Caramel Macchiato
Someone I like (Caramel Macchiato)
Baekhyun needed some time alone to think, to drown in his dark black coffee as he sits by the window of a cafe. He's getting over heartbreak and thinking still if he could somehow let go of the fact that Kris still has got a grasp of his heart, of his being. At least, until he gets over him completely. He decides that it would take him a week at least of contemplation and hesitation—or maybe even months—to take in that Kris doesn't love him back anymore the way he wants him to.
Not a week later sulking in his house, Chanyeol looks for him. Baekhyun lets him in out of pure courtesy even if he didn't want any blood-related family member of the Kris lurking about his humble abode, because Chanyeol's Kris' step brother after all. He lets out a sigh and looks straight at the man as they sit across each other in his petite living room.
Chanyeol roams his eyes about the room, spotting soju bottles on the side table. Some are laid back with a little more of liquid inside and some emptied to the brim. He sighs just as well as Baekhyun does and thinks, 'At least he still talks to me sane.' And then he blinks, turning his eyes across the figure that let him in.
Baekhyun lets out a sigh, parts his lips, and proceeds to ask "What do you want? If you're finding ways to get me and Kris back, my answer would be no."
"Well, you see, that's not my initiative of going here," Chanyeol replies. "In fact, it doesn't have to do with that at all." He shuffles his feet in nervousness before blurting out the long awaited reason. "I like you," he mutters and his breath hitches after a period of staring games and pregnant pauses and Baekhyun catches it.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes at him like a diva. It's like Chanyeol just said the funniest thing he could. Ever. Or maybe grew a horn or two, at that. A minute later, he cups at his mouth laughing, his eyes expressing disbelief and entertainment.
"Well," Baekhyun pauses, "I don't know what to say?" he says that in a half question-half statement tone and continues, “…, so I've been asked. Although, I'm not really sure myself if I'd like hearing that from another warm-blooded Park."
"Remind me again why I like you?" Chanyeol spats, in pure irritation now. Completely a one-hundred eighty degree change from his former disposition. Okay, so Baekhyun—ugh, he couldn't even focus! He does have one helluva crush on the beautiful guy and all that, but this?
"Remind me again why I'm even hearing you out, then?" Baekhyun retaliates. Everything that Chanyeol said to him, he decides are jokes. Is it a new tactic to avenge a relative? Does Kris even have something to do with this?
They decide on a couple of war glares before Baekhyun remembers that he's playing host and stands. Baekhyun decides that maybe it's best for Chanyeol to leave while he can, while Baekhyun's still not up for an argument over this petty conversation they're having that he's not even sure why they had.
Chanyeol felt the signal, of course, but he can't prevent feeling alienated. One minute he decides that he'll fight for what he feels toward the beautiful man and make him forget the heartache Kris put upon him. Albeit Kris being his brother—although older and adoptive—he wouldn't even hesitate to call him stupid and something else along the line. But somehow Chanyeol finds himself withdrawing from the whole Baekhyun idea. He definitely forgot that he's got quite the temper. So for now, he leaves. He doesn't even mind being disappointing.
It is a fresh first impression, or second. Because it’s not their first meeting.
Maybe he'll get him somehow. His intentions are pure and crystal clear, after all. The laughing Baekhyun just threw Chanyeol a little over the edge. He doesn't know, but he feels like Baekhyun's being such his diva bish self right now.
A day later and Chanyeol feels himself chickening out. He talked to Kris the day before and got the same damn reaction from his brother as Baekhyun. He wanted to beat the crap out of him there and then, but he'd been warned—Kris had him warned beforehand about Baekhyun's tendencies to push people away and that was probably what crossed the line in Kris’ part, as well.
Chanyeol hated Kris so much for breaking up with Baekhyun, but then he couldn't help but think how much of a patient person and brother Kris is. Well, not unless Baekhyun's got the alterego thing going, right? A moment after the break-up five days ago and Chanyeol fumed at Kris, Kris had told Chanyeol rather sarcastically with a bit of anger to go woo Baekhyun himself, then. So maybe that's the time Kris reached the end of his patience?
What if the beautiful man is psychotic? And under that sweet disposition and rather acceptable-for-innocent face lies—well, no, scratch that! He knew Baekhyun pretty well to judge him that bad and he's got his ways to know so. A couple of times when Kris invited Baekhyun over would be and when he'd have little run-ins with the beautiful man on one of the gay bars…parks…what was that again even called? He doesn’t know.
'Okay, that's it,' he thinks. 'Maybe he's a and a manipulative diva bish, at that,' but that alone threw Chanyeol off for why was he even suspecting that and he decides that he needs to think it through carefully before he continues all out.
He throws a pillow at the back of his door squarely and dials a number on his phone.
"Jongin," Chanyeol starts once he heard a whole new static aside from the string of beeps. "Remind me why I like Baekhyun again?"
"Well, I don't know," Jongin snickers for a starter, "Maybe you like hand-me-downs."
Oooh.
"," Chanyeol curses through the speaker, and all he hears is Kyungsoo's laugh in the background and he's pissed. Jongin even follows shortly after. "For Pete's sake, whoever Pete is, you all need to stop laughing at me and start getting all serious!"
"Okay," Jongin says seriously this time, but Chanyeol doesn't miss Kyungsoo’s series of laughs again in the background right after with Jongin’s failed attempt to cover the speaker.
"Okay, so much for being my friends. I'm hanging up!"
"No, wait!" Jongin stops him, almost desperate. "Maybe you just need some time to think," and that, Chanyeol thinks, is what he'd classify friendly advice. "You have some issues, hyung. Maybe anger management would cure it?"
Chanyeol finally hangs up on Jongin at that.
So a week after the day he got pissed off Jongin, he chances upon Baekhyun on a cafe and sits across him on the two-seat table without further permission.
"Thinking about me?" Chanyeol doesn't hesitate to ask.
"Yes." Baekhyun says, matter-of-fact, before flashing a teasing smile out at Chanyeol.
And Chanyeol just shrugs it off, knowing better now than to let his anger get the best of him. So much for making a bad impression, anyway. After minutes of pouts, contemplation, and awkward silence, Chanyeol decides to ask, "What are you drinking?"
This is out of pure curiosity.
"Black coffee," and Baekhyun shifts his attention from the window to look at Chanyeol's face fully. "What Kris and I usually order," he adds a second after, just to try and piss Chanyeol off. He knows he's successful when Chanyeol doesn't hold his gaze and shifts to the side just rolling his eyes.
"Why are you doing this?" Chanyeol asks. This, would pertain to the witty language, the y diva attitude, and Baekhyun's all so famous pushing a person away tactic. It wasn’t even necessary to mention Kris! And yes, Chanyeol's surprised he could see through that thick layer of sarcasm that Baekhyun is.
"I do believe I should be asking you that instead," Baekhyun counters, playing with the handle of his coffee cup. "But seriously speaking, I don't know. Maybe it's the entertainment you offer or maybe because you offered yourself beforehand to distract me from my miseries."
"I think you’re over him."
"Well, sure you could say that," Baekhyun says. “But I don’t think I’m really the type of person who’d walk out on the street professing to the whole world that my heart’s broken or even be transparent about it.”
"Besides, he's been over you for like a week or so now." Chanyeol doesn’t realize yet what Baekhyun just said so he says this. Although, as he looks back, he isn’t sure if he sees pain in Baekhyun’s face at all.
"Ouch?" is all Baekhyun says, half asking-half stating.
Chanyeol, on the other hand, realizes his strike two of a bad impression or a third. Clearly, he doesn’t care.
Later on he finds himself shortly calling Kyungsoo from his walk home. He’s decided that he’s pissed off Jongin for the time being. Okay, so, Kyungsoo also did laugh from his last call, but at least he didn’t try and insult him for his fondness of hand-me-downs or so Jongin claims.
“Chanyeol!” Kyungsoo exclaims in greeting. “Is there a problem?”
Chanyeol of course tells Kyungsoo of his two strikes at Baekhyun. The first one being the, ‘Remind me what I like about you again?’ chapter and the ‘In fact, my brother’s been over you for a week now’ one and Kyungsoo could only snort at the other line. After which, Chanyeol goes onto ask “What did I tell you again? I mean…why do I like him?”
“Potential musician,” Kyungsoo says first. “When he used to give your brother a CD of his music compilations he does himself.”
Chanyeol debates with himself in mind if that’s all Baekhyun has to offer, but then shrugs it off.
“Uh, you did tell me that he's great in Hapkido and could kick your if ever you cheat, which I think you won’t given that," Kyungsoo flatly says. But after a while ends his conversation with Chanyeol as, “Honestly, I don’t think this part matters. From what I see, you like him enough and I don’t think it would be because he’s a great cook or any of the whatever stuff, so you know… just try and love him. You’ll know.”
Chanyeol finally settles in front of Baekhyun one day in an unexpectedly great mood. He had not expected it so himself. He just knew that maybe he’d find a solution out of this problem once and for all.
“High spirits, huh,” Baekhyun spats, not really surprised to find the presence of the other out of the blue.
“So you’ve noticed,” is what Chanyeol says and Baekhyun only nods and Chanyeol decides for the both of them to try and get to know each other better.
“Favorite color?”
“Black? Kris likes black.”
Chanyeol thinks for a second that it’s not just a color, so to speak, because black is actually the presence of all the colors but—oh, why was he even thinking about this now?
“And what did you say you like drinking most here?”
“Uh, black coffee?”
“Do you like Canadians?” Okay, that was random.
“Pardon?”
And Chanyeol notices how just every one of Baekhyun’s answers sound half stated-half asked. He’s figured out the problem in just three simple questions! Okay, maybe except the third, but it wouldn’t really take a genius to figure this one out so easily. Moreover, Chanyeol concludes that everything Baekhyun likes has every other connection to Kris. Much to Chanyeol’s dismay, Baekhyun almost always finds a reason to mention the guy—his brother’s name, as well. So he asks one last question for assurance, “Favorite movie?”
“Pirates of the Carribean,” Baekhyun answers. “Well, only because I’ve got almost the whole movie texted by Kris on my cellphone. I saved each one.”
“I. Have. Figured. Out. The. Problem!” Chanyeol finally concludes literally now and frantically raises to the counter to literally order all the drinks available and in stock at the café. If loving Baekhyun means getting him to know what he really really wants, then Park Chanyeol is all up for it. He believes that Kris is not a main source of likes for Baekhyun, so he figures that this tactic would be it finally.
“What are you doing?” Baekhyun asks with Chanyeol coming back with his facial expression unreadable.
“I just ordered all the drinks available for you to try out and find out which one fits your taste buds best,” the younger says proudly.
“What for?” the older asks again, a bit on the bewildered side right now.
“I figured that maybe you have to have your wide array of likes to,” the other replies. “One that doesn’t involve Krissus’ opinions and ones you can be proud you like all on your own.”
“Hasn’t it crossed your mind that maybe I do like those things as well?” Baekhyun retaliates now, with a creased forehead and all. Plus eyes narrowing at Chanyeol.
“You sound incredibly half-asking all your answers back at me, so I concluded everything for you,” the younger says with the ‘proud’ word hanging in the air for the third time. “And if we do get together, which I assume is not too long from now, I’m not sure I’d really like to be one of influence and make you like everything I do like. That’s just stressful, don’t you think?”
Baekhyun’s jaw drops at that; not animatedly, literally, or anything really, but rather mentally, if that is even possible to speak of.
Shortly after, a waiter comes with a tray of green teas, macchiatos, americanos, and whatnot. If Chanyeol be correct, there are about 21 of them that fit in just one tray. Imagine that!
But then all things need to come to an end and Chanyeol receives a call that requires his presence back at his Daily Press of a cubicle. Yes, Chanyeol works for a publishing company. With 21 drinks in the table and a Baekhyun in front of him, he only smiles and stands up from his seat to leave the older a kiss on his forehead. He only hopes for now that Baekhyun heeds his advice about figuring out which fits his taste best, really.
“Testing the waters,” he says shortly before he leaves.
And Baekhyun doesn’t know how to feel about that. Not at all. It seems that for Chanyeol, everything works in a rush and Baekhyun being just pretty much average on everything, doesn’t really know if this would work. But maybe he’d find a way to speed this up, too.
That night Chanyeol texts Baekhyun after getting his number from Kris after a few nags, not that Kris has even got something to defend for in not giving the number away. Chanyeol is just ecstatic.
To: Baekhyunnie
From: Me :D
Yo, wassuuuuup! :) :) :)
Baekhyun squints at his mobile phone when it vibrates and he wonders just who it might be. It couldn’t be his family because they were in a trip in Japan and he assumes that nothing bad could’ve happened, right? So when he checks it and an unknown number is shown, he almost gave up the idea until he thought that only one person who’s been recently bugging him could put up such tone and those smilies, yeah. But he has to make sure.
To: Unknown
From: Me
I’m sorry, but who’s this?
To: Baekhyunnie
From: Me :D
I thought u wud figure out! :(
Wat drink did u like, anyway? :)
I’m hoping dis wud make u
find out hu I am? ^^
Baekhyun only snorts when he receives a reply, but lets out a soft chuckle afterwards—one that he wouldn’t let the younger know, at least. So he chose to be monotone about it, after saving Chanyeol’s number under the name Chanyeol, of course.
To: Chanyeol
From: Me
Ah, Chanyeol. Caramel
Macchiato. :)
Baekhyun mentally slaps himself when he’s pressed ‘sent’ because he realized that he had put in a smiley. On the other end, Chanyeol could only grin to himself because finally he thinks Baekhyun’s warming up to him and probably heeding his advice. But maybe that’s just Chanyeol.
The next few days, they don’t get to see each other much to Chanyeol’s chagrin because suddenly he just needed to pass an overdue work on the spot or else he would be fired and he wouldn’t have any money left to buy Baekhyun anything anymore in the future. But yes, he still does think of the older even at work.
On the other hand, Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel a little—just a teeny-weeny bit—disappointed, because he swears that for the past few days, Chanyeol’s presence has been but a plague. He thinks that maybe the younger’s tired of all the courting (sort of) that he’s doing, but knowing Chanyeol and how Kris had described him in the past—no, maybe not. at. all.
So anyway, being Byun the Baekhyun, Baekhyun calls Kris for an appointment for the next day at the very same café because he’s sure Chanyeol is coming and he’s got something up his sleeve.
“Your brother,” Baekhyun starts the next day, seated in front of the Kris who just settled across him. “He’s nothing like you.”
“Well, I don’t particularly know how to react on that. Should I be—”
“Proud of your brother? Yes,” Baekhyun finishes. “Proud of yourself? Not so much.” Baekhyun laughs.
“He’s quite a handful, huh?”
“I couldn’t push him off. He’s gotten under my skin, Kris.”
‘Wow, in just a few weeks,’ Kris’ eyes squint at the thought and asks, “The way you felt about me?” so damn straightforward, he just felt like joking. Except who would believe he’s joking with a straight face?
“No offense, but no. He’s something much more.” Much more special, Baekhyun wanted to add.
“I see,” Kris counters. “Well, I did tell you that we’re not meant to be at all.”
“And I get your theory so much better now, thanks,” Baekhyun says, before standing up and muttering, “He’s here,” because Chanyeol did come but as fast as he entered, he exits. Baekhyun noticed.
Chanyeol stormed out faster than he entered. He felt so crushed seeing the imagery of Kris and Baekhyun yet again right before his very eyes. He couldn’t even think straight now. Kris did say he’s over Baekhyun is all that he remembers and the sliver of hope Baekhyun had texted him a day ago with a smiley. But how could this have happened? Just because of a day’s absence from Baekhyun’s life and this is what he gets!?
“Chanyeol, wait!” Baekhyun calls out.
Chanyeol stops on his tracks right outside the café with a little hesitance, but looks at Baekhyun all the same and asks coldly, “What’s there left to say?”
“You’re jumping into conclusions!” Baekhyun starts when he sees Chanyeol covering his ears immaturely. “Look, I’m not back with Kris and I don’t want to be back with him. I know it’s only been a few weeks, but I think I like you. Okay, so maybe I was a little evil on even making you see us together which I did on purpose but—”
“What did you say?” Chanyeol sharply asks, 101% sure that he just heard words along the line of Baekhyun liking him.
“I was a little evil on making you see Kris and I together, but it was a little intentional because—”
“No, before that.”
“I like you?” Baekhyun half asks.
“Yeah, that,” and Chanyeol is grinning from ear-to-ear in an instant, without a care in the world and for what else Baekhyun has got to say despite cutting him off a few good times now.
“Yeah, that,” Baekhyun mocks, feeling Chanyeol now a little over his personal space.
“So?”
“What the hell, Park Chanyeol, don’t even make me say it again!”
“I won’t,” Chanyeol says shortly and adds, “Because I probably like you more than you like me.”
There’s a good minute of a pause with them just staring into each other’s—probably—soul when Chanyeol speaks again, “So it probably won’t be offensive if I do this.” And he levels himself good enough to be able to lean into Baekhyun’s lips and they kiss, but Chanyeol momentarily breaks it off when he feels something chewing at his foot.
A dog.
“Why do you have to keep ruining the moment?” Baekhyun asks in frustration and all of a sudden his right hand is on Chanyeol’s neck and pulling him closer. This time, he swears, nothing or even no one will ruin it. Not even a ‘get a room’ remark!
Kris could only smirk at the side and let a small smile form on his lips because two out of probably a lot of people he cares about is finding their happiness or probably have found it already. When he looks out the window, he’s all but surprised when he sees not only Baekhyun and Chanyeol, but a familiar raven-haired lad with so much aegyo that he’s known longer than Baekhyun waving at him happily. He’s found his happiness, too. And it’s not that he cheated or anything in the process of being with Baekhyun. It just so happened that he realized his feelings for Tao longer than he should have. Breaking up with Baekhyun is the only choice because God knows he doesn’t want to hurt him so much more.
And when he steps out the café to happiness, he feels guilt-free and light and blocked by a panda.
fin.
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