Chapter 5

Awkward

 

 

 

When Baekhyun gets to Chanyeol’s later that night, he still feels incredibly pissed off.  He just needs to see him, because he knows that giant smile will make him feel instantly better.

For years, Chanyeol’s mother has told Baekhyun that he can walk in without ringing the bell. Still, to this day, Baekhyun always rings the bell before letting himself in. Sort of like his secret signal to let Chanyeol know he’s here.

Chanyeol’s house is probably three times the size of Baekhyun’s. Still, Chanyeol swears he likes Baekhyun’s house better than his. He says it has “character”, if character means chipping mint green paint and a lumpy couch his mom got in Russia before Baekhyun was even born.

Their parents often joke that they were switched at birth. Chanyeol’s wild and crazy personality is identical to Baekhyun’s mother. Chanyeol’s mom, on the other hand, is small and quirky but has a temper that would scare anyone.

“Hey,” he says, tossing his bag in the corner, just like always. Chanyeol is lying across his bed, fiddling around on his GameBoy (“Because I’m old school like that,” he says) with his long legs resting on the wall. His tongue is poking out of his mouth in concentration and he’s in a place that Baekhyun calls Chanyeol Land.

Baekhyun crawls onto Chanyeol’s bed. Chanyeol’s still immersed in his game (MarioKart, by the sound of it) but he barely scoots over to make room. Their heads are side by side, and Baekhyun goes to prop his legs up on the wall. They don’t reach nearly as high as Chanyeol’s.

Baekhyun can feel Chanyeol breathing. It’s deep and steady and it seems like so long since they just sat here together, even it has only been a week. These past few days have been crazy. Really, how was Baekhyun supposed to know that Kim Jonghyun would talk to him?

“Baek,” Chanyeol says distractedly, but he’s still completely captivated by the device he’s gripping tight in his hands. “Oh. Wait. YAH.” He shouts suddenly, throwing the GameBoy to the floor. “Peach passed me last minute,” he pouts, turning to look at his friend. Their faces are super close, but Baekhyun is used to it, since Chanyeol doesn’t really believe in personal space around his friends.

“How was your lecture?” Baekhyun asks softly, even though he could really care less.

Chanyeol laughs, obviously thinking the same thing. “All the guy talked about was retrosynthesis, which I mean, I already knew, so it was pointless. But the funny thing was when he—“

Baekhyun doesn’t even register the words. Whenever Chanyeol starts talking scientifically, Baekhyun just sort of opts out of the conversation. He’s pretty sure Chanyeol does the same thing whenever Baekhyun talks about stuff like vocal resonation and Coffee Prince.

“—and then Kyungsoo told me that he—“

Baekhyun just stares at the ceiling, letting Chanyeol’s warm deep voice wash over him. He has moments like this a lot, when he just stops and thinks about their friendship and realizes how lucky he is that Chanyeol isn’t vindictive or dramatic like people tend to be. Chanyeol is awkward. Chanyeol is strange. But Chanyeol is Chanyeol and Baekhyun really wouldn’t trade him for anything.

No, not even Kim Jonghyun.

Baekhyun tries to picture his perfect life. With Jonghyun as his boyfriend and Chanyeol as his best friend, all hanging out with their friends (except maybe not Kibum; he’s scary) and having a great time. Then, he tried to picture Chanyeol with someone and fails miserably.

Then, stupid Kai has to come invade his thoughts again with his ‘You can’t have them both, you know’.

He wants Chanyeol to be happy. It's not like he’s some sadist who wants his best friend to live a miserable, lonely life. But the thought of Chanyeol with anyone is just so strange and foreign. And it’s not because he’s jealous. He honestly cannot picture it.

“So how was your day?” Chanyeol asks, his story obviously finished. “You looked really happy when I saw you at lunch. Kai said you bought me bulgogi!”

“You talked to Kai?” Baekhyun asks, biting his lip. He doesn’t know why he’s so worried. Kai really doesn’t have anything to say to Chanyeol about Baekhyun. Right?

“Uhm, yeah, just for a second,” Chanyeol says, stuttering a bit like he’s flustered. “Nothing important though. Just that you bought me bulgogi and you were sad when I left!” He laughs in that creepy way that Baekhyun has learned to love.

“I wasn’t sad, pabo,” Baekhyun retorts. “I was just mad! I spent my good money on your gross bulgogi and you didn’t even eat it!”

“Hmm, sure, Baekhyunnie,” Chanyeol nudges his foot with his own. “Did you bring your homework?”

“Hah, no way,” Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “I can’t be bothered with Physics homework today. Let Mrs. Kim give me an F.”

Chanyeol full out stares at him. Baekhyun tries hard to keep his vision trained on the ceiling, because he knows Chanyeol’s giving him a look. And he really hates when he gives him looks.

“I wish you’d care more about your homework,” he mumbles, sounding a lot like Baekhyun’s mother. Baekhyun knows Chanyeol’s still looking at him, with his ‘I’m really judging you right now’ face on so Baekhyun’s determined to get him right in his weakness.

“But Yeol,” he says, close to pouting. “I just wanted to spend time with you, instead.”

That does it. Baekhyun knows that does it. It works every time.

“You’re stupid,” Chanyeol mutters but Baekhyun just laughs because he knows he doesn’t mean it. He never means it. “You really need to focus on Physics.”

“Okay, ahjumma Yeol,” Baekhyun teases back, sitting up. “Guess I’ll go home then. Got a long, hot date with my Physics book.” Baekhyun is getting off the bed when he feels Chanyeol grab his wrist. He smiles to himself for a second before Chanyeol pulls him back down towards him.

“Your bed is so comfy,” Baekhyun sighs as he bounces around.

“We got it from an old man in Itaewon,” Chanyeol says with a straight face.  “Remember that time my goldfish disappeared? Yeah, my mom traded it for this mattress.”

Chanyeol is full of stories like these. He always says them like it’s the most common thing in the world and Baekhyun is always rolling from laughing so hard. One time, during the summer, he and Chanyeol were at the corner market buying coffee milk when Chanyeol suddenly started recounting his tragic story of twenty stitches in the knee to the clerk—an unfortunate accident involving a frog and a bowl of kimchi fried rice.

The lady looked at Chanyeol like he’d grown another head, but Baekhyun was doubled over in laughter.

“I think we should just lay here all night,” Baekhyun says blissfully. “Today was… way too crazy.”

“Oh really?” Chanyeol tilts his head as he tries to make himself comfortable once again. He tries crossing his legs but that’s nearly impossible for the long-legged boy, especially when there’s someone else taking up half the space on his bed.

Baekhyun watches in amusement as Chanyeol’s arms wave around wildly, trying to keep his balance but failing miserably in the end. His head hits the floor but his legs still manage to stay on the bed. His position is truly comical with his body hanging over the edge like a ragdoll.

“So as I was saying,” Chanyeol goes on like he hasn’t just suffered minor brain damage. He doesn’t even bother to move. Baekhyun laughs and shimmies to the side of bed so he can peer over at his friend. “I thought you got to eat lunch with that one guy, Junghung or whatever.”

Baekhyun’s forehead creases. He doesn’t usually ever talk to Chanyeol about…guys in general. As close as they are, that’s just something that’s not generally discussed. Baekhyun’s never had a boyfriend long enough to make it a hot topic of conversation, anyways.

“It’s Jonghyun,” he corrects lightly. “And it wasn’t a big deal. He’s just… going to tutor me. You know, in Pre-Calc. Since his mom’s the teacher and everything.”

Baekhyun is briefly reminded of everyone’s faces as they cracked up at Chanyeol’s expense. He blinks it away quickly, because he doesn’t really want to think about that ever again. Especially being right here with Chanyeol as he lays awkwardly on his bed-slash-floor, completely oblivious to the fact it ever happened.

Chanyeol nods in agreement. “You say it like that. But I know you like him.”

Baekhyun sputters. “What?”

He really doesn’t know why he feels the need to deny his crush. If it were anyone else, he’d be over the moon, explaining in great detail how wonderful Jonghyun smelled and how nice his hair looked up close. But something in him runs cold at the thought of telling Chanyeol these things.

Usually, Baekhyun starts dating someone and it’s the first Chanyeol’s ever heard of the guy. Chanyeol asks how he is, is polite towards him, but that’s it, because he knows the guy will be gone in a matter of weeks. (Chanyeol’s has no idea exactly why, though.)

The fact that Chanyeol is actually asking about Jonghyun makes him feel weird. He’s not sure if he likes it or not.

All in all, Byun Baekhyun is one confused guy.

“Yah, get back up here,” he says quickly, changing the subject. “Let’s watch a movie or something.”

Baekhyun uses all his strength to help Chanyeol up from the floor. Once he’s up, Chanyeol deftly hops from the bed and shuffles around his TV. Baekhyun knows what he’s going to put in without even asking.

“Kill Bill~” Chanyeol sings, coming back over to the bed and situating himself right next to his best friend.

Chanyeol’s favorite movie in the whole world is Kill Bill. He knows every word and he always has to watch both of them. The movie is the goriest, craziest thing that Baekhyun has ever seen but Chanyeol likes it because it’s funny.

People getting chopped in half every two seconds and Park Chanyeol thinks it’s funny. Baekhyun doesn’t even try to understand.

Baekhyun can’t even make it past the opening titles before he’s already asleep, burrowed deep in the soft fleece of his best friend’s hoodie. 



 

i can't. omg. 

i'm just cracking up at myself. three times in one night. seriously. what. -_-

whatever. this is fluff because i wanted it and you guys wanted it and now we're all happy yay.

the story should actually start moving after this. really. i promise. 

and and no one noticed (because i didn't even give you time to -_-) in the last chapter. onew and taemin got squished together. that's me being a ninja, slipping my otp into totally irrelevant stories. -sighs- ONTAE 4 LIFE.

anyways. hope you guys liked it. i work all weekend so i'm not sure when the next chapter will be out. talk to me on tumblr ~here~ if you want! ^_^

oh by the way. i go back and read your guys' comments like all the time. they really make me so so happy. 

~Ari

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jinkirei
first chapter will probably maybe hopefully be up tonight~

Comments

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qinwang #1
thank youui
idk----
#2
thank you for the story!
Aezxmin
174 streak #3
Chapter 18: Ohhh another case of "miscommunication"

If you love someone, you have to say and prove it.
itzmeguyz
161 streak #4
Chapter 19: this is so beautiful... thank you >333
xiaonara
#5
Chapter 19: This story is beautiful im crying......