Office work was never fun, and as much as Chanyeol enjoyed going through a bunch of data reports and writing presentations about them to higher-ups executives, there were times where he’d rather just daydream and think about other things.

Giving into the temptation (and just out of pure boredom, in general), he minimized the word document for one of the many reports he has to get done by the end of the week and pulled up the calendar app.

Amongst the sea of events and meetings scheduled in color-coded segments, Saturday was fully booked by one event, which Chanyeol still needed to find an outfit for. Maybe a haircut, too… It had been a while since he had gotten one, so it wouldn’t hurt to look a little more managed than usual.

“Hey, Park.”

Jolting from his desk, Chanyeol looked up to find his cubicle neighbor, a man named Jongdae, peering over the gray, uninspired wall that kept their office areas separate. “Yeah?” he replied, glancing back at his desktop screen. “Did you need something?”

Jongdae gave him an apologetic look as he asked, “Do you mind if I leave a little bit early? It’s my boyfriend’s birthday today, so I’m going to try and get home a little earlier than usual.” Clasping his hands together, he begs. “Please? I’ll take some of your work tomorrow.”

“Uhhh…” He probably should say no, but he is a bit more free than usual with his work. Maybe staying an hour or so after everyone left for the day wasn’t such a bad thing. If he really wanted, he could take some work home, but he hated doing that so staying in the office a little longer would probably be the way to go. “Sure. I’ll hold you to that promise tomorrow, though.”

“If I don’t then remind me,” Jongdae assured him along with a cheeky little smile as he turned back to his own space. From the other side, Chanyeol could hear papers being shuffled around. “I’ll buy you lunch next time if I forget. I really owe you one.”

When Chanyeol returned home from work, the first he noticed was the smell of pizza that hit him immediately after opening the front door. The second thing was Baekhyun, his roommate, laughing. It was a distinctive kind of laugh, not because it warmed Chanyeol’s heart to hear or whatever other sentimentality one could have with another person’s laughter, but because it was really, unbearably fake, which only meant that Baekhyun had one of his special guests over.

Inwardly groaning to himself, Chanyeol quickly slipped off his shoes and put them on the rack near the foyer. He took a few seconds to mentally prepare himself for any potentially awkward introductions that were bound to be had if he wanted to make his way past the inevitable living room and safely in his own room. Then, he heaved his shoulders together and walked on, getting halfway through the open living space before being called out by Baekhyun himself.

“Oh, you’re back late tonight,” Baekhyun said, lightly teasing him with a soft smile. “I was beginning to worry.”

“I stayed a little late to help someone finish up their work.” Chanyeol couldn’t help but notice the way Baekhyun’s visitor was awkwardly looking back at him. He didn’t care enough to ask for their name and everything else with that type of formality. Knowing how his roommate was, Chanyeol was 99.9% sure that he’d never see the guy again.

“Always the workaholic.” Turning his attention back to the stranger sitting beside him on their couch, Baekhyun gestured over to Chanyeol who stood there who wanted nothing more than to just leave. “This is my roommate, Chanyeol. Like I was saying before, he works a lot,” he started before gesturing his hand over to the man. “And this is Jihwan. We met at the bar a few hours ago.”

Chanyeol nodded with his lips pressed together. It was always like Baekhyun to be really blunt about things, even if it was unnecessarily introducing him to his late-night hook up. The routine wasn’t rare. A part of Chanyeol was used to being introduced to Baekhyun’s one night stands and having that same old awkward air suddenly feeling the room, but it didn’t make it any easier with each one.

“Nice to meet you,” Chanyeol said, almost robotically rehearsed. To be fair, he said it the exact same way he says it every so and so months, depending on Baekhyun’s mood. “Sorry for interrupting you guys. Hope you’ll excuse me. I think I’m going to head to bed.”

“Okay! Good-night, Yeol,” Baekhyun responded, calling out after him as Chanyeol began walking down the hallway. “I saved you some leftover takeout in the fridge in case you get hungry later!”

“Alright, thanks.” The gesture was nice, but Baekhyun always did that whenever he brought someone over as some sort of leftover food peace offering--not that Chanyeol complained much about it. They’ve already unofficially established that it was Baekhyun’s way of making peace and since Chanyeol never said anything, it just became their thing. “Knock on my door if you need anything.”

Codeword for: “If you’re having issues kicking him out, let me know.”

“When will you bring your special friend over, hon?”

Chanyeol heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes when he caught Baekhyun trying to stifle a laugh. He passed by the brunet and reached over him to grab a mug from one of the cupboards. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s anytime soon, mom,” he replied, setting his phone down on the counter. “He’s kinda shy. Been wanting to take the relationship slow and all.”

Moving out of the way, Baekhyun grabbed his coffee and ducked under Chanyeol’s arm. However, he stayed in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as he gave the latter a puzzled and entertained look. “You’re dating someone?” he whispered in shock. “Since when?”

Chanyeol opened his mouth before remembering that his mother was on speaker. Holding up a finger, he quickly grabbed the coffee pot and poured some for himself. “It’s just not a good time--”

“Oh… Your father and I were hoping you’d bring him over this weekend! We haven't seen you in a while and thought it’d be perfect since everyone will be here for Yoora’s baby shower.”

Pressing his lips together, Chanyeol closed the cupboard, all the while attempting to ignore Baekhyun’s cheeky facial expressions. “Okay, well, I’ll let you know by the end of this week-- but don’t get your hopes up,” he quickly added. “Like I said, it’s complicated.”

“Alright. Surprise us, I suppose,” she said, chuckling. “I’ll see you soon. Love you!”

“Love you, too. Bye, mom.” The second Chanyeol ended the call, he turned around to face Baekhyun and beat him to it, but Baekhyun was a lot faster.

“I can’t believe you’ve been seeing someone behind my back, Park Chanyeol!” Baekhyun put a hand on his chest. “I’m so hurt. I thought we told each other everything! Does our roommate agreement mean nothing to you?”

Scoffing, Chanyeol put the phone into his back pocket. “You’re just as dramatic as my mom,” he commented as he took a sip from his coffee mug. “What’s with you both being so interested in my dating life?”

“I don’t know about Mrs. Park, but I know for a fact that you never bring people over--except those work buddies of yours,” Baekhyun started. He paused for a moment before continuing. “You also come home really late sometimes, but you never sleep over other people’s places, so I guess that’s why it’s surprising to me that you even have a boyfriend…? I mean, plot twist of the year, am I right--”

“That’s because I’m not seeing anybody.”

“I knew it.” Baekhyun shook his head, sighing. “You’re single as a pringle. Never had a doubt in my mind.”

“Right.” Chanyeol walked past him, leaving the kitchen area. Without much to his surprise, Baekhyun followed, trailing right behind him. “Nothing gets by you.”

“Hey, I don’t like that condescending attitude!”

“Was it condescending? I didn’t notice.”

“That’s because you’re dense,” Baekhyun immediately retorted. “So back on the topic of your invisible boyfriend. Why--”

“Stop being nosy, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said, humming the words like he was reprimanding a small child, which only made his roommate more curious about the matter. “And stop following me. I have to get ready for work. Don’t you have to go soon, too? Like, in five minutes?”

“Yes, but there really are perks to working freelance like being on my own sched--” Baekhyun abruptly stopped, only to avoid bumping into the man in front of him who had turned around to face him, hot coffee in hand. “Whoa… Okay, mind warning me next time?”

“Baekhyun.”

“Yes?”

Chanyeol looked at him hard before sighing. “You can’t be late for your own session. Again.”

“They won’t start without me, Yeol. I’m literally the one they’re there for.”

“That’s not the point. Go get ready.” Chanyeol started to turn into his bedroom but stopped midway before looking back. “I’ll tell you about the boyfriend thing later when I get home--if we don’t have guests over.”

Baekhyun laughed as he gave him a soft shrug. Taking two big steps back, he stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his pajama pants, feigning a defeated look on his face. “Okay, fine. Here’s your morning space, I guess,” he said. “But you have to tell me later. Promise?”

Rolling his eyes, Chanyeol scoffed as he entered his room. “Yeah, yeah. I promise. Now go to work.”

“Fine. Are we still ordering pizza later?”

“Yeah. I’ll make the order before I leave the office so it’s here by the time I’m home.”

Baekhyun cocked his head. “You’re probably going to end up working overtime again...”

“Actually, I’ll be done early today. We’ll talk about it when I get home. You better be gone by the time I come out back out.” Putting a hand on his door, Chanyeol nodded over to Baekhyun’s door. “Let’s get it moving, Baekhyun.”

“Oh, right. Well, have a good day at work today, then!”

“Thanks. You, too.”

What did people bring to baby showers? Chanyeol still didn’t have a gift and he doubted that baby showers even had registration lists… Or maybe they do and he just doesn’t know much about it. If there was one, Yoora would’ve already sent it by then.

The train eased to a stop. Looking up, Chanyeol checked the station before going back to his phone, trying to order dinner for the night.

Pineapple on pizza.

Chanyeol didn’t agree with it, but it was one of the only things that Baekhyun tolerated on his slices. He managed to finish the mobile order just before his stop.

As he started walking in the direction of the exit, he kept his eyes low, focused on his phone, but when he heard his name being called along with a soft, gentle touch on his arm, Chanyeol found himself slowly come to a stop when he recognized a face in the crowd… A smile drew across his face, realizing it was someone he had once gone to school with.

By the time Chanyeol got back to the apartment, it was already thirty minutes past twelve and the pizza he ordered was on the counter, cold but still uneaten.

. Baekhyun wasn’t anywhere to be seen in the common areas, so he was most likely in his room, maybe sleeping…

Sighing, Chanyeol put his jacket and briefcase on the couch before he turned around, loosening the tie around his neck until he was able to pull it all off. The only thing on his mind was showering… and maybe a slice of pizza, but he would’ve been lying to himself if he didn’t feel guilty over the fact that Baekhyun didn’t even eat his side of the pizza order.

Grabbing a plate for himself, Chanyeol pulled off three slices and put them in the microwave. A thought crossed his mind, wondering if he should knock on Baekhhyun’s door and ask if he wants to start their pizza night right then and there, but he quickly dismissed the idea because it was stupid. For all he knew, Baekhyun could have a schedule in the early morning. Besides, it was his own fault for being late by five whole hours—If he put it that way, it sounded bad. Then again, it really was bad.

He ate the pizza in silence, lamenting about the day until he heard footsteps coming from the hallway. Not long after, Baekhyun was standing underneath the archway, rubbing his eyes.

“Did you just get back?”

“Uh, yeah.” Chanyeol set the slice back on the plate and stopped leaning against the countertop. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”

“No,” Baekhyun replied, which was clearly a lie, but he didn’t linger too long on it before changing the subject. “I thought you said you’d be home early. The pizza came around eight.”

“I know. Something came up.”

“Like what?” Walking over to the kitchen, Baekhyun stopped when he noticed something different. “Why do you smell like alcohol?”

“I bumped into an old friend and we just, uh, ended up going for drinks for a bit.”

There had only been a few times where Baekhyun was actually upset with him--this being one of them. However, he didn’t show how upset he really was beside the frown on his face that was enough to indicate that he was rubbed the wrong way about how the night turned out. “You could’ve called me to let me know you were going to be late again.”

“I’m sorry, but my phone died by the time it crossed my mind.”

Baekhyun side-eyed him before reaching over and sliding the plate over to him. “Still rude, but I forgive you, I guess,” he said, giving him a small shrug. “I was excited to hear about the whole imaginary boyfriend thing over some nice, hot pizza.”

“Like I said, I got caught up in something… Can I have the plate back? I’m really hungry.” And exhausted, but Chanyeol didn’t say that part. He was still coming off a buzz, and his stomach needed something other than alcohol.

“Well, so am I!” Still, Baekhyun slid the rest back over to him.

“Thanks.”

“So… Now that we’re both here, are you going to tell me now?”

Chanyeol rubbed the bridge of his nose. “What? The boyfriend thing?”

“I mean, I’ve been waiting since—” Baekhyun glanced up at the digital clock on the stove. “If I’m doing the math right— I’ve been waiting for 17 hours. That’s a long time, Chanyeol. It could’ve been 10 hours but you decided to go drinking with a buddy instead of having a fun night indoors with me, your best roommate.”

Snorting, Chanyeol ripped a piece of the pizza off, replying in a muffled voice. “I’ll tell you tomorrow. I promise.”

“Wooow! You promised me you’d tell me about it today. This morning! Or did you forget?” Baekhyun finished eating his slice and put the leftover pizza crust on Chanyeol’s plate. “I can’t go back to sleep if you don’t tell me.”

“What’s there to tell you about? My parents think I have a boyfriend and they want me to bring him over to my sister’s bridal shower this weekend. A whole family event.” Chanyeol picked up the crust and finished it. He had no idea why Baekhyun didn’t like the best part of the whole pizza but he appreciated how his roommate always gave him his piece. “I just have to come up with some excuse about why he can’t make it. I don’t know. Maybe a family emergency or something.”

“Like what kind of emergency?”

“Uh… Maybe, um, his dad had a heart attack or something?” When he noticed the look Baekhyun threw at him, Chanyeol laughed. “What?”

“That’s too dark! Why are you laughing?” Baekhyun elbowed him gently. “Why can’t it be like… ‘Oh, hey, mom and dad. He couldn’t come today because of a business trip!’? Why does someone have to literally die?”

“No one’s dying... Just, you know. A little trip to the emergency room, that’s all.”

“That’s still mean. Even if he is imaginary, we should at least give him a good life story.”

“Baekhyun, it’s not that serious,” Chanyeol chuckled, grabbing the empty plate. “Just one decent excuse and I’ll be fine.”

“Well…” Baekhyun paused for a moment, thinking, before following Chanyeol over to the sink. “What if you don’t have an excuse? What if you just… have a boyfriend?”

Chanyeol didn’t feel like washing the plate even though it was just a single plate. He would do it tomorrow. Turning on the faucet, he soaked it before looking down at Baekhyun whose eyes were fixated and focused on him--surprisingly.

“Listen, Baek. The whole point of having an imaginary boyfriend… is so that I don’t have to get a boyfriend. Were you able to follow along?” He smiled, lightly tapping the tip of Baekhyun’s nose with a wet finger before walking past him.

Frowning, Baekhyun whipped around and continued to follow him. “First of all, you smell like alcohol and sweat--gross. Second, don’t drunk-talk to me like I’m dumb.”

“Alright, alright,” Chanyeol said, putting a hand across his heart. “I’m sorry.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes before swatting down the hand. “You’re so weird when you drink...” he muttered, crossing his arms. “But that’s beside my point.”

“And what is your point?”

“My point is…” Pursing his lips, Baekhyun paused for a few seconds. Then, he lifted up his head, confidence beaming from his lopsided smile. “I want to be your boyfriend.”

Chanyeol blinks at him, confused. Then, before long, he laughed, shaking his head as he dismissed his roommate’s words right out the gate. “What’s with you confessing to me all of a sudden?” he asked, laughing into his hand. “So out of nowhere, Byun Baek--”

“Wha--” Baekhyun gawked at him. “I’m not-- Oh my god. No, you stupid drunk. I meant, like… I should be your boyfriend. Who knows you better than me? We’ve been living with each other for, I don’t know! Two years? I’d say we’re kind of like live-in boyfriends by now, except, well… you know. The boyfriend part.”

Chanyeol ceased his laughter once he realized that the latter was being completely serious. “But why?” he finally asked after a few seconds of silence. “You don’t have to and it’s not like it’s hard to come up with an excuse.”

“Your excuses aren’t believable. Plus, your parents have never met me, so it makes it even easier to fool them.”

“Baek--”

“And they might even leave you alone when they realize that your boyfriend is actually real.” Baekhyun reached over and touched Chanyeol by the arm. “It’ll be believable-- more believable than some family emergency. And you know what? I could put this down on my resume as like, um, you know. Acting.”

“Acting.”

“Yeah. Who knows? Maybe I’ll land my first drama after this thanks to you.”

The idea wasn’t crazy, but it wasn’t… Chanyeol didn’t know how to put it. Maybe it was because he was drunk or the fact that it was late and all he wanted to do was knock out on his bed, but Baekhyun was actually making sense. Not just good sense, but actually great sense, which, no offense to the guy, was something kind of rare.

Baekhyun was also right about the whole acting thing. What were they going to do that weekend besides hold hands and maybe laugh at a few dry jokes being told by his relatives? And it’s not like Baeekhyun’s awkward-- the guy’s a natural flirt. He’d probably charm them all anyways.

Most importantly, it wasn’t real. Baekhyun doesn’t like him-- Hell. Baekhyun liked a lot of people, but him? No. They were just roommates and Baekhyun was just doing what all good roommates should do, which is to pretend to be their roommate’s boyfriend for some weekend baby shower event…

. It sounded crazy.

“Okay.”

Baekhyun’s eyes lit up. “Okay?”

“Okay.” Chanyeol gave him a small smile, accompanied by a short shrug. “I guess we’re dating now.”

“You’re actually agreeing to it?” Baekhyun sounded surprised, but he quickly shook it off. “Okay, well I guess we should, um… plan now? Like, outfits, backstory, mannerisms, maybe a little bit of improv--”

Chanyeol stopped him by putting a finger to his lips. “But first,” he said persistently, “we’ll go to sleep and plan it all out tomorrow morning.”

“Oh… Right. You really should shower, though, but you’re right. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” Nodding, Baekhyun helped lead the way down the hallway to their bedrooms. “Don’t forget about the plate in the sink. I’m not cleaning that.”

“I know, I know.” Chanyeol opened the door to his room. “Good-night, Baek.”

“Night!”

Baekhyun was really committed to his craft. Although they agreed to be fake boyfriends and all, Chanyeol didn’t really expect the latter to make breakfast and coffee for him the next day before work. It was even more surprising considering the fact that Baekhyun was usually the only who woke up later between the two of them. This time, he’s already up and energetic.

“It’s called method acting,” he explained to Chanyeol after he finally got the giant to take a seat on one of the stools surrounding the kitchen counter. “A lot of actors do this.”

“Seems a bit much,” Chanyeol said groggily, reaching over for the water pitcher. Damn, he was thirsty. “Can you get the Tylenol from the medicine cabinet?”

“Already got it right here.” Sliding the small medicine bottle on the counter, Baekhyun tapped the cap with the tip of his finger. “Take one.”

“Thanks.”

Taking the chair next to him, Baekhyun sat down and grabbed one of the apples in the fruit bowl. “So, listen,” he said, taking a single bite. “I was thinking last night about it and, well, I feel like our story--as a couple-- should be… normal.”

“Well, it wasn’t going to be a space galactic story to begin with,” Chanyeol commented, “but go ahead. Tell me about our normal love story.”

“Okay, get this.”

“Mhm.”

“I moved in two years ago and… we just fell in love.”

Chanyeol looked at him. Then, he looked over at the apple in Baekhyun’s hand before meeting the latter’s eyes again. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

Baekhyun didn’t respond for a moment, but Chanyeol dismissed it as him being busy trying to swallow the piece of apple he had just been chewing. “No, stupid.” Lightly kicking him on the shin, Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “It’s called having a believable backstory-- Also! Wouldn’t living together count as method acting?”

“I think it just counts as ‘living together’.”

“You’re not being open-minded, Yeol.”

“Okay, how about this,” Chanyeol countered, turning to face the latter. Taking Baekhyun’s hand into his, he pursed his lips and waited for a few seconds to pass before continuing. “You and I both like that one coffee shop around the corner, right?”

“Yes-- We love Coffee Daes. Best coffee in this part of Seoul.”

“It really is.”

“Love their caramel macchiatos.”

“A little too sweet for me, but I know that’s your preference with those types of drinks.”

“Well, that’s because you’re gross and like it plain black and--”

“Anyways,” Chanyeol interrupted, realizing how off-track they had gotten. “How about we just say that… we bumped into each other almost every day and then, eventually, I just asked you out for dinner.”

Baekhyun was quick to shake his head. “That’s not realistic.”

“Why?”

“You’d never be the one to ask me on a date.” Scoffing, Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “I think it’d make more sense if I was the one to ask you out.”

Chanyeol frowned. “How would that make more sense? I think it’s pretty fair to say that if I like someone, I’d go up and ask if they’re interested, too.”

“Well, I do love a man who takes the initiative, so I guess… Fine. Anything else?”

“That’s it. We’ve been dating for about seven months, so it’s still kind of new, but not really. I feel like it’s a good time period.”

“Same.”

“Okay, then, I think that’s about it. Everything else we can probably just improv since you know what I like and vice versa. I’ll fill you in on everything with my family the night before.” Chanyeol finally lets go of their hands and turns his focus on eating the food Baekhyun has prepared. “Oh, and if you have any ideas for a baby shower gift, let me know. I still need to buy something for that.”

“Oh, right. The baby shower!” Baekhyun jumped out of his seat. “I’ll keep that in mind, but for now, I have something to attend soon, so I need to be there a bit early. Hope you don’t mind me leaving you.”

“I have all the company I need,” Chanyeol replied, gesturing to his plate.

“Rude! I’ll go get ready now.”

Chuckling, Chanyeol nodded. “See you later this evening.”

There wasn’t much of a worry in Chanyeol’s mind about the plan until they were ten minutes away from his parents’ house. He looked over at Baekhyun who was sitting beside him in the backseat of their taxi, busy sending selfies to whoever he was texting at the moment--Chanyeol didn’t really know. In-between them was the baby shower gift that Baekhyun had picked out a day ago. Something about baby clothes and skincare for the mom-to-be because “No one ever thinks about buying the mom self-care products!” Baekhyun had said.

When the car slowly approached the residence, Chanyeol was mentally prepared for the next two days-- not that it was that serious, but he figured he’d be tired from all the bombarding questions about his relationship with Baekhyun within the first couple of hours.

Baekhyun looked up from his phone when the car came to a stop. “Is it showtime?”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol said dryly, looking out the window. “Are you good?”

“Yep!” Baekhyun grabbed the boxed gift and held it under his arm. “I’ll carry this.”

“Okay.” Handing his credit card over to the driver, Chanyeol gave Baekhyun a side glance before saying, “You can go on ahead. I’ll carry the bags.”

Baekhyun gave him a lopsided frown as he opened the door. “It’s alright. I can roll my own suitcase. Just worry about yours.”

“But--” Before he can get another word out, Baekhyun had already finished slamming his side of the car door in his face. Grumbling, Chanyeol hurriedly fumbled to get his wallet out from his back pocket, apologizing to their driver for the wait.

Once outside, he found the Baekhyun had already pulled both of their suitcases out from the trunk, setting them aside on the road as he closed the back. “Seriously, let me carry your luggage. Or else I’m probably going to get lectured about this later. If it helps, consider this method acting.”

“What a gentleman,” Baekhyun cooed. Still, he let go of his suitcase and graciously gestured to it with his free hand. “And you know what? You’re right. As an actor whose job it is to make you look good for the weekend, you’re absolutely right. Thank you… for being such a sweet boyfriend.”

As the taxi drove away, Chanyeol rolled his eyes and started pulling their things toward the house. “Save it for when we get inside, Baekhyun,” he said, scoffing. “It’s going to be a long weekend.”

“It could go by pretty fast if we’re having a good time.” Baekhyun smiled at him. “You never know.”

Chanyeol had expected Baekhyun to fit right in with the family since he is pretty charming--if he really thought about it, but the second they were ushered inside by his excited mother, he had an inkling that his boyfriend would end up being the life of the family party. Hell, even Yoora seemed more excited about their relationship than the fact that her actual baby shower was currently happening with guests scattered around the house.

“Oh, I’m so happy you’re both finally here!”

“Hi, mom,” Chanyeol greeted, kissing her on the cheek.

“Chanyeol, hurry and take your things to your room so you can join us as soon as you can.”

Baekhyun did what he did best and smiled kindly at her. “Thank you for having me in your home! It’s so nice to finally meet you!”

“The pleasure’s all mine, Baekhyunnie.” Mrs. Park gently took his outreached hand into hers and nodded. “Chanyeol’s been very stubborn about bringing you around. We were beginning to think you weren’t real!”

When Chanyeol looked back, he could tell that Baekhyun was laughing at the irony. “That’s entirely my fault. I get so busy with work, I think he just makes up excuses because he doesn’t think I’ll have the time for it.”

“Well, it’s good that you’re here now. Perfect timing, too! The whole family is here!”

“I agree. Where is Yoora? I’d like to give her my congratulations.”

“She should be in the garden with some of our guests. I’ll let her know that you’re both here.”

“And in the meantime,” Chanyeol interrupts, cocking his head in the direction of his old bedroom, “why don’t you come with me and I’ll show you where we’ll be staying.”

“Okay!” Turning to Mrs. Park, Baekhyun motioned at the gift he still had under his arm. “Where should I put this for now?”

“I can take this off your hands so you don’t need to worry about it. Just make yourself at home, alright?”

After excusing himself, Baekhyun walked over to Chanyeol who had been waiting patiently for him. “Your mom’s really nice. Then again, I didn’t expect anything less since you’re… you know. You.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Chanyeol teased.

“What else would it be, dumb-dumb?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.”

“You’re talking in circles, sweetie.” Shaking his head, Baekhyun chuckled. “I get it, though. Love can do that to you.”

Chanyeol gagged--for the dramatic effect. Opening his bedroom door, he went in first. “Just get in here,” he said. “Do you need to freshen up before you meet the other guests or…?”

“Mmmm, no. I think I’m fine.” Looking around, Baekhyun quickly became distracted by all the old memorabilia and small knick-knacks around the room. “I never thought you’d be into this much anime… What were you? President of the anime club?”

Setting their luggage in a corner, Chanyeol looked back, amused by the comment. “No. I was just a club member-- if you have to know.”

“That’s cute.”

“I thought you were going to call it nerdy.”

“I mean, I find nerdy things cute.” Shrugging, Baekhyun grinned. “So it’s cute. Like you.”

Chanyeol blinked. Before he could say anything in return, Baekhyun laughed. “More importantly, where’s your bathroom? That wasn’t a quick trip over here. I think I’m kind of bloated from breakfast.”

“It’s right across the hall. You won’t get lost.”

“I’ll be back in a minute. Then we can go meet the others since I still haven’t said hi to your sister yet.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Baekhyun was in awe at how the two siblings closely resembled one another--thanks to genetics and all. Duh. But aside from all of that, he found her to be very pretty and lovely. When she hugged him, he laughed at the thought that the two siblings even hugged the same--with the exception that Chanyeol did hug a little stronger.

“I was sooo glad when mom said you were both coming!” Yoora smiled brightly at Baekhyun as she pulled away. “Baekhyun, right? I’d like to say that I’ve heard so much about you, but this one over here like to keep everything a big secret until the very last minute!”

“It’s not my fault you’re both nosy,” Chanyeol said, defending himself while not taking the tease too seriously. “Besides, I told you already. We haven’t been dating that long.”

“Oh? I thought you said you were both living together?”

“It’s a bit complicated.”

“I love complicated.”

“Because you’re nosy.”

Stepping in, Baekhyun put a hand on Chanyeol’s arm, lightly patting it as he leaned close to him. “Don’t mind him. I think he’s just a little embarrassed talking about our relationship and… Well, you know how that goes. He’s so private, it’s really hard to get things out of him sometimes!”

Yoora nodded, glancing at her brother. “You don’t need to tell me. I grew up with him.”

“Hey--”

Baekhyun beat him to it. “I’ll keep it short because this is your baby shower and I really don’t want to take up all of your-- Oh! Congratulations, by the way! I almost forgot!”

“Aw, thank you!” Yoora beamed. “You were saying?”

“Long story short, we were roommates before so that’s why we’re ‘living together’,” Baekhyun said sheepishly. Doing a double-take, Chanyeol could’ve sworn that the latter was blushing. “We only started dating seven months ago and… here we are now.”

“So, this whole thing,” Yoora said, pointing her two index fingers at both of them before crossing them together, “started while you two were just roommates.”

Grinning, Baekhyun nodded, face pressed against Chanyeol’s arm. “We just… fell in love. Just like that.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Yoora was in awe. “Wooow… I never knew you were such a romantic, Yeollie,” she said, giddy as she met his eyes. “You’ll have to tell me more about this later tonight when all of the guests are gone.”

“What’s there left to say?” Chanyeol replied, looking down at Baekhyun who winked at him. “I’m speechless. He took the words right out of my mouth.”

“There has to be more. It’s never that easy. Besides, you said it was complicated!”

“The complicated part was the whole roommate situation so, really, there’s nothing complicated about it anymore.” Reaching down, Chanyeol held Baekhyun’s hand in his, fingers locked. “All that matters is that we’ve been happy for the last seven months.”

“I’m happy for you. Honestly. I’d love to keep talking to you both, but I think a few new guests just arrived. I’ll have to make my rounds again.” Turning to Baekhyun, Yoora put her hand on his shoulder. “It was very nice meeting you. We’ll talk soon, okay?”

Baekhyun smiled as she left to entertain other guests before he took a step away from Chanyeol. “Your sister’s so friendly...and nice.”

“Yeah, I thought you’d say that.”

A few seconds passed before it dawned on Baekhyun that they were still holding hands. Looking down at their fingers, he laughed as he gave a small tug. “She’s gone now, babe. You can let go now--”

“Were you blushing at one point?”

Baekhyun stopped. “Was I what?”

Cocking his head, Chanyeol pivoted his body until they were facing one another. “Blushing. When you were explaining the whole dating thing, it looked like your face was getting red.”

“You’re funny” Baekhyun said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

“No. According to you, I’m cute.” Chanyeol let go. “But I guess blushing on cue counts as method acting?”

He didn’t say it mockingly, but he wasn’t being serious about it either. It didn’t go past Baekhyun’s head that the latter was trying to be playful by teasing him, but it didn’t stop his cheeks from turning a slight tint of red, regardless.

Baekhyun entered the room wearing an oversized t-shirt and the pink slippers he had brought along from their apartment. Noticing that Chanyeol was taking one of the pillows off the bed, he asked, “What are you doing?”

“Setting up my sleeping station for the night…?” Chanyeol nodded over to the small futon on the floor, next to the bed. “You can take the mattress. I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

Frowning, Baekhyun stopped wiping his face with the towel in his hand. He walked over to the dresser and set it aside. “I think you should take it. It’s your room-- I’m just a guest.”

“Exactly. You’re my guest, so you get the bed.” Chanyeol walked past him, carrying his pillow and a small blanket. “I wouldn’t want my boyfriend to get back problems.”

Heaving his shoulders, Baekhyun grabbed him by the arm, stopping him in his place. “I wouldn’t want my big, giant boyfriend to get back problems. So stop being stubborn and take the bed.”

“Are we really going to argue over who deserves back problems and who doesn’t?”

“I don’t know. Are we?”

Chanyeol glared at him, but Baekhyun glared back. Then, after an incredibly silent minute, he relented. “Fine.”

“Fine?”

“I’ll take the bed.” Chanyeol walked back to bed, threw the pillow back on it, and grabbed the other one, which looked a lot fluffier and softer than the one he had just returned. Then, he put it on the futon.

Baekhyun felt a sense of pride after having won that minor argument over sleeping arrangements. Then he asked, “What about my blanket?”

“Give me a second.” Chanyeol turned his back and headed for the dresser. Opening one of the lower drawers, he pulled out a blanket cover that was bigger and puffier than the one he had intended to originally use.

When he stood over the brunet and dropped it, Baekhyun had to push it all out of the way in order to see him. “The scrawny pillow and thin blanket would’ve been fine.”

Leaving the bedside lamp on, for the time being, Chanyeol snorted as he got on the bed. “I know, but you’re my guest. It pretty much goes against my whole thing about being a good host.”

Fixing the pillow and blanket around him, Baekhyun smiled to himself. “Look at you being a good host. How cute,” he muttered.

After settling in, Baekhyun yawned, pulling the blanket over himself. The room had gotten really cold from the air conditioner, which he loves because there was nothing more fun to him than snuggling up in a blanket. Chanyeol, on the other hand, only liked his room temperature moderate so Baekhyun knew that he had only turned down the temperature for his sake.

As Baekhyun was deep in thought, Chanyeol interrupted the silence. “Hey.”

Staring at the ceiling, Baekhyun responded. “What is it, Yeol?”

“If I ask you something, can you answer it honestly?”

“Depends. Which deep, dark secret are you trying to get out of me?”

Baekhyun can hear the latter shifting on his bed. “Do you have feelings for me?”

There was a bleak pause of silence. “Of course, I do… You’re my roommate. How can I not care about you and all that gross stuff?”

“You know what I mean,” Chanyeol countered. “You say things, and then you cover it up as ‘method acting’... Like, which is it?”

Laughing, Baekhyun grinned. He looked over to his left even though he could only see the edge of the bed. “Doesn’t that just mean I’m a good actor? Master of fake-boyfriend deception?”

“That could be a possibility, but I don’t think it’s that.”

“I’ve worked on a few commercials, Yeol.”

“Did they involve method acting?”

“Well--”

Rolling over to the side of the bed, Chanyeol propped himself up with one arm, peering down at Baekhyun who had already made himself into a burrito. “Be honest with me.”

Pressing his tongue against his cheek, Baekhyun glanced over to the right before sighing. “Do you ever give up, Yeol?”

“Only sometimes.”

“Then, if you have to know… Yes. I did.”

Chanyeol looked surprised--as if he wasn’t expecting it. Maybe he half-expected a denial or something along that line, but getting a confession was never on his radar.

“Baek--”

“But before you start acting weird around me, I just want to let you know that my past feelings about you don’t affect how I view this as a professional thing between you and me.” Baekhyun stuck his tongue at him. “So, can stop overthinking this now?”

On the contrary, Chanyeol found himself more intrigued. “When?”

“What do you mean when?”

“When did you start feeling like this?”

“When I moved in. Duh.” Baekhyun paused; then he corrected himself. “Actually, maybe a few months in. I think it was around the time I realized you were always nice to me even though I wasn’t exactly the best roommate back then… Remember when I used to come in and out at really weird hours?”

“You had overseas work. I wasn’t going to get mad at you for having jet lag,” Chanyeol muttered.

“Exactly! I’m a er for nice guys, Yeol. Always have been.” Shaking his head, Baekhyun closed his eyes for a moment. “But that’s all in the past. Now it’s just acting, which isn’t all bad since--like you said-- I can put this on my resume. Maybe I’ll tell my agent to get me an audition for a drama soon. Who knows? The sky’s the limit--”

“That’s too bad.” Chanyeol yawned, falling back on the bed with a soft thud. “I thought you were cute back then, too.”

“I know I was--” When it registered in his mind what the latter had just implied, Baekhyun stopped and immediately sat up. “Hold on. Sorry. I’m going to try and keep my voice down because I don’t want to startle everyone in this house but what!?”

“I said you’re cute, Baekhyun. Do you need a third repeat of that?”

Frowning, Baekhyun unravelled himself from his blanket burrito, grabbed the pillow, and hit the giant lump on the bed with it once. “Chanyeol, you’re not funny.”

Laughing, Chanyeol used an arm to swat the latter away. “To be fair, I’m an accountant, not a comedian.”

Hitting him with the pillow again (lighter this time), Baekhyun huffed. “But still, you shouldn’t say stuff like that.”

“What? You don’t think I’m being serious?”

“No-- and here’s why. Turn around so you can see me.” After Chanyeol did as he was asked, Baekhyun began counting on his fingers. “First of all, I’ve never gotten a signal from you. Second, I have never gotten a signal from you. Third? I have never, EVER gotten a--”

Chanyeol reached over and closed his hand. “I get it.”

“See?”

“Okay, now let’s look at you.” Chanyeol let go of Baekhyun’s (now) closed fist and tapped the latter’s forehead with his index finger. “Casually hooking up with strangers doesn’t exactly say I-want-a-stable-relationship.”

“I can see why you’d think that, but that’s not the case--”

“I’m not done yet,” Chanyeol said, poking him again. “Second of all, I can’t tell if you’re flirting or joking. You go back and forth too much.”

“Okay, so I second-guess my choices a lot. How is that my fault?” Baekhyun asked, shoulders slanted. “Is that it? Just two things?”

“No.” Rather than the forehead, Chanyeol chose to point at the latter’s cheeks. “Lastly, if you’re going to blush, then own up to it. Method acting, my .”

If it wasn’t for the dimly lit room, he would’ve seen Baekhyun’s face doing exactly that. Moving away, Baekhyun gave him a look before dropping back down on the floor, covering himself up with the blanket, and curling up against the futon.

“I’m going to sleep,” Baekhyun announced before going silent… Then, after a few minutes, he said, “And for the record, you’re right. Casual hookups don’t exactly say I-want-a-stable-relationship, but that’s not applicable to people I actually like. Do you know what signal I give to people I’d blow my back for? The whole fake-baby shower-boyfriend type.”

Chanyeol couldn’t help but laugh. “Did you just call yourself a ‘baby shower boyfriend’?”

“I’m just stating facts.”

“Right… Then I guess we’ll sort out the facts tomorrow morning. You can leave all that method acting behind. I don’t think you needed to do that anyway.”

When Baekhyun woke up, he found himself more comfortable than when he had actually fallen asleep. As he groggily opened his eyes and felt around, he realized that he had been moved onto the bed. Immediately sitting up, he shuffled over to the side and looked over to see that Chanyeol had switched their places in the middle of the night.

Up until their drive back up to Seoul, neither of them mentioned that late night conversation. Not even during brunch with the family at the Park’s favorite cafe or when they were alone in Chanyeol’s room, packing up belongings.

At some point, Baekhyun wondered if it was all just a stupid dream made up by his mixed emotions and inner conscience telling him that’s he still has those old, buried lingering feelings for his roommate slash friend. It wasn’t until Chanyeol slid his hand over Baekhyun’s own in the backseat of the taxi that they both finally looked each other in the eye for the first time all day.

Neither said a word until Baekhyun rolled his eyes and it up. He opened up his palm and slipped his fingers in between the spaces of Chanyeol’s hand.

the end.

Twitter

Ko-Fi (If you would like to buy me ko-fi to support my work! )

insta: @.exobubz