I was going to color-code the song in case you guys were confused about whose singing what, but I decided against it. Just let me know if you want me to anyway, and I'll definitely do it. And sorry again for taking forever and a day. I've been really busy .

Chen peered from around the thick scarlet curtains to assess the bulk of the increasingly expanding crowd. His eyes roved over the unknown civilians and fellow classmates, as well as a few friends who had bothered to show purely out of boredom. The mike between his trembling fingers felt much heavier than he had anticipated, the heat building in the vast pit of his stomach threatening to implode within his very core. Before a performance, no matter the population, stage, or location, Chen repeatedly fell into a hapless pattern of nerves and uncertainty. His throat clenched slightly, his breathing transforming into light puffs of air before reverting to harsh pants. His eyes dilated quickly and Chen's fingers struggled to hold onto the microphone before a dainty hand pulled it from his grasp. The same hand gently rubbed his shoulder, effectively calming the young man enough to breathe softly.

"Calm down Chen, it's just another stage," Baekhyun, Chen's close friend, murmured soothingly into his ear. He left Chen with one more pat to his back and stood next to him, sneakily looking through the certain to see if his eyes could locate one large male sporting a rather creepy smile.
"Do you think he came?" Chen peered over at Baekhyun and managed to ease his own worries with a small smile and a nod of his head.

"I bet Chanyeol will be the first to hold you after the show." He watched his friend's cheeks fill with color quickly and his smile brighten his entire lovely face, his eyes still scanning the crowd with hope. It always intrigued Chen when Baekhyun's face radiated such happiness, all at the thought of another person. The one, as Chen deemed them. The single person who can make your heart dance just back speaking, take your breath away with a simple touch. Chen had yet to experience such intense feelings, but just by looking at how Baekhyun spent his last moments behind the curtain looking for Chanyeol in the restless crowd, he too wanted that form of relationship with someone. He wanted the deepest bond of friendship, of trust, of love.

"Are you guys ready?" Chen turned his neck slightly to see Kyungsoo, mic in hand, and a particularly bright smile on his thick, full lips. He was another friend Chen had known for more years he bothered to remember, and a fellow singer.

"Yeah," Another voice answered from the very back. Lay walked closer, a beautiful brown acoustic guitar in his grasp. He only used that specific guitar when he knew Suho would be in the crowd. After all, it had been a gift from his dear sweet lover, and he wanted to reply to that love in his own way.

"Wait, where's Luhan?" Chen blinked as he realized the last singer to complete their group was indeed missing. Kyungsoo looked back and Baekhyun turned away from the curtain. For a moment nothing occurred, before the beautiful male with large bambi eyes came sprinting around the corner, his hair unkempt and the zipper of his pants still down.

"I'm here, I'm here!" Luhan called, his baby soft skin red and flushed all over, and his breathing erratic. He ran over to the group with his mic in hand and attempting to pull up his zipper using one hand.

"Do we even have to ask what took you so long?" Lay muttered. Luhan laughed nervously, running his fingers through his slightly moist hair to try and make it look somewhat presentable. Kyungsoo walked over to him and began to help out his 'son.' 

"S-Sorry, Sehun was just giving me good luck." 

"By the fact that your not limping, I take it he was on the receiving end," Baekhyun jokingly pointed out, the curtain workers finally at their stations as the crowd quieted to silence.

"Precisely. Now I'm ready for the stage." The group collectively shook their heads as they prepared to walk out into the dimming lights. It was a special stage performance they had each contributed countless hours on, and to finally stand together before a hoard felt exhilarating. They walked out together and each found their stool, Lay's having the only mic stand since his hands would be occupied.  Then slowly, but surely, the lights turned back on, the crowd a quiet ocean of chatter and excited whispers. Lay set the acoustic guitar in a comfortable position against his lap, smiling a soft knowing smile as his eyes drifted through the crowd and came to a silent pause, pure brown orbs of deepest chocolate staring back at him. The vocalist looked towards the guitarist and patiently waited for him to begin, recounting notes in their heads, calculating the perfect invisible metronome. 

When Lay set his fingers against the correct beginning chord, he strummed it lightly, creating a calm atmosphere as he became lost in the melody. Kyungsoo brought the mic to his lips, fully prepared as a boy in the crowd, sunkissed skin glistening with sweat from incistent dance practice, dug tunnels into his cheek. The boy still breathed deeply from the run, but it would always be worth it to watch his lover sing. Kyungsoo opened his mouth and sang with a glint in his eye.

"There's so many things that I could say

But I'm sure it would come out all wrong

You got something that I can't explain

Still, try and try and let you know." His voice was sweet, yet strong, a sound reverberating from deep within him. The melody moved him even as the vocalist changed. Luhan, his hair partially presentable due to Kyungsoo's hard work, gently cleared his throat just before Kyungsoo finished, their lines overlapping in an absolutely breathtaking blend of voices.

"That first summer we spent

One we'll never forget,

Looking for any kind of reason 

To escape all the mess" Kyungsoo raised his mic again and sang in unison with Luhan, one voice the normal tone, another one octave higher,

"That we thought was what made us,

Aint it funny now? We can see

We're who we're meant to me." Lay's guitar chimed out the last note of the first verse just as Luhan and Kyungsoo's voices rang out and enveloped the swooning crowd. Not a beat later, Lay,  Baekhyun, and Chen added their voices to the mix; the chorus became the highlight as five powerful voices, closest of friends, sang together.

"You still have all of my 

You still have all of my

You still have all of my Heart." Everyone dropped their voice except for Baekhyun, singing the vowel sound 'Oh' and as he brought his mic down Luhan sang where he left off, then Lay, Chen and Kyungsoo until Lay played the small transition leading into the second verse. Chen relaxed his throat as his small slice of the song appeared, and kept his eyes trained on his mic to help fight the nerves of being watched. Little did he know of the boy in the crowd who stood watching, the sound of his voice escaping him entirely. He looked purely for vocal expression due to his ailment, but he felt content with being able to see Chen sing, see the way his eyes closed as he filled himself to the brim with the music.

"There's too many times I have to say 

I could have been better and stronger for you and me." Lay craned his neck forward as his fingers kept up a light pace, the only aid they had in keeping correct time. He sang his like quite shyly, not used to being a vocalist when he usually didn't sing.

"You always make me feel okay." Baekhyun's slightly raspy voice thickened with emotion as his eyes kept close contact with the crowd. Even if Baekhyun was unable to find him, even if Chanyeol was not there, he was the person Baekhyun was singing to deep down in his thrumming heart.

"Those late summers we spent 

Stay up talking all night

I'd ask "you think we'd ever make it?" 

You'd say "I'm sure if its right." Chen peered into the crowd as he sang instead of continuing to stare down at his mic, his eyes had begun to grow irritated.

"Aint it funny to think 

Just how stupid I used to be."  Lay complete the second verse, 

"Hope you always believe." A group of girls towards the front of the crowd began to break out in sobs as the group sang the chorus twice, the journeying closer and closer towards its end. Chen had been seeing without seeing when he noticed a smile from a male staring at him from far away. His skin rivaled snow, his light brown hair encasing his face perfectly and his bangs drooped slightly into his light brown eyes. They locked eyes and Chen took a breath before his heaven sent voice came again, stronger, full of raw passion for his art.

"Let them talk and talk and talk 

Let them say what they want 

We will laugh at the thought they don't know what we've got." Luhan' large eyes easily glanced over to the male leaning against the stage to his left, a twinkle in his eye as he watched Luhan sing. Sehun had definitely given his lover all the good luck he had needed, despite the throbbing ache in his lower back.

"Every year that goes by

A year older we are 

You'll still be beautiful then 

Bless your beautiful heart"

"They'll talk and talk and talk 

How crazy is it," Kyungsoo's pitch distorted the higher his voice rose, a shuddering sound of perfection all on its own. Baekhyun sang the next line.

"Someone could waste their whole life, helplessly
 

Just patiently waiting for a love like you and me." Baekhyun began to clap the beat along with Lay and soon the crowd joined in and Lay silenced. 
"You still have all of my 

You still have all of my 

You still have all of my heart~" Each voice pianoed out into nothing and before they could stand to take a bow, the ocean of bodies cheered, cried, screamed to their hearts content. Chen felt his heart flutter as he found the boy again, his plush cheeks cuter than he had noticed the first time. Their eyes caught one another through the interminable distance and Chen processed the fluttering beneath his flesh, deep within his stomach. His breath caught as the gargantuan performance hall dulled into silence, his mind creating the illusion of wiping clean the premises, leaving behind the single boy looking back at him, his face radiant. What is this feeling, Chen quietly thought as his friends stood and took their bow, why won't my heart calm down? The dark haired male would have surely sat upon his stool for the rest of the night if not for the tap on his back which effectively broke him from his stupor.

"Come on Chenchen, its the production team's turn," Baekhyun spoke loud enough for the other to comprehend since the crowd had once again lost control. Chen nodded his head, but his broken focus had caused him to lose sight of the beautiful male. Chen shuddered as his heart throbbed against his ribs, the shock of sadness flooding his very veins as he walked away and into the cover of the curtains that had moved to cover them as they descended to the back room. Before Lay had a chance to discard his guitar, a soft pair of hands took the instrument from his worn out hands and the angelic male smiled as Lay sighed in content.

"Thanks Su," he cooed affectionately, and as soon as Suho finished casing the guitar, he found his way into Lay's arms.

"Anything for you LayLay." Chen looked away from the intimate sight, trying his best to think of something else. Large, warm arms wrapped around Baekhyun's unsuspecting form and a deep voice mumbled into his ear lovingly,

"You did amazing Baekkie." Baekhyun spun in the males arms and sprang up from his tiptoes to give the male a light brush of his lips. He pulled back with a smile and pressed his head into his chest.
"You made it Channie. I'm happy."

"I couldn't miss it even if I wanted to. Your voice is so beautiful." Chanyeol spoke a few more sugary sweet lines, successfully making Baekhyun giggle and Chen sick to his stomach. Luhan laid his mic down in the correct box and stretched, a slither of his shirt rising to revealing marked skin. Sehun instantly tugged the shirt down as his lover continued to raise his hands towards the sky.

"Hunnie that tickles, stop it," Luhan giggled as Sehun stubbornly pulled his shirt down, adamant in his want to be the only person allowed to view Luhan's stomach. He shook his head to Luhan's request and kept his hands still, catching sight of how close his own hands were inches away from the love bitten flesh and deciding it would be fun to poke his sensitive lover. He poked Luhan's sides with his index finger and smiled when the older jumped. Chen was beginning to notice his place of solitude among the couples just as Kyungsoo flushed visibly, his large doe eyes widening prettily as another male came dashing from the entrance to the backstage area.

"J-Jongin, y-you came?" Jongin was Kyungsoo's new boyfriend of a rather short time and their relationship was just sprouting its petals.

"Of course I came," Jongin scoffed and rolled his eyes, winding his arm around Kyungsoo's waist and tugging the smaller male into his warm chest,"Why wouldn't I?"

"I-I thought you had practice." 

"I did, and I skipped the rest of it so I could see you sing, duh." Kyungsoo, despite the heavy reflex he had to kick Jongin, opted for biting his lip and bowing his head, his face a flushed mess.

"You are so cute when you're embarrassed," Kai murmured, inching forward and kissing Kyungsoo's flushed cheek and smiling when the color became more intense. Chen had seen enough, trudging out of the entrance before he could witness more of the sweet moments happening among each couple. Usually, he never felt this lonely, it was much harder to feel that way when he was always with his friends, but after they found a significant other, he felt replaced. Stalking down the stairs at a light pace, Chen walked around the corner and into the audience, who were luckily preoccupied with a variation of Romeo and Juliet.

It struck Chen odd that Tao decided to go into acting, but at a brief glimpse at who dominated the stage, he figured that the blonde male known as Kris may have had a hand in the matter. He heard Tao speak a few of his lines as he walked through the crowd, unconsciously scoping out faces. Where were the plump cheeks, the pretty brown hair Chen had a liked, the eyes that had transfixed him in another dimension. Where was he?

"Why am I looking for him," Chen whispered lowly, pausing in his search as he realized he really was looking for the boy. He couldn't help this reaction, the curling of his stomach as he recalled the boy's face and smile, they all just screamed . . .

He's the one.

Chen sidestepped a member of the audience and pressed his way out of the sea of bodies, coolly covering up his stumbling feet as he saw the double doors. A few people stood against the wall and looked at the performance boredly, mostly likely being dragged along, and Chen spared a moment to inspect their faces. None fit the right description. Had he left, the one? Was he gone? With an inkling of fear spreading through him, Chen pushed through the left side of the double door and into the lobby. He looked around, his eyes the only indication that he was becoming frantic, desperate. And then he saw him, sitting across from the main entrance in a rather vacant portion of the lobby all by himself. A sigh dropped his chest and his heart came to a calm as he walked closer, the boy unaware due to his slightly lowered head. He stopped when he stood before him, unsure of how to say his request, how does one admit they have feelings for the other through a simple contact of the eyes.

As soon as I set my eyes on you, I knew you were the one.

Please, go out with me?

I want you to be my reason for singing?

I love you?

Chen shook his head and cleared his throat before opening his mouth.

"U-Uh, excuse me?" The boy made no move to look up and it simply boosted Chen's nerves.

"Um, I-I'm sorry to bother you, b-but would you go out with me?" A moment of silence passed and the boy had yet to raise his head and Chen accepted the rejection quickly, spinning on his heel and running away before he could shed a single tear in public view. Just as the distance increased between the two, the boy raised his head and blinked. Xiumin was unaware that he had been blatantly asked on a date by the boy he had been watching on stage. But something in him kept repeating the same matra over and over. Something is wrong. He stood on his rather short legs and finally saw the boy named Chen running away. He had wanted to follow, when someone caught Chen in their arms.

The male was tall, blonde, and more beautiful than any male he had ever laid his eyes on before. Xiumin sat back, his inferiority complex holding him back from following. But he wanted to be the one to hold him like that, to embrace him so closely there was no way he could escape his arms. But why would Chen want him, when he was like this? How could he laugh at his jokes when he can't hear them, blush at his sweet words when all he can comprehend is silence, love him as he was when his deaf. Xiumin turned away from the sight, the blond gently caressing Chen's hair and pulling him off to the side. His cousin always received the better end.

When Chen needed someone to talk to, there was Kris. To a third party viewer, Kris is a disassociated, heartless man that has no good in him. But it was all a lie based off of image, and Kris was far from mean. He listened, interpreted, cared, and helped Chen whenever he needed him. Just as now, with tears threatening to spill over his already wet lashes. Kris had never seen Chen cry, or look so crushed before in all of the years they had known eachother. He had never seen Chen project such emotion either.

"Tell me what happened." It was no question, it was an order. Chen's shoulders trembled as he looked up at Kris through big, watery eyes. If the blonde hadn't set his heart on someone else prior, he wouldve been in love with Chen a thousand fold.

"I-I got rejected." Even the way Chen's face scrunched up in distaste was beyond adorable. 

"By who?" Kris could be devious in his own way, and he would force whoever hurt his friend down on their knees. Chen looked over his shoulder and to the bench where Xiumin sat and turned back, using the motion to let Kris know the pale male sitting was the cause of his distress.

"Xiumin?" Kris seemed surprise at learning this fact. From what he knew, Chen had no idea Xiumin existed or that they were cousins. Chen nodded his head, absorbing the pretty name into his memory.

"He w-wouldnt even look up at me when I asked him o-out." He has no idea that Xiumin is . . . .

"Come on." Kris took Chen by his thin wrist and pulled him along as he walked over to Xiumin, who once again had his head bowed. Time and time again Kris had explained to Xiumin that if he did that, it would give people the wrong idea. He took his slim leg and nudged Xiumin's foot with his own and the smaller male finally looked up to see him, and Chen. Kris released Chen's hand and began to make motions with his hands, ending with a finger pointing at him. Xiumin's eyes widened as he read the signs, understanding, and instantly brought his hands to cover his heart and nodding his head fervently. Kris rolled his eyes and turned to Chen, who looked confused beyond belief.

"He said he'll go out with you. Happy now?" Chen's eyebrows furrowed as he attempted to come to terms with what just occurred.

Kris did sign language.

Xiumin replied in sign language.

Xiumin said not one word.

Xiumin was hearing impaired?

Chen didn't know what to do with this predicament, how was he supposed to take it. It appeared that the person he wanted to sing for so badly, couldn't hear him. But . . . He's the one, no matter what. He's the one. And Chen would do whatever it took to make it work.

~

"Can you teach me sign language?" The words bursted from his mouth in a rush of raw emotion, the begging in his tone unhinged. He was sincere with his request, his eyes pleading at Kris with all he could. After learning of Xiumin's condition, chen accompanied Kris as he took Xiumin tot heir shared home, translating Xiumin's words and in vice versa, becoming the mediator between the two. Chen appreciated Kris to the fullest, but he wanted to be with Xiumin alone, his selfish nature craved for it. And he wanted to sing for him; if he learned sign language in parallel with the song, he could easily sign along with the words, effectively singing to the one he knew he loved. These feelings brought warmth to his chest, filled him with something he had only dreamed of.

"You like my cousin enough to learn sign language?" Chen nodded his head while clasping his hands in front of his face, bowing his head slightly.

"I'll do anything to learn. Promise." Kris chuckled as he adjusted the strap of his worn out bag and turned to lightly ruffle Chen's hair.

"I'll do it, just be ready for a lot of confusion. It took me a long time to learn, but I think can get you up to speed. Be by my apartment around 7." Chen grinned and agreed, not only would he be taught sign language, but Xiumin would be there as well. They walked their separate ways, Kris heading for work and Chen back to his little apartment. He had moved out of his parents house the moment he graduated highschool, and it was an easy commune to his college. 

"Baby don't cry tonight~" Chen sang lowly as he delved his key into the keyhole and unlocked his apartment door. Silence met him, and Chen unconsciously wondered how Xiumin feels when he can't hear anything? How does he feel when he can see lips moving, but there's no way for him to know what people say? Does he feel lonely, alienated, cut off from society? It tore Chen to shreds beneath his smooth countenance, tore a hole in the center of his heart.  To distract himself, Chen decided to do some of his assignment he had been postponing and finally complete it to save his grade. It was a simply sheet of music that he had to bring to life in some way, be it adding vocals, instrumentals, orchestra, or any other type of beat drop.

So far, Chen had nothing.

He wanted to sing, he knew he could, everyone did, but to sing what? He wanted a reason, like how Baekhyun has Chanyeol to cheer for him at every concert, how Kai skips his crucial dance practice if it meant he could see Kyungsoo doing what he loved. He wanted to have someone gently massage his fingers like how Suho does Lay after every performance or how childish Sehun can be just to make Luhan smile. Xiumin, from their small encounter with Kris there every step of the way, was sweeter than anyone Chen had ever come across. He liked to smile and blow up his cheeks in a cute manner when Kris annoyed him. He hadn't been able to hear a word since he was 8, after he was injured in a car accident. He said he missed hearing the birds chirping each morning, just to wake him up; he missed the tree branch tapping against the window just to tick him off, and he especially missed the sound of music.

Chen wanted to bring that back, and with this thought in mind, he pressed a professional pen to the authentic looking sheet and began to scribble in notes with care, a geniune smile spreading against his lips as he saw the music come to life before his very eyes. He was nothing like Kyungsoo when it came to composition, but he was good enough to make a masterpiece. After a small block of writing an intricate weaving of notes against the paper, Chen dropped his pen and lay back onto his bed, his limps splashing out everywhere. He closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath to still his erratically beating heart. It still feels so strange, to beat so hard for someone I barely know, but someone I want to know so much more about. I want to take care of him, hold him close to me. I want to be his missing puzzle piece.

Beep. Chen shifted his hips up so that he could pull his phone from the confines of his back pocket. He unlocked the screen and saw that he had one new message waiting to be read. He pressed the read icon and saw the message was from Xiumin. How did he get my number?
From: ????
To: Chen 
"I hope you don't mind that I got your number from Kris. He told me you were coming over today. And I'm Xiumin in case you don't know already. ^^" Chen easily saved his number under "Baozi," the first word that come to his mind after he saw Xiumin's cheeks up close and personal. They were much too cute to be real. 

From: Chenchen

To: Baozi~

"I don't mind at all. :) And I'm coming over at 7."

From: Baozi~

To: Chenchen

"Can you come over now? :(" Chen locked his phone simply to look at the time and saw that only an hour had passed since his venture home from Kris' house, it was only 3 in the afternoon. 

From: Chenchen

To:Baozi~
"Why so soon? Is something wrong?" Chen could feel his heart skip a beat as he pictured anything happening to his sweet little baozi.

From: Baozi~

To: Chenchen
"No . . . Its just that . . . I want to see you."

~

Part 1 .