Chapter 18: Dazzling

“Yah, Park Chanyeol, you IDIOT. Go to class more often! I keep getting yelled at because of you! I got scolded again, today, because you missed class yesterday!" Baekhyun scolded as he stomped into Chanyeol’s room.

Fuming, he ripped the manga Chanyeol was reading from his hands and threw it across the room.

“Are you even listening to me?!"

“Yes, yes, mother, I know, I know," Chanyeol said absently, seemingly unaware of his friend’s anger.

“Can you pick up the book for me?" Chanyeol asked, blinking cutely at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun blew his bangs angrily before stalking over to the book and grabbing it, throwing it haphazardly towards the general direction of Chanyeol. He smirked inwardly as he heard a satisfied thunk and a grunt, probably Chanyeol being hit on the head by the book.

“Baekhyun, are you mad?" Chanyeol asked.

Baekhyun cringed at the sudden change in tone. He found Chanyeols cute voice very,very disturbing. “Mad? I’m not mad, I’m in furious!"

He whirled around and glared at Chanyeol pointedly.

“Where were you yesterday?" He demanded.

“Well…" Chanyeol began sheepishly, rubbing his neck.

“What, were you out ing another girl? Who is it this time? Some random student you picked up off the street? Do you know how unsuitable that kind of behavior is?"

“…Is that how you think of me?" Chanyeol asked quietly, his eyes meeting Baekhyun’s hesitantly.

Baekhyun took an involuntary step back, unable to comprehend the look Chanyeol was giving him.

“O-of course! That’s the type of person you are, uncaring, insensitive, and irresponsible!" Baekhyun declared, planting his hands on his hips.

The posture would’ve been comical, and Chanyeol would’ve busted out laughing his throat dry, if it were not for the words Baekhyun had uttered.

“Oh," Chanyeol said simply after a long period of uncomfortable silence, turning back to his manga, his expression blank.

Baekhyun shifted from one leg to the other, looking at his friend with concern.

Were his words too harsh? Chanyeol should know better than to take him seriously.

“Chan-"

“You can go now," Chanyeol said abruptly, flipping pages at an inhumanely fast pace.

“Ch-"

“I said you can go," Chanyeol repeated, still not looking up at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun fell silent, staring at his best friend, appalled. The tension hung in the air for a few more minutes, suffocating and thick, winding its way around Baekhyun’s throat and Chanyeol’s heart.

“I… Okay." Baekhyun blinked once, twice, feeling surprised as his vision blurred, and his eyes stung. “Okay. Bye."

With another blink and a sharp inhale of air, Baekhyun spun on his heel and headed out the Chanyeol’s room.

He paused for a second at the doorway, waiting to see if Chanyeol would turn around and hug him, saying he was sorry and that everything was alright, or perhaps, that he was joking and Baekhyun takes everything so seriously.

He paused, waiting for Chanyeol’s large embrace, or his deep voice, or his hysterical laughter.

He paused, but there was only silence.

For the first time in a long time, Baekhyun felt tears drip from his chin and flow from his eyes. For the first time in a long time, he did not know what he was crying for.

---

“HYUNG! Baekhyun-hyung, did you get it?"

Baekhyun looked up from the bench he was sitting on to see Sehun bounding towards him, towing a confused Luhan behind him.

“Hi Sehun, Hi Luhan."

“Hello, Baekhyun-shi," Luhan said politely, enunciating his words slowly to get rid of his accent.

Baekhyun smiled in return.

“Yeah, yeah, hi, whatever," Sehun huffed impatiently, waving his arms around dramatically, nearly breaking Luhan’s nose. “Anyways, did you get it?"

“Get what?" Baekhyun asked absently, mind still stuck on Chanyeol’s previous behavior.

Sehun sighed exasperatedly.

“Are you serious? Your present, obviously!" Sehun exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing on Earth.

Baekhyun simply stared at him.

“What?"

“Ohmygodareyoudenseorsomething?" Sehun muttered under his breath, earning a sharp jab from Luhan.

“Wait, I really don’t know what you’re talking about," Baekhyun said, now immensely curious.

“You don’t?" Sehun asked, surprised. “But hyung said he was going to give it to you today!" 

“Hyung?"

Sehun nodded enthusiastically, absently wrapping his arms around Luhan from the back, out of habit. He rested his chin on Luhan’s head and looked up at Baekhyun.

“Chanyeol-hyung said he was going to give you your birthday present early, because he’s going to be out of the country on that day," Sehun explained.

“Sehun-shi, can you please let go of me?" Luhan muttered, wriggling around.

“Anyways," Sehun continued, ignoring Luhan and tightening his hold on him, “I’m surprised you don’t know about it."

Birthday? The gears in Baekhyun’s mind whirred until finally, click. It was April 28^th. His birthday was in a week.

“He went to buy it yesterday."

Yesterday…

Before he knew it, Baekhyun’s feet were bringing him to Chanyeol’s room. He ran down the hallway, ignoring the disapproving looks he received and Sehun’s persistent calling, and pushed the door open with a loud, “PARK CHANYEOL."

Chanyeol’s head shot up from his desk, startled. His eyes grew even wider as Baekhyun slammed the door close behind him and stalked over, grabbing him gruffly by the collar and pulling him up.

Baekhyun himself was surprised at the tremendous strength he suddenly possessed.

“What?" Chanyeol asked dully, his expression turning blank once more.

Gulping, Baekhyun loosened his grip as he realized he had no idea what he was going to say. Chanyeol brushed his hand away and straightened his shirt before settling back into his seat.

“If you have nothing to say, please leave. You can get thrown into jail for manhandling the crown prince," Chanyeol said coldly.

When he received no response, he looked up and sighed. “Did you not hear me? Ple-"

“Sorry."

Baekhyun’s voice was soft and hoarse, yet it was louder than anything else. Chanyeol stared dumbly at Baekhyun, unable to comprehend what just happened.

Did Baekhyun just apologize?

“Sorry," Baekhyun repeated, his eyes flitting to Chanyeol’s shyly.

“W-what for?" Chanyeol asked, swallowing thickly.

“For being such an ."

“I don’t know what you’re talking about," Chanyeol said, trying to keep up his cool façade that was quickly slipping.

“Sehun told me."

“What? Sehu-oh. ….Oh. ….OH. That bastard!" Chanyeol cursed, stomping his feet and running his hand through is hair, frustrated. “Damn it!"

Silence settled over them again as Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun, and then away, periodically cussing under his breath and muttering evil plans for Sehun’s painful death (which included sending a herd of cattle after him).

“So… now that I know anyways… what did you get me?" Baekhyun asked tentatively, breaking the silence.

“I’m still angry, you now," Chanyeol said, opening a drawer and withdrawing a small box. “You called me stupid, insensitive, and irresponsible."

"Uncaring, insensitive, and irresponsible," Baekhyun corrected. Then, he smiled. “But I take that back."

“Why, because you want your present?" Chanyeol joked, placing the box in Baekhyun’s outstretched palm.

His bright grin told Baekhyun that the quarrel was over, and he breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Open it," Chanyeol urged, his eyes shining with excitement.

Amused and curious, Baekhyun opened the box.

He stared at the present, stunned.

“Baek…hyun?" Chanyeol prodded after Baekhyun didn’t speak.

Biting his lip, Baekhyun finally lifted a hand and the gleaming silver watch shining up at him.

It wasn’t a name brand; there was no logo or insignia, but it was definitely not inexpensive. Diamonds were encrusted around the clock face, though it wasn’t over done. A gold band circled the clock, and the leather strap was softer than anything he had felt before. Despite the jewels, the watch was simple, in its own way, and elegant. It was exactly something Baekhyun, the forever fussy fashionista, would wear.

“I…" Baekhyun trailed off, speechless.

“Do you like it?" Chanyeol asked nervously, walking in a circle around Baekhyun.

Baekhyun looked at the watch for a few more minutes before reaching out to grab Chanyeol, stopping him midstride and nearly making him topple over.

“Baekhyun?"

“Thank you," Baekhyun said softly.

“What?"

“Thank you."

“I can’t hear you, Baekhyun," Chanyeol said, genuinely confused. “You’ve got to speak louder. You know, you’re always like this. One second, you’re so loud, and the n-"

“I SAID THANK YOU, YOU STUPID IDIOT!" Baekhyun yelled, glaring up at Chanyeol.

Chanyeol blinked a few times before breaking into a grin, despite the fact that Baekhyun was just shouting at him.

“You’re welcome," he replied sweetly, rubbing the back of his head and smiling like an idiot.

With a small laugh, Baekhyun leaned over and engulfed Chanyeol in a hug, pressing close to him. Chanyeol, surprised at first, quickly returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around his shorter friend.

“Yeah, I take that back. You’re definitely a caring, sensitive, and somewhat responsible person," Baekhyun joked, burying his face in Chanyeol’s chest.

Chanyeol frowned. “Hey! I’m very responsible!"

“Right, totally."

“I aaaaammm!"

“Okay, okay, you’re caring, sensitive, and very responsible. Is that better?"

Chanyeol thought about it for a moment before nodding, momentarily forgetting that Baekhyun couldn’t see him.

“Yup, that’s better!"

“Aish, you little idiot," Baekhyun said, pulling away, smiling. “Thanks for the watch though."

Baekhyun held out his wrist, and looked at Chanyeol pointedly. Grinning, Chanyeol lifted it out carefully and strapped it around Baekhyun’s arm.

“Don’t worry, by the way. It’s faux leather, so no cows died for this."

Baekhyun felt his heart melt into a little puddle of goo at that.

“There you go!" Chanyeol exclaimed, patting Baekhyun once before letting go of his arm.

The rest of the day was spent at Chanyeol’s desk, bickering away about the most scattered topics. At one point, they came up with a plan to make Kris do aegyo (they were going to tie him onto a tree branch and then place a bucket of boiling hot water under him until he did aegyo). The idea was quickly dismissed after Baekhyun pointed out that it was going to be a pain in the getting Kris onto the tree in the first place.

When Baekhyun left for the day, he left with a large, stupid smile, that he didn’t know he had slapped on.

“I love you," Chanyeol had said after walking Baekhyun to the gates.

'I love you too' was stuck in Baekhyun’s throat as he glanced up at Chanyeol’s dazzling grin.

He noted that even the sunset seemed dim when compared to that smile.

_________________________

A/N: I apologize for any messed up formatting ;___; my computer is being mean to me.