Sweat dripped from his forehead and his throat felt dry and scratchy. His limbs as well as his vocal chords ached. Ventilation and allowed little air in the small room.
The fact that the air conditioning wasnt working in the practice room did not help at all. 

Once his legs couldn't hold his body up anymore, he fell to the ground and his long figure lay sprawled across the practice room floor. 

"Here, you look like you could use this."

Chanyeol, who had his face pressed up against the wooden floor, turned to look up at where the voice had come from. It was Baekhyun and, thank the lord, he had a bottle of ice cool water in his outstretched hand. 

"Go on," he said, motioning for Chanyeol to accept the bottle. "Take it. There's more in the cooler."

Chanyeol took the bottle gratefully before hoarsely saying a "thank you".

"Y'know, you shouldnt over-work yourself like this. The concert is only two weeks away. We dont want you becoming ill now," Baekhyun said as he sat indian-style beside the zombie figure of Chanyeol in the middle of the practice room. Most of the members stepped out of the room for fresher air to inhale, as oppose to breathing in the cheap kind in the practice room, while others gathered around the cooler chugging down bottles after bottles of water.

Chanyeol took a big gulp from the bottle and wiped his upper lip with the back of his hand. He felt his throat refresh and he couldn't help but let out a soft "ahh" in satisfaction, his usual Happy Virus smile forming on his lips. Baekhyun couldn't help but chuckle at his friend. 

"Manager hyung says I need to work harder cos I'm lacking," Chanyeol shrugged as he took another gulp of water, the smile only vanishing as the bottle meets his lips.

Those soft lips, Baekhyun thought.

He's also thought about other things regarding those lips. He has imagined how warm they would feel pressed up against his skin, or how sweet they would taste on his tongue. But they were his friend's lips. Friend. Nothing more. Unfortunately, he thought. 

"I don't think so," Baekhyun thought to himself before realising those words actually excaped his own lips. 

"What was that?"

Baekhyun's head  towards a confused looking Chanyeol. The younger boy's eyes were round and dough-like in confusion and Bakehyun had to control himself before he could attack the younger then and there. He quickly gave a hopefully plausable smile and shook his head. "Nothing."

Chanyeol nodded obliviously, his signature  smile spread across his face as he sipped on the emptying bottle of water, an over-exaggerated frown replacing his smile. 

"I'll get some more," Baekhyun said as he quickly got up, of course, trying to avoid the younger's face in case if it was burning red in embarrassment. But before he could make his way to the cooler, a warm hand wrapped around his wrist and he was tugged back down. 

"Baek hyung," Chanyeol said, almost whispered, to Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun didn't realised his eyes were shut tight as he felt Chanyeol's warm breath on his face. He was too afraid to open them, afraid of what he'll see, afraid of how close they were.  His heartbeat quickened and he couldnt take it anymore as he slowly opened his eyes to see Chanyeol's face only centimetres away from his own. 

Ever since his trainee days when his friend from the company had introduced him to the younger, he knew he felt something different towards him. How a 'hello' and a frantic wave from Chanyeol would make him blush and wave like an idiot as well. How he tries his best to follow dance routines and that determination in his eyes and his tongue slowly sticking out in concentration makes Baekhyun feel butterflies and weak in the knees. How the younger's deep voice fills the audio room when he raps makes Baekhyun want to scream like a fangirl and do cartwheels like a fool. Ever since their trainee days Baekhyun knew he loved him. 

But because of company rules and other things that prevent him, Baekhyun could never tell Chanyeol how he felt. Regardless of the society's view on things, he still couldn't. Sehunnie and Jongin have urged him many times before to just confess to Chanyeol but he really just couldn't, in which they responded with a "grow a pair, hyung."

Now that Chanyeol was so close, so physically close, he could just inch a bit closer and kiss him. But, of course, Baekhyun simply couldnt. Instead of 'growing a pair' Baekhyun could feel his insides caving in, or more likely, his 'pair' shriveling up and falling off. 


"Hyung, do you feel all right? Hyung?" Chanyeol was sincerely worried for the older. He was surprised and worried as to why the older's face had changed expression suddenly.

Baekhyun was shaken out of his reverie by the soothing and deep voice of Chanyeol. Once again he found himself face to face with Chanyeol, this time worry and anxiety spread across the other's face. However, Baekhyun found himself frozen. He couldnt move away from where he sat, face to face, centimetres away from Chanyeol's. 

"What?" Baekhyun managed to croak out. 

"I was just gonna say that I'd get the water myself but suddenly you got pale, hyung," he voice quickened. "and your face completely blanked out and I got worried that maybe I pulled you too hard, hyung, and that maybe you were gonna throw up, hyung. You looked really really sick and I got so scared....hyung."

A gush of words escaped Chanyeol's mouth but all Baekhyun could concentrate on was how close he was to the plump lips that moved before his eyes. If anyone were to find out how many times he'd fantasized about those lips against his, or how they'd feel all over his body, he'd be locked up and the key thrown away. Once again, he snapped out of his imagination when Chanyeol's tongue swiped across the bottom of his own lip and cleared his throat. 


"Baekhyun hyung! Are you gone deaf too!?" Hands reached out to Baekhyun and cupped his face. "Oh, my gosh, Hyung! Can you hear me? Hyung!"

Baekhyun was frozen in place as his eyes widened in shock. Chanyeol's warm hands were on his face and he could not utter a single word. Although he was being shaken frantically by the other, he still remained like a statue.

"Oh, gosh." Chanyeol, if it were even possible to do so, moved closer to Baekhyun as he examined his face. "No, hyung. You can't go deaf! Your voice, oh gosh, your voice," his head hung low now. "How are you going to go on? No, it's okay, hyung. I'll help you sing, I'll help you hear. You have so much more to hear."

Baekhyun, although his heart still did flips in his chest, couldnt help but hold in a laugh at how Chanyeol was reacting. This was also one of the many things he loved about his friend.

He was about to interrupt and console the younger of how he hadn't gone deaf before the younger spoke again. 

"Hyung, you still have to hear how much I like you, hyung."

Baekhyun's jaw dropped and his eyes widened as big as Kyungsoo's. Did he hear correctly?

"W-what?"

Chanyeol's head snapped back up and once again, as if it were the millionth time within the span of five minutes, their eyes met. This time, it was not only Baekhyun, nor Chanyeol to have big, shocked eyes as big as Kyungsoo's, but the two looked like deer caught in headlights. 

The two were brought back to reality when someone cleared their throat before them. 

Speaking of the devil. 

"If you guys are gonna make out, please take it somewhere else. Break is over," Kyungsoo said bluntly as he screwed the cap back on his water bottle, rolling his eyes at the older two on the floor. 

"Making out? Nah, they look like they're finally gonna get it on right here right now," Jongin chirped in as he walked around the small crowd in the middle of the practice room, followed by an "Ouch, hyung!" as Kyungsoo whalloped him across the arm. 

-

The rest of practice was spent avoiding the other. Shy glances were sent to one another but neither of the two could really keep eye contact. Jongin had slung his arm over Baekhyun's shoulder in an attempt to some more about earlier events but, once again, he received a good slap across the head. 

"I only speak the truth, hyung!" Jongin whimpered as he rubbed at his throbbing head. 

"Go away, Jongin," Baekhyun threatened as he raised an arm, only to see Jongin flinch and back away. 

-

Hours had passed since practice and neither Baekhyun or Chanyeol were talking to one another. The other members could feel a weird atmosphere about them in the dorm and it only took the maknae to say a few words before things got even more awkward. 

"Did Baekyeol break up or something?" Sehun dead-panned. 

Kyungsoo could not have rolled his eyes even more. He was about to Suho chirped in just in time. "Baekyeol is just for the cameras, Sehunnie."

Sehun shook his head at the leaders naivety. Suho shot back a confused look. 

Baekhyun, who sat on one end ofthe couch blushed as Chanyeol, on the other end found the commercials on the tv extra interesting on mute. 


Before the members each dispersed to go to sleep, Jongin managed to pat Baekhyun on the shoulder as if he were giving his regards.

Baekhyun slowly opened the door and  stepped in the room he shared with Chanyeol. The room was dark but he could faintly see the long figure that lay very still on the far left. Chanyeol had decided to sign off early claiming practice had worn him out completely so the older decided to slip into bed quietly so as not to disturb the younger. 

For Baekhyun, the atmosphere was totally off in their room. Although the other was most likely fast asleep, the quiet sounds of breathing from across the room assured this, he still felt his heart quicken just like earlier in the practice room. 

- "Hyung, you still have to hear how much I like you, hyung." 

Those four words could not stop repeating itself in his mind. Chanyeol's deep voice saying, "I like you, hyung" just completed him. It made him feel all bubbly and warm on the inside. This is what the fangirls must feel when we go all tocuhy-feely on each other on stage, he thought to himself. 

Baekhyun his side and sighed, his back facing the unconscious giant on the other bed. He wished so bad that what he and the younger had on stage was real. He loved the skinship; the subtle touch of the hands, lips slightly brushing his cheek when the other reaches over to whisper, the strong fingers that lightly brushed his waist when he came to stand close to him. 

All of a sudden, he was snapped out of his reverie. The bed shifted slightly and the blanket fell of his shoulders. Long arms wrapped tightly around him and he felt himself stiffen. He held his breath and shut his eyes tight. Is this seriously freaking happening? he thought. Of course, they've shared a single bed before, but something made Baekhyun feel a little uncomfortable beneath his younger's arm. 

"Hyung," the younger whispered over his shoulder, his warm breath playing over his neck and cheek. That word. It would be the death of Baekhyun on day. "Hyung, I know you're awake."

Baekhyun released a low breath slowly before opening his eyes. Slowly, he shifted and turned to face Chanyeol. The younger's silhouette was perfect. The brown curls that fell over his eyes, his abnormally large (but still very cute to Baekhyun) ear that stuck out between them, his long neck, his broad shoulders; he was perfect. 

"Hyung."

Baekyun made out where Chanyeol's eyes were. He could almost see, but maybe he couldnt, really, the sadness in the younger's eyes. 

"Hyung, please don't be mad at me. If it was something I said, hyung, that upset you, I'm really really really sorry, hyung! Just please...hyung, please dont be mad at me hyu-"

Each word that escaped Chanyeol's mouth made his grip around Baekhyun's waist tighter. The older could feel how worried the other felt and it ached him. Before he knew it, he reached up and pressed his lips lightly against the younger's.  

Baekhyun was right all along. Chanyeol's lips were as soft as they looked and they felt amazing against his. He wanted for the kiss to be deeper but he pulled away. He rested his hand on Chanyeol's shoulder and squeezed lightly. 

"I never said I was angry. Why would I be angry with-"

"Hyung! W-what was th-that? I-I-I...You..Your lips..Hyung I-"

"Stop saying hyung unless you want my heart to explode!"

"B-b..But you were ill! Then you were deaf and I..Wait, why would that make your heart explode, hyung?"

Baekhyun pulled Chanyeol closer to him, his head resting on the younger's chest. "I was like that because you make me nervous. Your presence does things to me, Chan. And when you call me hyung, you might as well punch me in the neck."

The chuckle that rose in Chanyeol's chest please Baekhyun's ear. The younger felt his cheeks redden and he was thankful the room was dark. "I could never punch you in the neck...I mean, I could never hurt you. Ever!" The younger himself was nervous as he ran his palm up and down Baekhyun's back, now both of his arms wrapped tightly around the older. "What I said earlier, if you heard it or not, I really really do like you, hyung. You're my favorite hyung in all of ever and I...-" 

Baekhyun pulled back and shot Chanyeol a confused looked, despite the fact that it was almost pitch black in the room and none of his features were visible to the other at all. "I'm your favourite hyung and you what, Chan?"

Chanyeol cleared his throat and all of a sudden his palms became sweaty. 

"Chan?"

"I...I don't know how to say it."

"Just freaking say it  so we can all get some sleep already." Kai's voice boomed from the other side of the bedroom door followed by a "Yeah, Chanyeol hyung! Grow a pair, man!" from Sehun, and a loud thud. "Ow, Kyungsoo! Why the hell-"

"It wasn't me, pabo!" hissed the said member. 

"Let Baekyeol have there moment, kill joy!" Suho sniffled followed by a soft thud on the door. 

Baekhyun had grabbed his cuddle pillow and threw it at the door in attempt to shut the other members up before reaching up to Chanyeol's lip, well, most of it since it was dark and he couldn't really see, and pressed his lips against his for longer. 

"I love you," he whispered as he pulled away. 

"Whaaa, Baek hyung did it! He actually grew a pair!" Kai said through the door. 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun couldn't help but smile at the fools that stood behind the door. A shuffle of footsteps faded away from the door and soon, Baekyeol were alone. 

"I love you too," Chanyeol whispered back. "Hyung."