of the suitcase up the last stair. 

"Nope," Baekhyun stops in the hallway, wiping his forehead. "I'm going to surprise him with takeout and, well, me, obviously. We're going to bond and hang out whether he wants to or not." 

Chanyeol pushes the suitcase against the door, eyes tired and amused. 

"I'm going to miss you," he's pouting, and it makes Baekhyun's head feel light. 

"I'll miss you too," Baekhyun smiles, pulling Chanyeol closer by the sleeve of his jacket. He kisses him softly, vowing to not get too absorbed in this -- they'll see each other in less than two weeks. "Now, let's get this suitcase inside." 

Baekhyun rolls his suitcase up to his bed, slightly grateful to see his worn comforter. Even though Chanyeol's house had felt like a second home, it was still nice to be back, to have his shared space with Jongdae restored. He turns, spotting the dark head of hair sticking out from the pile of blankets in Jongdae's bed, and rolls his eyes. 

"He doesn't even work nights. Why is he so lazy?" Baekhyun complains, still whispering for the sake of his best friend. Chanyeol notices this detail, smiling at the soft way Baekhyun contradicts himself, a wave of fondness sweeping over him. 

As if Jongdae could sense his best friend's bad-mouthing, he rolls over, a low, annoyed noise slipping out. Baekhyun is about to roll his eyes when something clicks violently in his brain, and suddenly he's panicked. The hair length, the body type, the voice -- something is off.

"That's not Jongdae," Baekhyun's voice is quiet and frantic, this secret information whispered to Chanyeol as if his life depends on it.

After a moment to process what he'd said, Chanyeol stiffens, a sense of fear and protectiveness washing over him, replacing the butterflies in his stomach almost instantly. 

"Then who is it?" 

"I don't know," Baekhyun is freaking out slightly, and he hopes it doesn't show outwardly, if only because he knows that Chanyeol will freak if he does. 

There's no reason that someone should be here in Jongdae's place -- there's no explanation for Jongdae to not be home right now. His mind jumps from conclusion to conclusion, imagining Jongdae quietly dropping out and forgetting to tell him, Jongdae being murdered and replaced by this imposter, Jongdae planning an elaborate prank on him somehow.

"I'll go look," Chanyeol steels himself, inching toward the other side of the room, even as Baekhyun reaches for him to try and stop his movements. 

He braces himself, ready to throw punches if something is truly wrong, and leans over the bed to get a look at the man's face.

What he doesn't expect is to see his tallest teammate soundly asleep, neck and chest covered in hickeys, bags under his eyes. He looks awful, even by Chanyeol's turtleneck-wearing standards, and he suddenly connects all the dots in this constellation. 

He walks back as quickly and quietly as he can, pulling Baekhyun with him to the hall, attempting to be discreet and avoid any awkward conversations. 

"It's Sehun." Baekhyun opens his mouth to ask a question, but Chanyeol cuts him off, confirming what he was wondering. "Yeah, my Sehun. My teammate."

"But -- why?" Baekhyun is squinting at the floor, cogs in his brain turning slowly, methodically. 

"He was covered in hickeys. Do you think he and Jongdae?" Chanyeol shrugs wildly, as if it's the only thing he can think of doing. "Do you think they . . . you know?" 

"He has a girlfriend!" Baekhyun attempts to keep his volume down, even as situations of Jongdae cheating play through his mind over and over. "I've met her before. They like each other a lot. Why would he cheat? Did he cheat? He wouldn't cheat on her, would he?" 

"What do we do?" 

Baekhyun shrugs in response, a confused silence settling over the both of them. He wants to know the truth, wants to investigate further and talk to Sehun, but he's scared to bring it up for fearing of making Jongdae feel angry or guilty, for fearing of rubbing a mistake in their faces.

"He's not home, so if I just leave, he won't know that I know, and then it will be all okay, I think? I think." 

Despite all of his thinking, however, fate has it out for him today. He's barely registered Chanyeol's worried reaction before he hears footsteps down the hall. Instinctively, he moves behind the taller boy, looking up at him to confirm his suspicions. 

Chanyeol makes a pained face back, tiny nod confirming everything that Baekhyun had so feared. He grabs for Chanyeol's hand and moves to look down the hall, making direct eye contact with Jongdae as he does it.

"You're back already?" Jongdae smiles his big smile, nodding to Chanyeol in a friendly manner. He holds up grocery bags and shakes them in the air happily, as if there's nothing that he could be hiding. "I just got snacks! You're in luck." 

Baekhyun panics, even as Chanyeol squeezes his hand in support. 

"Are you cheating on your girlfriend?" Baekhyun's heart leaps as he takes in Jongdae's shocked face, as he feels Chanyeol stiffen next to him in anticipation.

"What?" Jongdae looks majorly confused, and then his mouth opens in a perfectly formed O, as if all the puzzle pieces have suddenly connected. "We broke up a while ago. You and Chanyeol were a little occupied fighting each other and cutting all your friends off, so I didn't tell you."

Baekhyun feels guilt dripping in the back of his mind, flooding it with angry thoughts -- this wouldn't have been such a shock if he'd been a better friend earlier, if he hadn't run away. Jongdae realizes the effect that it has on him, grimacing immediately after saying it. 

"I had the chance to tell you, I just didn't," Jongdae clarifies, voice full of regret, a tiny smile working its way across his face. "It was mutual. And Sehun and I kind of happened -- it's casual." 

Chanyeol chokes at this, as if the thought of his younger teammate and Jongdae being casual is too much for him to take in. Baekhyun processes this slowly, and suddenly things become clearer, fog evaporating from the moor that is this situation. 

"So you and Sehun," Baekhyun's still thinking hard to try and comprehend this fully, to picture them as a pair. "You guys . . ." 

"Are friend with benefits," Jongdae nods, smiling, casually -- just like him and Sehun, Baekhyun notes. "We like the same video games. And we figured, hey, we may as well have fun inbetween." 

Baekhyun nods blankly at his friends bluntness, somewhat relieved by this casual answer, and searches for Chanyeol's shocked eyes in all of this. He looks dazed, cheeks a little pink, and Baekhyun kind of wants to pinch them, wants to reassure him that this is better than Jongdae cheating on his formerly-beloved girlfriend. 

"I'm going to head in and get Sehun up so we can all snack and game," Jongdae pats Baekhyun on the shoulder with a smile. "Glad you're home early!" 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol stand in the hallway, dazed, for another minute. 

"I'm going to act like this is normal," Baekhyun suggests, squeezing the taller's hand. He squeezes back, cheeks pink. "I have no other way of processing this information." 

"Good idea," Chanyeol says, and he pulls Baekhyun into his side, a moment of silence stretching between them. The silence is only broken by a sigh from Chanyeol, followed immediately by a large shrug. "Not my business, really. I'll just focus on passing my spring semester and making you laugh."

Baekhyun rolls his eyes to hide his satisfaction, stomach doing flips, and lets his head rest on the taller's shoulder. No matter how strange things get, at least Chanyeol is there to make dumb jokes. Closing his eyes against his boyfriend's shoulder for a moment, he lets relief flood his system, a peace settling between them that only Chanyeol has the power to bring. 

"Well, let's go," Baekhyun likes the way Chanyeol's voice is cheerful and joking now, as if he's already adjusted to the situation. His eyes are so bright that Baekhyun thinks he might go blind -- not that he minds, really. "I have to kick their asses in whatever game they're playing." 

-- 

ok yeah that's one couple you....probably didn't expect? except for one of my twitter mutuals. she actually guessed it. i'm so proud and also sort of terrified

(also for you twitter peeps: yes! sehun/mystery man won the poll for the side couple..... but i wanted a tiny bit of kaisoo. i couldnt choose. sorry. forgive me lol) 

ANYWAYS this was a pretty soft, fluffy chapter and it's 6k so I think it kind of makes up for me being mia for a little bit. i had to go visit family and also exams exist. sorry guys! love you all! comments are always appreciated <3

twitter: baekyalls
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