Intrigue
Intrigue
Baekhyun always saw Chanyeol as a sort of goofy person; all long, lanky appendages and gummy smiles and spontaneous, manic behavior. But then there were those rare times that Baekhyun got to catch a glimpse of a different side of him - a side that was soft and contemplative - and it intrigued him.
That's what made him approach the taller man that one summer morning, stride set determinedly despite the anxiety pounding away in his chest. Chanyeol was sitting on a bench in the park near the apartment complex they both lived in, writing something in a notebook, and Baekhyun ended up stopping a few feet away from him – hands clenched at his sides and mouth pressed into a thin, awkward line.
He had no idea what to say.
". . . Um."
Chanyeol looked up, eyes widening as he saw him standing there. "Oh, hi. You're . . . Baekhyun, right? Byun Baekhyun?"
Baekhyun nodded erratically. "U-uh, yeah. That's me. And you're Park Chanyeol."
A twitch stretched the taller man's lips into a wide, inviting grin. "Yeah." He patted the seat on the bench next to him, "Care to join me?"
Baekhyun took the seat quickly, watching as Chanyeol went back to whatever he was writing in his notebook. At first Baekhyun thought he should respect the younger man's privacy, but the curiosity was really eating at him. And finally – after a heated internal argument with himself – Baekhyun gave in to the temptation.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"Writing."
"Ah."
Chanyeol didn't seem very talkative when he was writing.
"Writing what?" Baekhyun pressed.
Chanyeol looked up, eyes wide. "Are you really curious or are you just asking?"
Baekhyun blinked and then ducked his head, embarrassed. "I'm really curious."
Chanyeol smiled. "People aren't normally interested in what I'm writing."
"Well, I am."
A few beats of silence passed in which Chanyeol's smile widened to the point that Baekhyun was sure his jaw would crack. "Oh, okay. Well . . . uh, I'm writing this idea I came up with a while ago. See, I've always wanted to publish a book; I just never really had any good ideas – none good enough to run with. That all changed with this." He waved the notebook around a bit and Baekhyun followed it with his eyes. "Still interested?"
Baekhyun nodded, and so Chanyeol began.
"This story is set in the future."
"Ah, like a sci-fi book!"
"Yeah!" Chanyeol laughed at his enthusiasm. "It's about this band of traders . . . well, actually they're more of space pirates, but they call themselves traders or mercenaries to escape the government's notice."
"Space pirates?"
"Yep, space pirates. They loot abandoned ships, mostly. Though they will attack the occasional small cruiser." He smiled. "It's different, though, because they're not just looking for any ship to loot off of, they're looking for the most valuable cargo available in their time period – books."
Baekhyun tilted his head to the side. "Like, just normal, bound books?"
"Yeah, because see, in this time period nearly everything is digital – books aren't being printed like they are now anymore because everything is just data, data, data; so actual bound books on actual paper are extremely valuable. Lots of collectors of ancient artifacts – rich old guys in cashmere sweaters and whatnot – will buy them for large sums of money. And that's where the space pirates come in."
"But what's the catch?" Baekhyun wondered. "There has to be some sort of twist or problem, right?"
Chanyeol nodded. "There is . . . but it's a secret."
Baekhyun made a face. "Hey, come on. You can't just dangle that kind of story in front of me and then leave me hanging!"
"You'll just have to buy a copy when it gets published, then!" Chanyeol laughed.
Baekhyun pouted and Chanyeol poked at his cheeks, grinning like an idiot.
Baekhyun was still in school, but they'd just had their midterm finals, leaving him with a bit of extra time to spend with his new, intriguing friend.
Chanyeol had dropped out of college some years before – not caring enough to go for a degree when writing was his passion – and he now worked night shifts for the local post office, keeping him at home all during the day. He rarely slept as far as Baekhyun could see, but it didn't seem to bother him.
Whenever Baekhyun stopped by to talk to him on the days that were warm enough for Chanyeol to sit out on his favorite bench, he was always writing.
"Why do you like to write so much?" Baekhyun asked him once. "It always seemed so rigid to me. Like there are all these grammar rules you have to follow and you only have a certain amount of things you can do, and you have to keep it realistic to a point and everything. It just sounds boring."
Chanyeol shook his head. "You're missing the point, Baekhyun. Sure, there are rules – there are rules for everything in life – but for me writing is different. Writing is freedom - the way you throw yourself into a different world; lose yourself in its colors with complete and total abandon . . . it's exhilarating."
"I've never heard anyone describe it like that."
Chanyeol shrugged. "I always seem to think differently from everyone else."
Baekhyun gave him an odd little smile. "I don't think that's a bad thing."
And so their afternoons continued on like that, week after week, month after month, until it got to the point that if Baekhyun didn't pause at some point during the day to sit down with Chanyeol and just talk, everything felt wrong.
"Do you believe in magic, Baekhyun?"
Baekhyun lifted his head to stare at Chanyeol where he was lying on his back in the freshly-fallen leaves. They'd opted out of the bench today, choosing instead to surround themselves in the smells of autumn as Baekhyun laid on his stomach beside Chanyeol, rubbing his hands together for extra warmth. The weather had shifted dramatically in the last few weeks from the heat of summer to the chill of fall, and winter could be seen creeping along already in the frost that coated the windows in the mornings and the freezing temperatures that snuck in after the sunset.
"No." He replied after a moment. "I used to, when I was a kid. But not anymore."
Chanyeol grinned at him. "Aw, that's not good, Baekhyun. I think, to some extent at least, we have to allow ourselves to retain the worldview we had as a child. It's not so bad to believe in a little bit of magic now and then, is it? I feel it keeps things fresh."
Baekhyun stared at him, again entranced by the intrigue flowing off the younger man in waves. He seemed so free at times like this, without a care in the world. A part of Baekhyun wanted that freedom. He wished he could do what Chanyeol had done, but his parents would kill him if he dropped out of the expensive college they'd worked so hard to get him into.
"Perhaps." He murmured finally, watching as small clusters of crumpled, brown leaves were blown to-and-fro around them; scattering through the wind.
It was a few months later that Chanyeol got to the park late, bounding up in a few great strides with his hair all askew and a pair of goofy-looking glasses perched on the end of his nose. He grinned at Baekhyun, nearly falling over himself as he plopped down next to the shorter man on their bench, and handed him a notebook.
"What's this?" Baekhyun wondered, flipping through it. The notebook was empty, pages standing stark white and brand new and so full of possibilities.
"It's yours." Chanyeol smiled. "You told me you used to write when you were younger, right?"
"Yeah, but – but that was a long time ago, and –"
Chanyeol put a finger over his lips, cutting him off. "Just try it, please, for me."
There was no way Baekhyun would ever be able to resist him.
"Sure." He finally agreed.
Chanyeol's smile could've rivaled the sun.
You know, I can't smile if you don't.
The first time Chanyeol kissed him it was under the stars, on a night he had off from work. They'd met up after Baekhyun had gotten out of class and assumed their favorite place at the park, ignoring the cold. Winter had bared its teeth a couple months back, coating most of the land in a blanket of smooth, unblemished white, and the only way to keep warm was to get as close as was humanly possible and share body heat. Baekhyun had no qualms about scooting closer to Chanyeol, letting the taller man wrap an arm around his shoulders. And though he'd never seen the kiss coming, it definitely wasn't unwelcome.
Baekhyun found his inspiration to write after that.
When Chanyeol went to meet him a few days later he froze at the sight of his boyfriend curled up on the bench, hunched over the notebook Chanyeol had given him and scribbling it in furiously, tongue peeking out from behind his chapped lips in concentration.
"Our positions seem a little switched all of a sudden," Chanyeol said with a laugh, moving to sit down next to the older man.
Baekhyun returned his smile. "Yeah, they do, don't they?"
"So," Chanyeol slipped his own notebook into his bag, turning all his attention to his boyfriend. "What are you writing?"
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