part 3.

They’d only been gone for a few hours, but the venue was already looking better than when they had left it. Baekhyun had gone up to his hotel room to put the cake slice away, giving Chanyeol an opportunity to catch up with some of his old friends that had arrived to help out with the decorating. After a while, he noticed the chocolate wall and realized that for all the fits and hoops Baekhyun had to jump through for something that--in concept-- sounded more ridiculous than odd, it was actually nice to look at. He could only imagine what it’d look like once the ChocoDaes order came in the next day.

It probably wouldn’t even be possible with Baekhyun and his antics. Speaking of which--

“The order went through smoothly, right?”

Chanyeol turned his head and was surprised to see Kyungsoo suddenly standing beside him. He must’ve finished speaking with the people in charge of the audio and sound while Chanyeol was spacing out again. “Huh? Oh, yeah. It did.”

“I was beginning to worry. I didn’t know if you guys got lost or something..”

If Chanyeol wasn’t mistaken, Kyungsoo spoke in a light, playful tone. Almost like he was insinuating something, but Chanyeol ignored it, thinking it was just his overactive brain reading into things again.

“We took a little detour,” he said, shrugging. A very sweet detour, but he left that part out. “The order will be ready to pick up by tomorrow morning. We’ll stop by after breakfast.”

“Hmm… Well, I’m glad you two are getting along.” Kyungsoo smiled. “I was kind of worried since you looked pissed every time he came around! Even at the airport!”

“Uhhh, we got off on the wrong foot,” Chanyeol admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. However, that initial airport memory felt like it was already in the distant past. He didn’t know when he started getting used to having Baekhyun around all the time, but it just happened that way-- not that it was unpleasant.

“But you’re okay now?”

“Yeah. I think we are.”

“That’s good. Who knows? Maybe Jongin and I will have another wedding to attend in a year? We’ll be your best men.”

The heat rose to his face faster than Chanyeol could even realize it was happening. He rolled his eyes in an attempt to brush things off, but after a few seconds, he muttered under his breath. Drawing a hand up to his face, Chanyeol covered his embarrassed expression.

“I wouldn’t bet on that.”

“Why not?”

Why?

Because Baekhyun was a ing nutjob. Albeit, sometimes it was entertaining and fun, but the only reason Chanyeol could even keep up with him was because he had long ing legs.

And Chanyeol can’t stand his gaudy wardrobe fashion… Sometimes he felt like begging the latter to add something other than black to his outfit. As an illustrator, Chanyeol couldn’t help it. He only used the color black sparingly in his work because it’s a bold color. It draws the viewer’s attention.

So whenever Baekhyun entered a room, he always stood out because that’s what his wardrobe does. It brings all of Chanyeol’s attention to him.

Realizing where his thoughts had wandered, Chanyeol blinked and turned his head to Kyungsoo.

“Did you hear me?” his friend asked.

Flustered, Chanyeol shook his head. “Sorry, um-- It’s just that I don’t think... I don’t see Baekhyun and I being compatible.”

There was an attempt to make it sound convincing, but Chanyeol didn’t know whether he or Kyungsoo bought it.

“Oh… Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, he makes fun of my hobbies and I don’t know how I’d feel dating someone working in his kind of profession. I think it’d be rather difficult.”

Kyungsoo frowned. “You don’t like his work?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen it, but I’m sure there are people who do like his things.” Chanyeol turned his head away to hide the blush that had swept through his cheeks. “I can’t judge it for myself.”

For a while, Kyungsoo said nothing. Then, he touched Chanyeol on the arm. “Sorry, but what exactly do you think Baekhyun does for a living?”

Wasn’t it obvious?

“Doesn’t he make… you know.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “Make what?”

Chanyeol dropped his voice. “?”

“I make what!?”

Jolting, Chanyeol whipped around and saw Baekhyun striding over their way. Kyungsoo had dropped to his knees in a fit of laughter and Chanyeol didn’t know whether to run away or turn back around and pretend like he didn’t just embarrass himself.

“We spent all day together and somehow it ended up with you thinking I’m an star.” When Chanyeol tried to hide his face, Baekhyun grabbed his hand and forced him to look at him. “And to think that we had something!”

Kyungsoo slowly got up and wiped his tears away. “I’ll let you two argue it out. We have a reservation for our party at the restaurant on the top floor so be there in 30 minutes.”

“Wait--” Chanyeol didn’t actually want Kyungsoo to leave. “Um, what else can I do?”

“We’re actually done decorating, so you guys can just hang out if you want until it’s time.” Of course Kyungsoo would leave them alone together. “I have to go tell everyone else about the reservation so I’ll see you two soon, okay?”

Once Kyungsoo had left, Baekhyun gave Chanyeol a light punch that landed in the middle of his chest before drawing away. “When I said I worked as a producer, I meant… publishing. I work for a publishing house.”

“Well, why the hell didn’t you just say so?”

“I didn’t think you’d go around thinking I did .”

“You looked like you were embarassed. What was I supposed to think?”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “Anything but .”

❁ ❁ ❁

They initially planned on going up to the restaurant floor together, but when a man Chanyeol hadn’t seen before called out to Baekhyun, the latter had muttered something under his breath and left the elevator just as the doors were closing. He had sent Chanyeol off on his own and it was probably the first time Chanyeol wished Baekhyun was there with him since it didn’t appear as though it was about to be a happy reunion.

He looked at the floor buttons on the elevator and contemplated--possibly--getting off at a sooner floor and taking another elevator back down to the lobby. Maybe it’d help. For some reason, he knew that man was the one person Baekhyun seemed the most agitated to encounter; the one he wanted to avoid so badly.

It was natural to feel that way toward an ex, Chanyeol figured, but something bitter must’ve happened for someone like Baekhyun to act that way.

Not that Chanyeol knew him that well, but he knew him well enough.

❁ ❁ ❁

When Baekhyun entered the restaurant, the smile on his face was clearly fake. Waving him over, Chanyeol removed the jacket he had used to save the seat beside him and, without a word, Baekhyun sat down and nodded, acknowledging the effort. The man he came with sat on the other end of the table, far enough that he wouldn’t be bothering them.

From what Chanyeol could gather, he looked exactly like the type of guy Baekhyun would be into. His hair was slicked back and the air around him was evidently charming judging by the way everyone around him were conversing so easily. An arm was wrapped around the woman beside him and Chanyeol figured that must be his wife. The ring on the finger said it all.

Baekhyun was busy looking over the drinks menu, but Chanyeol slid his hand over and took it away from him.

“What the hell, Chanyeol,” When Baekhyun made an attempt to grab it back, Chanyeol moved it to his other hand, farther away from the latter.

“I already ordered you something.”

His words surprised Baekhyun. “Really? What’d you get?”

“A ‘Pineapple Sunrise Mimosa’.”

“Chanyeol, I’m trying to get wasted by the time we’re done here, not go on a stroll by the goddamn beach.” Still, he didn’t sound too angry or upset. The words were spoken gently enough that Chanyeol knew Baekhyun wouldn’t argue any further.

“I know that, but we have to be on our best behavior. All our friends are here, even if you don’t like one guest in particular. Here.” Chanyeol dropped a slice of bread the waiters had given them as appetizers. “Chew on this until our food arrives.”

“I didn’t even order yet.” Baekhyun paused, narrowing his eyes at the man beside him. “Let me guess.”

“I wasn’t sure when you’d come up to join us.”

“Then I better like it.”

It was a five-star restaurant. How bad could any of their food options be, regardless of Baekhyun’s taste?

Chanyeol smiled. “I went with something safe and ordered you their steak option. Medium rare.”

Heaving a sigh, Baekhyun leaned back against his seat. “You’re just lucky I’m a man of simple taste… Why’d you have to order a Mimosa? It would have been better if you ordered something like a Moscow Mule. It gets to the point.”

“True,” Chanyeol agreed. He wasn’t as enthusiastic about drinking as Baekhyun, but he still knew his drinks. For some reason, it was helpful to know a thing or two about it whenever Baekhyun was around him. “But… let’s just keep off the harder liquor for now. It’s a dinner party, not a weekend night at a frat house.”

“Oh, boo.” Baekhyun pressed his lips together. Chanyeol could see him taking a quick glance over to the man again.

“Listen—”

It was then that Baekhyun cut him off. “Do you want to do something after this? We’ll be done and out of here by 8pm.”

Chanyeol gave him a careful expression. “What’d you have in mind?”

“The club.”

“But the wedding’s tomorrow.”

Baekhyun shrugged. “And?”

❁ ❁ ❁

Chanyeol made the ultimate decision to tag along because he, in all honesty, didn’t think that Baekhyun was fit to keep himself out of trouble. For all he knew, the last thing Kyungsoo and Jongin needed was for Baekhyun to get arrested trying to pick a fight with any guy that looked like his married ex-boyfriend—who ended up being a lot more of an that Chanyeol thought.

Five shots of vodka for each of them ended up being the gateway key to a lot of Baekhyun’s pent up emotions. Ignoring the loud commotion from the crowd on the bottom floor, Baekhyun leaned against the bar counter with a half-empty beer loosely in his hand.

“We dated for two years before he decided to tell me that he’d met someone—some girl his parents had introduced him to—and that he wanted to be conventional. Take a guess what he meant by that.” Bitterly laughing, Baekhyun pushed his hand back, combing through it with his fingers. “ move if you ask me.”

“I can see that.”

“He’d been seeing her behind my back for three months before I found the photos on his phone. Then he had the audacity to compliment the . Can you imagine!?”

Chanyeol shook his head. He’d only had a few relationships in his life, but they all ended rather plainly. None compared to what the latter was describing, seemingly close to the verge of angry tears.

Baekhyun scowled at the floor. “I mean, if your boyfriend tells you ‘Hey, I’m sorry. I’d rather be in a straight relationship, but the is still super great!’...? And for him to contact me two years later like I would meet with him--”

Chanyeol mulled over Baekhyun’s words as the latter went silent. After a while, he said, “Sounds like a god awful book.”

Breaking out into a grin, Baekhyun laughed, hitting Chanyeol on the thigh. It was exactly as he had done numerous times their first night together in Kyungsoo and Jongin’s car. A hazy memory for Baekhyun, but one that was clear as day to Chanyeol. The difference this time around was that Chanyeol didn’t mind it so much. He found himself smiling back.

“You’re right! It honestly ing is! It’s just a big fat headache, but he’s completely unavoidable since he’s…” Baekhyun paused before leaning closer to Chanyeol, laying his head against his shoulder. “He’s Jongin’s cousin. So, he’s family. Clearly, he was going to get invited, but…”

“But what?”

“Nothing.” Ignoring the question, Baekhyun closed his eyes and sighed. “Sorry for dragging you around these past few days. You don’t even know me and here you are. Listening to me talk like you haven’t been doing that this entire time.”

That was true.

Chanyeol didn’t know when he naturally fell into place with Baekhyun and his constant movement from place to place. Even more so-- how he even got used to being around him almost every waking moment of the day. It was hard to believe that there was even a time when he couldn’t stand talking to him and how Baekhyun just had to get the last snarky word before leaving. It was like a constant competition that Chanyeol never signed up.

Yet there they were. Leaning against each other at the bar inside a packed club, staring at the flashing colors that swept across both of their faces.

But Chanyeol didn’t mind it. He didn’t mind it at all.

“Listen,” Chanyeol found himself saying, “if reading has taught me anything, it’s that the main protagonist always gets up after a ty break up and they move on.”

“I havemoved on. Seeing him just pisses me off,” Baekhyun muttered. He finished the last sip of the bottle and placed it on the bar. “Jongin doesn’t know why we broke up. I think he just figured it out. But, whatever. I’m just glad he arranged the rooms so I wouldn’t have to see that sorry bastard.”

Chanyeol chuckled. “I know. Unfortunately, you ended up getting stuck in a room across mine.”

Baekhyun didn’t say anything for a few seconds. Then he lifted his head and met Chanyeol’s eyes. “Why is that unfortunate? I happen to like you. It’s a bit upsetting to hear you don’t feel the same enthusiasm about me.”

This again.

Swallowing dryly, Chanyeol avoided the stare, turning his eyes down to the floor. Luckily, the club was dark. It managed to hide the way his face looked flushed; either from the alcohol or Baekhyun’s bluntness… Chanyeol couldn’t say which it was, but he had a feeling it was for the latter reason.

Maybe Baekhyun was playing with him, like he always did. He always did tease around like it was some kind of game that he had to win, and Chanyeol was used to his antics thus far. But something about the way he said it…

Baekhyun’s tone indicated he was teasing but in a way that meant as though he was only teasing as insurance… That if Chanyeol were to reject him, he could easily play it off as a joke. There was no definite commitment in his words, but Baekhyun did well enough to put his feelings out there in the same way he had always been: upfront and unapologetic.

“You should stop joking around like that.” Chanyeol really wished he had a drink in his hand. Anything to distract himself. He knew he was brushing it off, but still… “It might really give someone the wrong idea.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What wrong idea?”

“The kind that you shouldn’t be giving to people.”

“You’re talking in circles, Chanyeol. I’m more drunk than you and you’re still not making any sense.” Baekhyun threw his head back and laughed. “But I can take a hint when I’m given one. Maybe I’m just being a stupid drunk right now, sorry.”

“I wasn’t giving you a--”

“I’m going to go dance,” Baekhyun abruptly interrupted, slapping a hand on the bar countertop. The smile on his face was nothing more than an attempt to brush Chanyeol off. He didn’t want to hear it--whatever it was. “Thank you for listening to me ramble about me and my train-wreck love life. It means a lot, Park. To be honest, I feel like we’ve become pretty good friends over these past few days! Really.”

Chanyeol watched as Baekhyun leaned away from the bar and began taking small steps to distance them away from each other. “Wait.”

But Baekhyun didn’t listen (or he couldn’t hear above the music). “I’ll be fine so you can go ahead and go back to the hotel. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

He waved at Chanyeol before disappearing into the crowd, leaving the latter stunned. And a little pissed.

Pissed that all Baekhyun does is confuse Chanyeol. Then, in the same breath, he assumes the worst without letting Chanyeol have the chance to say what he wanted to say. Was it entirely Chanyeol’s fault that he didn’t know what was real or simply teasing when it came to their relationship? They were just strangers a few days ago, yet it felt like they’d been a pain in each other’s asses for years.

It almost didn’t matter at that point how long they’d had actually known each other. Being together all the time made it feel natural already.

The idea of Baekhyun developing an interest in him wasn’t entirely impossible. Neither was the wild idea that those feelings could be reciprocated, which… maybe they were. To some degree, it was. Whether it was the alcohol or not, his sober thoughts were finally realized the moment he saw Baekhyun disappear down the staircase in the midst of all the people surrounding them.

Cursing to himself, Chanyeol left the bar and followed after him.

❁ ❁ ❁

Chanyeol eventually found Baekhyun with some random man’s hands gripping his waist. They were pressed against each other with Baekhyun’s back up against the man’s chest like he didn’t even want to look at who he was dancing with. Scowling, Chanyeol approached, feeling more annoyed than usual (or, at least, more annoyed than he was a few seconds ago). Coming up from behind them, Chanyeol was quick to use his arm to shove the man away and before either of them could utter anything, Chanyeol was pulling Baekhyun more into the crowd and farther away from the man.

Eventually, when Chanyeol felt like they were far away enough that they’d lost him, he turned around and saw that Baekhyun was grinning up at him looking slightly entertained.

“If you wanted me for yourself, you didn’t have to push him off like that,” Baekhyun teased.

“Yeah, well, I wanted to make my point clear.”

Baekhyun put the palm of his hands against Chanyeol’s chest, traveling up his shoulders. “And what point was that?”

❁ ❁ ❁

When his back hit against the bathroom stall, Chanyeol could feel the club music booming through the walls, but that was the last thing on his mind when Baekhyun knelt down in front of him, eyes hooded and hands focused on undoing Chanyeol’s belt buckle.

All of this was new. Chanyeol had never done anything like this before. s, sure. College had its wild times, especially during weekends at noisy, crowded frat parties. But in a club bathroom stall?

Chanyeol reached over and combed his hand through Baekhyun’s hair just as the latter grabbed onto the waistband of his underwear and pulled down enough to release Chanyeol’s half-hard .

“Are you sure?”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, gripping the member in his hand and slowly fisted it as he teasingly dragged the tip of the against his warm, wet tongue. “Are you?”

“Yeah.”

Swallowing, Chanyeol clenched his jaw because-- yeah. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he wanted this. In the midst of all the haziness, he was sober enough to know that he wanted to see-- to feel-- his wrapped around Baekhyun’s cherry lips. Throwing his head back, Chanyeol groaned when Baekhyun took all of him while caressing the underside of his balls before putting a hand to his mouth when they both heard the restroom door open.

Smirking, Baekhyun began bobbing his head; his rhythm slowly picking up pace with every second that passed. He looked like he enjoyed the challenge of getting Chanyeol’s moans to expose them.

Like the cocky bastard that he was.

❁ ❁ ❁

B. Jang-Mi Tweeted:

A very pretty night in Seoul. I’m happy~~~ 

❁ ❁ ❁

Chanyeol wanted to talk about it. They needed to talk about it.

But Baekhyun was more or less acting like nothing ever happened, leaving Chanyeol frustrated. He thought they’d discuss it on the way back to ChocoDaes to pick up the chocolates, but there was a last minute change in plans. Junmyeon was kind enough to drop off the wedding orders by the hotel before rushing to his family emergency. Chanyeol was happy for the new uncle, but he would’ve been lying if he didn’t admit to himself that he was actually a bit disappointed.

The day of the actual wedding was more hectic than the previous days and Chanyeol’s hangover was unrelenting despite pushing through it. The start of that morning was busy, leaving no time or room for him to speak with Baekhyun in private, and it seemed like Baekhyun had no interest in remembering the night before.

Chanyeol needed to stay by Kyungsoo’s side and, respectively, Baekhyun had to be by Jongin’s, so they only saw each other in passing the entire morning. While Kyungsoo had his groomsmen dressed in classic black suits, Jongin went with navy blue. It was the first time Chanyeol saw Baekhyun in anything else but black.

And he looked… good.

Baekhyun caught him staring in the hotel lobby as they were waiting for the rented cars to arrive and take everyone to the church for the ceremony. Chanyeol couldn’t get himself to look away when their eyes met. But when Baekhyun smiled and walked over (casual as ever), Chanyeol couldn’t remember the things he had memorized wanting to say that morning.

“Hey.” The greeting was simple. It shouldn’t have made Chanyeol that nervous--but it did. “You cleaned up nicely. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to get up this morning. How’s the hangover?”

“Pretty ty, but I’m handling it.”

“Same here. I feel like gouging my eyes out right now,” Baekhyun said, chuckling. He looked out at the street, watching as taxis and cars went by, picking up and dropping off other hotel guests. “So, I was thinking...”

Chanyeol paused, glancing down at the man beside him.

“Thinking about what?” he asked, despite having a hunch.

“I wanted to apologize for… you know. Doing that.” Baekhyun had his lips pressed tightly together and he wasn’t making eye contact. Chanyeol got the sense that he was embarrassed to some degree. “I’m not saying I do that all the time. Club restrooms aren’t really, uh, my preference when it comes to things like that, so I’m sure it’s not yours either and…”

Baekhyun’s voice trailed off for a second. “And, um, if you regret it or if you feel like I overstepped the lines, then I’m sorry. That’s why I was thinking maybe we should just pretend nothing happened. It might help us get through the rest of this wedding trip, yeah?”

Chanyeol didn’t know how to navigate most of the loops, twists, and turns Baekhyun threw his way, but he knew for a fact that he didn’t want to pretend like nothing happened. That would’ve been impossible. Baekhyun had been the only thing on his mind since the very beginning of that trip, from the airport all the way up until then.

Hell, he was the first thing Chanyeol thought of that very morning despite the annoying hangover.

“Is that what you want?” Chanyeol found himself asking. “To pretend?”

More than that, he was surprised to hear himself sound a little more than simply upset. For all the times that Baekhyun openly toyed with him, flaunting casual confessions like he was throwing pennies in a fountain without a second thought… and now that they were two feet over that line, it suddenly dawned on Chanyeol that maybe that was all this was. A game.

But the look on Baekhyun’s face said otherwise, even if he was deliberately keeping his eyes locked elsewhere. “That’s not it. I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable if you regretted it somehow.”

“If I had any regrets, I would’ve already said something about it,” Chanyeol told him plainly. His tone was steady but firm. “And if I didn’t want it to happen in the first place, I would have just left.”

“You don’t have to say all of this just to be nice--”

Chanyeol cut him off. “For ’s sake, can you stop dismissing what I’m saying? I’m not saying this because I’m trying to be nice. I’m saying all of this because I--”

“Baekhyun!”

They both turned around and Chanyeol immediately recognized him as the man from the dinner party; the ex-boyfriend. He looked down at Baekhyun’s expression and found the latter frowning, but still seemingly affected. A short wave of annoyance washed over him and Chanyeol took a step forward, putting Baekhyun just slightly behind him; it was enough to make a point.

“The vans haven’t arrived yet?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “No.”

The difference in the way Baekhyun spoke to the man compared to when they were speaking with one another was very apparent. Toward this man, Baekhyun was cold and distant, similar to how he used to speak to Chanyeol in the beginning. But now, Chanyeol had growned accustomed to the lively, mischievous voice that never failed to attract his every attention.

The man smiled, then turned his eyes to Chanyeol. “I don’t believe we’ve met. My name’s Kim Daehyung. Jongin’s my cousin, but I’m also an old friend of Baekhyun’s.”

Baekhyun made no comment on the introduction.

As he shook Daehyung’s hand, Chanyeol gave a curt nod. From behind, he could feel Baekhyun tugging him back, subtly showing his displeasure with their interaction. Taking the hint, Chanyeol let go. “Park Chanyeol. Kyungsoo’s best man.”

“Best man?” Daehyung’s eyes darted between the two of them. Then, a slow smile crept on his face. “I thought you two might’ve been together. You seemed close when I saw you last night.”

“I don’t see how that’d be any of your business,” Baekhyun spoke up, sounding annoyed. “Park and I aren’t--”

“Ah,” Chanyeol put a hand behind Baekhyun’s back and gripped him by the shoulder. It was enough to shut Baekhyun up. “Baekhyun and I… How should I put it? We haven’t been together for very long yet.”

That much was true. They’d only known each other for less than a week.

But that most definitely did not mean that the trip wasn’t already feeling like a whole eternity already.

“Oh. My apologies. I suppose it really isn't my business.” The remark was aimed at Baekhyun despite Daehyung’s eyes being locked with Chanyeol. “You two make for a nice couple.”

“Thanks.” Chanyeol smiled, but he could feel Baekhyun tugging again. This time, it wasn’t as gentle. Much to Chanyeol’s relief, one of the wedding vans had pulled up and a hotel employee began calling for their party. It was also around the same time Kim Daehyung’s wife approached them with a few other family members following behind her. “It was nice meeting you.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Daehyung said as his wife came up from behind him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he diverted their direction to their designated driver.

Chanyeol moved to do the exact same, but the second Daehyung had turned, Baekhyun pushed away from him and began walking to their van by himself. Frowning, Chanyeol followed after, only taking a few strides to catch up.

Before he entered the vehicle, Baekhyun nodded, greeting their driver. He ignored Chanyeol altogether until Chanyeol chose to sit right next to him despite the other empty seats. The other guests and the Kim family members who they were supposed to be sharing the van with hadn’t arrived yet.

After a minute or two of silence, Chanyeol figured Baekhyun wouldn’t be the first one to break the ice, leaving it up to him whether to say something--anything at all-- or just forget about what just happened (and the things that went on the night before). And he didn’t want to do that.

Exhaling deeply, Chanyeol leaned back in the seat, keeping his eyes on the boring, grey van ceiling. “He’s a pleasant guy, isn’t he?”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

Chanyeol stopped for a second, registering Baekhyun’s words. “Do what?”

“Pretend like you and I weren’t just acquaintances.” Baekhyun crossed his arms across his chest. “Should’ve just let him be stupid on his own. Like I care what he actually thinks about me.”

Shrugging, Chanyeol leaned slightly to his left until their shoulder’s bumped.

With Baekhyun sitting closest to the window, the latter’s only other option was to shove him back the opposite way, making Chanyeol laugh.

❁ ❁ ❁

The wedding ceremony itself was simple. Chanyeol couldn’t help but chuckle at the way Kyungsoo blushed from all the eyes that were on him, but it was cute the way he seemed even embarrassed to kiss his now-husband despite the two being together for more than two years. PDA was never Kyungsoo’s thing and, despite it being his own wedding, the ceremony was still no exception.

As the couple made their way down the aisle together to exit the church, Chanyeol followed after them just as they had practiced. Baekhyun walked beside him, smiling and shouting cheers as they trailed behind the couple. In that moment, he looked the happiest he'd ever been during the trip.

❁ ❁ ❁

“I thought I’d take away all the attention here, but I guess I can’t compete with Kyungsoo at his own wedding.” Sniffling, Sehun wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye. They watched as Kyungsoo and Jongin mingled with their parents and siblings at the main table. “It never gets any less weird seeing my friends get married.”

Scoffing, Chanyeol lifted a cocktail in his hand to his lips. “One of these days, it’s going to be you.”

“I think I’ll be the last one of us to walk down that scary aisle,” Sehun grinned. “I don’t think I can get married until I’m in my late thirties. It’d upset the fanbase, you know! Well, unless I elope. That’s kind of a cute idea, too.”

“Call me if you need a witness.”

“Hm… I like being the center of attention and all, but what about you? All this talk about weddings and getting married, when is your turn, huh?” Nudging him with his elbow, Sehun raised his brows. He looked around the reception area for a quick second. “You’re always holed up at home doing projects. You should open Tinder every now and then.”

“Eh…” Chanyeol looked off to the side. Neither the app nor its premise ever interested him, so the suggestion felt bland. “I’m not interested in meeting just anybody.”

“No offense, but I think anybody who gets out of the house more than you will do.”

Chanyeol thought of it for a quick moment. “That’s not true. It’s not like I’ve never had any interest in anybody before.”

“I don’t think Kyungsoo counts anymore.”

“I wasn’t referring to him.” Rolling his eyes, Chanyeol shook his head before adding: “I haven’t thought seriously about Kyungsoo since college so you can stop joking about that.”

Maybe some of his feelings resurfaced for a little while during their reunion, but nothing past anything than just pure nostalgia. Chanyeol had stopped thinking about it soon after, only remembering whenever Baekhyun jokingly teased and poked fun at his obliviousness… In fact, Chanyeol wasn’t entirely sure if Baekhyun knew at all or if he was just throwing punches in the dark (pretty accurate ones). Or maybe, Baekhyun really did read him like a book the entire time.

But if Baekhyun was so good at reading him, why did it seem so difficult for them to be on the same page?

Glancing down at the drink in his hand, he wondered for a minute if Baekhyun had already begun taking advantage of the open bar. Thinking about the devil himself, Chanyeol raised his head and looked around. He realized he hadn’t seen Baekhyun since they separated upon entering the venue and went on to greet other people. They were assigned to the same table so it wasn’t the fact that Kyungsoo had organized their best men to be seated apart from one another.

Sehun’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “Who are you looking for?”

“Baekhyun.”

The name slipped from his lips before Chanyeol could register what exactly he was doing by telling Sehun that particular information. As expected, the sly teasing began.

“Oh, you already have someone in mind for your wedding hookup?” Sehun covered his mouth with a hand, laughing behind it. “Which one is he again? Jongin’s friend, right? The one from the club? Was it the guy you were going to kiss? Ah, I think it is!”

Rolling his eyes as he listened to Sehun answer all of his own questions, Chanyeol set his glass aside and stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

❁ ❁ ❁

The ballroom was quite large, making it possible that Chanyeol could’ve just missed him by chance, but Chanyeol eventually found him on the patio, leaning against the wooden railing that overlooked the hotel garden with a man standing beside him. It didn’t take long to realize it was Kim Daehyung. Frowning, Chanyeol’s initial reaction was to impose. But there could’ve been a reason why the two were talking alone with Baekhyun seemingly unbothered by the latter’s presence.

Chanyeol turned to leave--maybe to saunter back into the reception area-- but a notification alert from his phone only drew the men’s attention to him. Freezing in his spot, Chanyeol raised his eyes and saw Baekhyun looking back at him with his head cocked.

Before either of them could say anything, Daehyung cleared his throat and gave Baekhyun a curt smile. “I hope you consider what I’ve said… It was nice seeing you again. Really.”

Baekhyun replied with silence, waving the man away with a hand. His attention focused back at Chanyeol who slowly approached with a half-amused look on his face, unsure of what to make of everything. For one, he could ignore the whole thing, but Chanyeol thought that they’d been doing too much of that-- ignoring things and all.

“Surprised you didn’t sock him in the face,” Chanyeol said, lightheartedly.

“That’d involve touching him,” Baekhyun replied, shrugging. “And if I did that, I think I’d vomit.”

“A bit extreme.”

“So is punching someone in the face… I mean, even if he does kind of deserve it.”

“What did he have to say?” Chanyeol found himself asking. He was curious afterall, but he never expected Baekhyun to give him anything less than a whole runaround.

Baekhyun shrugged again, grinning up at the man towering over him. “Well, you won’t catch me in a bathroom stall with him later-- if that’s what you’re wondering about.”

It was meant to be a joke, but Chanyeol didn’t find it funny in the least. He could feel his face becoming slightly flushed. Luckily, they were outside and he was facing away from the light coming from inside the hotel, but he could see Baekhyun’s face clearly. Despite being alone with the so-called ex-boyfriend just a second ago, Baekhyun looked like he was in a good mood. Though, Chanyeol didn’t know if that was because of him or…

The possibility annoyed Chanyeol.

The possibility that Baekhyun’s smile wasn’t because of him, but rather because of some unfortunate news like Daehyung getting a divorce and being newly single. Or whatever the is considered “good news” to Baekhyun. Not that it should even matter, but--

Chanyeol jolted when he felt two hands cup his face. His eyes darted back down until they locked eyes with the man who was nothing more than a stranger just a few days ago. Surprise overtook him when Baekhyun stood at the top of his feet and quickly kissed him on the cheek.

It didn’t even last a full second before Baekhyun pulled away. He drew his hands back, but slid one down Chanyeol’s arm until they were barely--just barely-- holding hands.

“Let’s go take advantage of the open bar!” Baekhyun laughed, dragging Chanyeol to the door. “It’ll be nice to get drinks without paying for it, right?”

Chanyeol didn’t say anything in return, still in a daze over the kiss on his cheek that barely lasted long enough for him to replay it back in his mind. However, by the time they re-entered the ballroom, Chanyeol got a hold of himself and paused, jerking Baekhyun back when he suddenly stopped complying with the latter’s leadership.

Looking back at him, Baekhyun wore a confused expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”

When Chanyeol responded, he didn’t directly reply to the question. Rather, he made a statement: “Dance with me.”

Baekhyun contemplated for a moment, possibly wondering about the possible consequences of being seen dancing with the other best man. It was the sort of hesitation that Chanyeol hadn’t seen from him before; like there was a hint of shyness.

But the brief squeeze Chanyeol felt on his hand was enough.

Smiling, Chanyeol led them to the dance floor and away from the direction of the open bar (much to his surprise, Baekhyun didn’t seem to mind at all).

❁ ❁ ❁

The night felt like it lasted forever, yet at the same time, it ended too quickly. At least, in Chanyeol’s opinion. Looking down beside him, Chanyeol scoffed at the sight of Baekhyun holding onto his arm as they walked down their floor hallway, nearing both their rooms. It wasn’t that the latter was completely wasted. In fact, Baekhyun probably drank less that night than the whole time they were there that week. But weddings were exhausting and Baekhyun was popular amongst all the guests. From catching Kyungsoo’s wedding bouquet and having a dance battle with the girl who caught Jongin’s flower pin--not to mention that, for some reason, there seemed to be many people who wanted to take photos with the man himself-- Baekhyun was dead-beat exhausted.

But he looked happy and having him close by made Chanyeol feel content to the point where he wanted more. The night was still young, but he wasn’t sure where the boundaries were.

When they reached their rooms, Chanyeol hesitated. He felt Baekhyun hesitating, too, but he eventually let go of Chanyeol’s arm and staggered over to his door.

Turning back around, he offered a small smile-- one that said he didn’t want things to end just yet either. “I had fun,” he said quietly. “I actually take it back. Maybe you actually do know how to let loose every once in a while. I don’t think I’ve ever seen those dance moves.”

Chanyeol brushed off the comment, but he could feel his face getting hot again. He could tell that Baekhyun was teasing him and his freestyle dancing. It wasn’t something that he was proud of, but he figured that he’d leave his pride at the door. They were celebrating their best friends’ wedding.

Still, he was embarrassed now that the high was finally settling down and the night was coming to an end. “Yeah, well you’re not too hot at dancing yourself.”

“Ah, true. But I am hot, in general.“

“Yeah, you are,” Chanyeol found himself saying.

Baekhyun paused as he tapped his hotel card against the lock. There was an audible click that passed before Baekhyun realized the door had unlocked. Quickly, he turned the knob and pushed the door open.

He stopped for a split second, seemingly unsure, but in the end, he took a step inside and gave Chanyeol a small grin. “Thanks for being the loveliest wedding date a man could ask for.”

Nodding, Chanyeol swallowed dryly. “My pleasure... I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Baekhyun shrugged. “Sure.”

“Good-night, Baekhyun.”

“You, too.”

After Baekhyun went inside and closed the door, Chanyeol did the same, but he stood inside his room, leaning against the entrance wall for a good ing while. Just staring at the opposite wall, practically memorizing the way patterns on the wallpaper.

.

Something didn’t feel right and Chanyeol knew exactly what it was. He felt it and he also saw it in Baekhyun’s eyes. The same thing was on both of their minds and yet they both hesitated. And for what? Baekhyun had always been upfront about everything, yet Chanyeol could feel the latter cowering away with every step that Chanyeol took that closed the distance between them even more.

But one thing was for sure; they’d keep going in circles unless someone stopped the perpetual motion that they were on.

it.

Chanyeol pushed himself off the wall and grabbed the handle on his door, swinging it open. Just as he was about to rush out and march across the hall, he came to an abrupt halt when he saw Baekhyun standing in front of his door with a hand halfway through the air like he was just about to knock.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Chanyeol reached forward and pulled Baekhyun inside by his dress shirt collar. Standing up on his toes, Baekhyun pulled him down for a kiss just as Chanyeol maneuvered him until they were back up against the wall he had just been on, contemplating all of this--practically wasting time.

Pulling away briefly, Baekhyun cupped his hands against Chanyeol’s face, long enough to ask, “Listen, are you sure? Because I know I come across really strong and pull you along to things so if you’re just trying to be nice and--”

Rolling his eyes, Chanyeol muttered against his lips, “Yes, I’m sure. Now shut up.”

❁ ❁ ❁

The sound of consecutive notifications ringing off his phone woke Chanyeol up the next morning. Rolling over his bed, he grabbed the device off the side table and peeked one eye open to see that it was nothing more than Twitter sending the most useless push notifications. Groaning, his hands fell back on the bed and he closed his eyes again--only to open them when he remembered what had happened on the night before.

Gasping, he sat up and looked to the other side of the bed, which had been completely made. The comforter was set, the pillow was fluffed… but there was no one there. Rubbing the back of his neck, Chanyeol threw his legs to the side and got up to dress himself. After splashing some water on his face and changing into new clothes, he left his room to knock on Baekhyun’s door. He felt nervous again, but it was a different type of anxiety than the one he felt the night before when he had done the exact same thing.

Taking in a deep breath, he knocked three times and stepped away from the door. After waiting for a minute and hearing nothing, Chanyeol knocked again.When no one came to the door a second time, he pulled out his phone to call. There was the slight chance that Baekhyun might’ve accidentally gone back to sleep in his own hotel room, but…

Chanyeol had his doubts.

And those doubts were confirmed when a hotel staffer came from behind him. “I apologize, sir. But may I get through?”

Thinking that the man only needed him to step off to the side so he could walk through, Chanyeol moved against the wall, but felt shocked when the staff member used an all-access key to get inside the room. Before thinking, Chanyeol put a hand on the door to prevent it from closing shut and peered inside.

The room didn’t look occupied at all. No suitcases, no clothes strewn around-- There was nothing. It looked like Baekhyun never even resided in the room; almost like he just left and vanished.

Chanyeol looked at his phone again to see if he had gotten any new messages, but none of them were from Baekhyun.

ing hell.

There was nothing he could do when the onset of regret started washing over him. Cursing to himself, Chanyeol began walking down the hallway to the elevators. If he was going to be upset about things, he might as well eat his goddamn feelings.

Once inside the small space by himself, he leaned against the railing and stared at the floor numbers.

.

He really did get into the whole wedding mood. There was a chance that Sehun was right all along-- and Chanyeol really hated to ing admit he was right about anything. But maybe Chanyeol’s feelings really were just from the high of being there, away from his usual life. The whole trip felt like a mix between a fever dream and a dream vacation all in one. The whole whirlwind romance cliche was even included at no extra cost.

Groaning, he stepped off the elevator once it got to the lobby, fully intending on making a beeline straight to the breakfast dining area, but--by pure luck--he found Baekhyun sitting in the lobby in front of the concierge desk with his legs crossed and face fully focused on his phone. There wasn’t a hint of remorse or regret on his face (his body language wasn’t saying anything much either). It was then that Chanyeol lost what little composure he had in the midst of his angsty thoughts, post-wedding hangover, and empty stomach.

Striding over to the man (his one-night stand?), Chanyeol stood in front of him within mere seconds, gently pushing the phone down until it was on Baekhyun’s lap.

When they locked eyes, Chanyeol half-expected Baekhyun to blush or shy away. In truth, he didn’t really know how someone would act in a situation such as being caught running away after a night of really good , but what does Chanyeol know. None of this ever happened in his books.

To his surprise, Baekhyun gave him a smile, almost like he was excited to see him, which didn’t make much sense in Chanyeol’s mind.

“Well, aren’t you a big ray of sunshine this morning?” Baekhyun chuckled, covering his lips with his fingers to hide his laugh. “Your hair’s sticking out everywhere. It makes you look a little naughty, if I really have to be honest with you.”

Chanyeol made no comment on that. His eyes caught sight of the suitcase next to Baekhyun’s legs. “Really? This is how you’re going to act?”

Curious, Baekhyun tilted his head slightly to the right. “I don’t understand.”

“I think you and I have wasted enough time going back and forth this whole trip.” Chanyeol muttered something under his breath before cursing. “I’m going to say this once. I’m ing interested in you.”

Baekhyun blinked. “To be fair, I think sleeping with someone means you are interested in them to some extent--”

“Listen, I’m pissed.” His tone stopped Baekhyun from speaking any further, “because you went around stringing me along this whole time. Couldn’t you have gone and found someone else to mess with? I’m pretty sure you could’ve found other ‘gentlemen’ to spend your nights with. You’re ing good-looking. It wouldn’t be that hard, believe me.”

“Well, thank you for validating my appeal.”

“Didn’t I say to listen?”

Exasperated, Baekhyun’s shoulders slanted, easing on the tension. “I didn’t string you along for s and giggles, Chanyeol. I actually do find you cute and charming, but I just don’t think… Well, in your words--not mine-- ‘we’re not compatible’.”

“When the hell did I say that?”

“To Kyungsoo. The day before the wedding.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Baekhyun groaned. “Also, can you sit down? I’m getting tired looking up at you.”

Looking behind him, Chanyeol spotted a circular ottoman and dragged it over until it was right in front of where Baekhyun was sitting on the sofa. After Chanyeol sat down, Baekhyun glanced down at his phone again and showed Chanyeol his flight information.

“I have a flight back to Los Angeles this afternoon. It’s urgent, that’s why I didn’t, you know… bother with the whole morning routine thing. I thought I’d save you the trouble, anyways. Let’s face it, this was fun but it’d probably be easier for you to just pretend this was a one-time thing and--”

“I’m convinced you’re deaf and dense.”

“Huh?”

“Did you not hear what I said? I’m interested in you, Baekhyun. Granted, yeah, I’m pissed off, too, but if you haven’t noticed, I don’t want to pretend this was just a fluke on some wedding trip.” Chanyeol paused. “I did say that we weren’t compatible, but I only said that because I didn’t know how I felt at the time because you were constantly on and off!”

“On and off? I’ve been nothing but clear--”

“I’m sure that you’re convinced that you were clear, but let me just tell you-- you weren’t.”

Baekhyun drew his brows together. “Well, it doesn’t matter. You said we weren’t compatible and it’s true. Maybe we just got caught with everything else that was going on this week.”

“So, then let’s see each other... Outside all of this.”

“What do you mean?”

Chanyeol ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed. “I know you’ve only been annoying the little hell out of me for, like what? 5 days now?”

“That’s--”

“But I wouldn’t mind if you bothered me… some more back in the States.” That part was the hardest to say. Not because he was opening up about what he wanted, but because Chanyeol felt it in his bones: he was being ing corny as hell. Surprisingly, Baekhyun didn’t laugh at all. “I do like you. You’ve been on my nerves this whole time, but… also on my mind. Seeing you again in the future doesn’t sound so bad.”

Baekhyun pursed his lips together. “I’m going to give you, like, another minute to think about what you just said because if you’re only doing this to be nice, then I’d rather not.”

“I’m not being nice. I’m telling you I want to see you again. I won’t have my flight until next Saturday, but when I go back to the States, let’s meet up. Drag me along to places that’s not a club because I feel like we’ve done enough of that in the past week.”

Snorting, Baekhyun looked away for a second before crossing his arms. He said nothing immediately, lamenting over the thought, but the way he was tapping his fingers on his arm seemed like a decent sign to Chanyeol. It only meant that the latter was seriously giving it some thought. For some reason it was almost comical to him that he was there, sitting on the world’s most uncomfortable ottoman, asking to see the one person he never wanted to see again at the beginning of their trip.

But, for all the uncertainty Chanyeol felt throughout the whole thing, he was sure that this was what he wanted.

“If you’re actually being serious… then yeah. I’d… also like to see you and your, um, face again. In the future.” Baekhyun cleared his throat but didn’t dare make eye contact just yet. Despite being brave and brazen before, being open about his own feelings without using jokes and sarcasm as a cover seemed to be Baekhyun’s achilles heel…

Which Chanyeol thought was cute.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah… I mean…” Baekhyun raised his eyes and gave a short, subtle shrug. “You are my number one fan. I suppose I could give you a chance. Isn’t this, like, every fan’s wet dream?”

It sounded like a joke… It probably was.

But Chanyeol didn’t get it.

Confused, Chanyeol cocked his head. “Huh?”

Rolling his eyes, Baekhyun let out an exasperated sigh and leaned back on the sofa. “Flowers in the Rain, stupid. Your so-called beloved author-nim.”

Still, it doesn’t register.

“I don’t understand.”

Baekhyun looked at him as if he was trying to decipher if his leg was being pulled or not. When he came to the conclusion that Chanyeol was genuinely confused, Baekhyun found himself appearing dumbfounded.

“I’m convinced you’re the one who’s hard of hearing! And extremely dense!”

“Well, if you’re not going to just say it outright, then how the hell am I supposed to know what you’re talking about!”

“Mr. Byun. Your taxi is right outside.”

Both of them raised their heads to the hotel staff member. For a moment, Chanyeol forgot about that Baekhyun was in the middle of leaving for a flight and they were sitting in the lobby.

Smiling, Baekhyun nodded. “Thank you. I’ll be right there.”

Once the man left, Baekhyun reached for his luggage and set it on the floor. Kneeling down, he ped one of the bag’s front pockets and pulled out a small photocard with a nostalgic scenery design printed on the front. Along with it, he got out a sharpie pen.

Chanyeol recognized the print. He’d seen it before as promotional print for--

Baekhyun popped the cap off the sharpie with his teeth and scribbled something on the card. After he finished. He stood up and handed both to Chanyeol. “I’ll keep in touch, dummy.”

Smiling, Baekhyun leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Chanyeol’s cheek. When the giant looked up startled and in a daze, Baekhyun laughed as he pulled away. “See ya.”

Chanyeol watched as Baekhyun walked away, following the hotel staff out the door-- then back to the card.

And then back to Baekhyun again.

Like always, Baekhyun had to have the last word… and with Chanyeol being left speechless, Baekhyun got what he wanted after all.

❁ ❁ ❁

Flowers in the Rain

To: Park Chanyeol,

Thank you for supporting me! Please look forward to my future works. You’re quite the inspiration!

Best,

B. Jiang-Mi