Movies and Strawberry Ice Cream

          Silence.

          It was late at night, nearly four in the morning actually, and everyone was using the few dark hours left before they would have to stumble, blurry-eyed, from their beds, to the best of their advantage. There were only so many hours in a day with which to feel the coolness of sheets, the dragging darkness of sleep, the blissful emptiness as your brain went through the motions of deep sleep, REM—a circulating pattern where one, for a short time at least, saw a world that can only exist during the night hours.

          It was during one particular cycle when Baekhyun suddenly shot up from beneath the warm cocoon of blankets and limbs, breathe shooting from parted lips in short bursts.

          Chanyeol immediately rewrapped his arms around the other boy’s waist, glancing worriedly up at his boyfriend’s frightened expression through half-closed eyes.

          “What’s wrong?” he croaked out, moving into a sitting position so that the older boy was once again fully in his embrace. He personally liked it better that way, and going by the fact that Baekhyun’s shaking stopped and he leaned back against the taller male, he obviously felt the same way. Baekhyun didn’t reply right away, the two of them just enjoying each other’s presence, the feel of bare skin against bare skin, and the silence that said more than words ever could.

          “I don’t really know,” Baekhyun finally said quietly into the still air, turning slightly so he could better see Chanyeol’s face. It wasn’t often that the younger male bore such a serious expression and Baekhyun felt awful for being the reason behind its appearance now.  “But I suddenly felt like the world had ended. How do I explain this?” he asked with exasperation, not expecting an answer and not getting one. Chanyeol simply rested his chin on Baekhyun’s shoulder and listened patiently to his hyung’s ramblings, which continued for a while until the older male pouted and declared that he didn’t want to think about it anymore. Despite the comically childish manner with which he spoke, the slight waver in his voice told Chanyeol that even if he stopped talking about the dream, he wouldn’t be completely dropping the matter.

          “Do you want to go back to sleep?” Chanyeol asked, suppressing a yawn. The stricken expression on his boyfriend’s face was all the answer he needed. The taller male ran a hand through his tousled locks and sighed, unfurling himself from around Baekhyun to pull on some clothes. “Let’s watch that movie you wanted to see, then!” he suggested cheerfully, pulling the other off from the bed they had fallen into the night before (on any particular night, they found themselves in either Chanyeol’s or Baekhyun’s bed—never really knowing which until one of them had to spring out of its confines when Suho began making his rounds around the dorm). Rather than be embarrassed by the other’s —a state of which Baekhyun himself still flushed at the thought of—Chanyeol  simply handed Baekhyun a pair of sweats and drank in the few final moments of unobstructed skin. He had always been like that, even back when they were both still s learning each other’s bodies—he knew no shame. It was one of the things Baekhyun loved most about the younger male.

          A few minutes later they found themselves snuggled up on the couch, paying more attention to each other’s mouths than the opening clips. During moments meant for regaining breath, Baekhyun warned the other boy that once the movie started, they’d actually be watching it. Chanyeol just mumbled an unintelligible “mmhmm” and pulled Baekhyun back down on him.

          “I’m hungry,” Chanyeol stated a little while after Baekhyun had pushed him away and crawled to the other side of the couch so he could actually register the movie he’s been begging to see for some time. The exaggerated puppy-dog face had completely unfazed Baekhyun, but then again Chanyeol hadn’t really believed it would work. They knew each other too well.

          Now, Baekhyun gave the taller male a look as he paused the film. “What do you want?”

          “Ice cream!” Chanyeol replied excitedly, clapping his hands together twice.

          “It’s four thirty in the morning….” Baekhyun deadpanned.

          “Ice cream.” A blank stare. “Ice cream.”

          Baekhyun groaned and pushed first Chanyeol’s legs, then himself, off the couch and walked barefoot into the open kitchen, shooting a disgruntled glare over his shoulder to his boyfriend, who was lying with a wide grin across his cheeks. Yeah…. He couldn’t stay mad at him—especially with the nightmare still lingering at the edge of his consciousness. A nightmare of which he could not remember all the details of, just that it had somehow involved Chanyeol and he had woken up crying. It was for that reason alone he gave in to the male’s request, too frightened at the thought that any day could be their last. As much as the thought stopped the blood cold in his veins, he realized this could be the last time they had this private time alone, that the night before could be the last time they touched each other so intimately.

          He wanted to live each moment like it was their last. He loved the younger male more than enough, even if he never would believe he was enough, to do that.

          Baekhyun came back with one full bowl of strawberry ice cream and settled himself between the blanket and Chanyeol’s outstretched legs, surprising the taller with a quick kiss. He didn’t see his boyfriend’s smile, busy reaching for the remote on the other side of the couch to continue his movie, but he did feel the arms that wrapped around his middle and immediately pulled him back one he had gotten a hold on his target.

          “Are you ever satisfied?” Baekhyun groaned, quickly pressing the little triangular button and placing the piece of technology on the floor carefully.

          “No-puh,” Chanyeol returned as soft music and voices emitted from the television speakers, barely breaking the tranquility of the early morning hours. Instead of justifying his shameless with an answer, Baekhyun relinquished the spoon and turned his attention to the video.

          Despite his determination, however, the movie quickly became forgotten, the two of them taking turns eating from the spoon and laughing about little memories that to anyone else wouldn’t seem funny at all. Their relationship had always been such.

          The empty bowl found its way to the floor at some point, the melted remains kind of symbolizing the melting away of Baekhyun’s morning anxiety, his laughter becoming easier even as his eyelids became heavier and the movie neared the end.

          “Do you remember the first time we kissed?” Chanyeol asked suddenly, voice low and sleep-filled, fingers idly tracing patterns on Baekhyun’s abs. The latter flushed pink and covered his face as he recalled that day. They’d been home alone, the others off doing who knew what (no one had ever graced Baekhyun’s question with a vocal answer, instead just staring secret smiles). It had happened kind of suddenly, and had actually been completely accidental, but it was honestly one of his happiest moments. That is, after the first time Chanyeol had told him he loved him. That was something he’d always hold dear.

          …. They didn’t say “I love you” nearly enough, did they?

          Lowering his hands, Baekhyun turned and pecked his boyfriend’s chin, a little frustrated that in their current positions he couldn’t reach Chanyeol’s lips. “Have I said lately how much I love you?”

          “About a hundred times last night,” he replied cheekily, granting the older’s unspoken request by leaning down so that their lips met.

          If possible, Baekhyun’s face turned a darker shade of red. “Not during .”

          “You don’t need to say it. I can feel it,” Chanyeol replied seriously.

          “You’re being really corny,” Baekhyun sighed, grasping Chanyeol’s wandering hands. The ending credits were rolling and his eyelids felt heavy, but he was actually grateful for the nightmare he could barely remember. If he hadn’t been from that in-between world known as “sleep,” he and Chanyeol wouldn’t have had this time alone together. “I love you,” he murmured.

          “I love you, too.”

          The next morning, the other members left their rooms only to find Baekhyun and Chanyeol wrapped up in each other’s arms, the blanket that had been covering them on the floor, one corner laying in the dirty bowl, and a blue screen with a bouncing logo.

          “Do you think they’ll ever realize that they make their relationship way too obvious?” Kyungsoo asked.

          “Probably not,” Junmyeon sighed, motioning the others to follow him into the kitchen and allow the couple some more private time. They still haven’t even realized we purposefully left them alone that day.