3. Nice gift: Nicknames

After closing the cafe, they decided to go to a restaurant to have their dinner together. The restaurant is not far from the cafe, so they just walk together, even though the weather is really freezing.

“How was my beatbox, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asks happily while shoving his hand into the pocket of his fluffy jacket.

“That was really good!” Baekhyun smiles and gives a thumb-up. The younger giggles and mumbles a thanks, then he turns around when someone taps his shoulder.

“Yo!” Another short cute guy calls, his round eyes turn into a fat crescent as he smiles.

“Kyungsoo, a-yo!” Chanyeol hits Kyungsoo’s shoulder lightly, “What’s up?”

Kyungsoo laughs, “I just want to congratulate you. The beatbox was great. No wonder you won. Do it with me every Wednesday night!”

“Wow, is Wednesday night special for beatbox performance?”

Baekhyun nods, “Yes. If usually we have singing performance for 1,5 hours, on Wednesday we have beatbox performance for 1,5 hours –well, but it’s not like you will do beatbox for 1,5 hours nonstop.  And also dancing every Friday.”

“Wow, this is really a cool cafe! Who’s in charge of dancing?”

“Me!” “Duh, me, of course.” The youngest Sehun and Jongin answers from behind them. Chanyeol turns to look at the youngest smiling proudly.

“So you guys are dancers?”

“Yes yes, we are.” Sehun nods arrogantly, which makes Luhan pinches his cheek and protests.

“Don’t act like you are a very arrogant person. Well, it fits you but I don’t like it.”

Sehun immediately smiles and shows his innocent face as the youngest, “I’m sorry, Xiao Lu.”

Jongin snorts and mimics Sehun “I’m sorry, Xiao Lu. Aw sweet.”

A glare from Sehun’s sharp eyes immediately shots Jongin , but Jongin doesn’t care.

“Just go to your Pororo, Krong.” Sehun hisses and then smiles to Luhan who is giggling at Sehun and Jongin’s silly fight. Jongin merely sticks his tongue out and focuses back at Kyungsoo’s cute Pororo ear-covers.

Chanyeol laughs hard that makes everyone looks at him confusedly, because he really laughing hard while the others are just giggling or merely smiles. Baekhyun elbowed Chanyeol at his stomach and finally makes Chanyeol shuts his mouth up.

“Are you always laughing that hard?” Suho asks calmly, even though he still thinks that Chanyeol is a little bit weird.

“Yes, I’m sorry. That’s a habit hehe.”

Baekhyun merely smiles.

“Well, guys, we’re here.” Kris says from behind them as he stops in front of a minimalist restaurant with grey and white as its dominant colors.

“Yeay! My favorite restaurant!” Zitao exclaims, “Let’s go in, guys! Aren’t you freezing?”

Zitao immediately runs into the restaurant excitedly.

“Ah, this is too cold!” Sehun protests and runs into the restaurant with Luhan, he holds Luhan’s wrist tightly. Luhan keeps on falling down because of it, but a smile will always plastered on his gentle face.

Chanyeol looks at them with his eyebrows raising, he nudges the short guy beside him who jumps a little without him knowing.

“Baekhyun, are they always like that?”

“Uh? Who?” Baekhyun asks blankly, he was busy scrutinizing Chanyeol’s perfect face feature till he didn’t pay attention at everything.

“Sehun and Luhan, are they always like that? Being too sweet?”

“You don’t have to be confused, Yeol hyung. They were born to be together.” Jongin interrupts while smirking.

“What??”

Chanyeol thinks he really can’t understand these people.

“You know, they look similar, right? I think they should have born as twin but unfortunately Luhan born first, and Sehun born 4 years later.”

“Are they from the same parents?”

“No, Chanyeol. They are from different family. Luhan is a Chinese.” Kris adds before Jongin speaks out nonsense again.

“Ohh, I see.” Chanyeol nods and smiles as he puts his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders, which makes Baekhyun jumps again, and Chanyeol who’s too oblivious, doesn’t realize it.

‘Shizz, why I keep on jumping every time I got skinships from him??’ Baekhyun curses inwardly, he regrets for accepting that he likes Chanyeol. ‘No way, no way. I’m the only normal guy between these ‘gays’. No way, I can’t let myself be a ‘gay’ too!’

And he stops behind to slap himself for real, no more mentally slapping-self.

≈

Baekhyun joins his fellows later after he slaps himself, Chanyeol who put his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder earlier, just left him when Baekhyun suddenly stopped walking. Baekhyun thanked God for that so he could get his sanity and logic and normality back. Too much being around Chanyeol could turn him into a ‘gay’ just like his friends.

Baekhyun lets out cold air as he sighs, looking at his friends who are attached to each other. Sehun and Luhan who are looking at the menu book together and giggling and pinching cheeks. Jongin and Kyungsoo who are talking about Pororo and Krong and whatever happily. Zitao who is telling about Gucci to Kris who patiently listens to every word of him.

If Jongdae and Minseok were there too, and also Yixing, it would be really complete. Yixing will accompany Suho and tells him everything about his days, just like an old married couple; and Yixing is the wife. Meanwhile Jongdae and Minseok will share nonsense things, trolling at each other, etc; they are the only not-sweet couple. Then Baekhyun and Chanyeol will try to communicate, Chanyeol will talk happily and asking about anything, meanwhile Baekhyun will try to understand with half of his mind busy adoring Chanyeol and the other half will busy slapping and slapping to get his sanity back.

Baekhyun sighs again, he sits between Suho and Chanyeol who haven’t talked to each other.

Suho puts down his menu book to look at Baekhyun, “What’s wrong, Baekhyun? Why do you come late?”

“I just went to the restroom.”

Suho only nods and continues reading the menu.

“What do you want to order, Baek?” Chanyeol asks, eyes still focusing on the food page.

Baekhyun raises his eyebrow and looks at Chanyeol, “Pardon?”

“What do you want to order?” Chanyeol repeats, but Baekhyun lifts his hand. “What?”

“What did you call me?”

“Baek?”

Baekhyun turns silent, ‘Baek? Two days and he has already called me with only Baek? Wow, really nonchalant.’

“Why, Baek? I think we are close enough already, that’s why I call you Baek. Moreover, we are in the same line, even though you are some months older than me.” Chanyeol says lightly as he spreads a wide smile on his face, Baekhyun still remains silent.

“Oh, you don’t like it? How about Baekkie then?”

“Baekkie??” Baekhyun squeaks, he literally squeaks like a chipmunk, which made everyone turns to him.

“Are you choking, Baekhyun hyung?” Sehun asks worrily, because Baekhyun’s face is also red as tomato now.

“Baekhyun, are you okay?” Kris asks, trying to look at Baekhyun who is hiding his face from everyone.

“I-I-I’m okay. Yeah, I just choked.”

“Drink first, Baekhyun.” Suho hands a glass of water to Chanyeol so he can give it to Baekhyun who keeps on lowering his head. Chanyeol takes the glass and nudges Baekhyun to get up.

Baekhyun was going to lift his head to drink when suddenly a familiar high-pitched voice came to his ears.

“Baekhyun, what’s wrong with you?? It seems like your head is being shoved by an evil spirits.” And those words are followed by two types of laughs: the gentle one, and the hard and harsh one.

“Yixing!” Kris says happily, it really can be heard from his voice, followed by a cough of Zitao, a jealousy cough. But Kris acts oblivious.

“Jongdae! Minseok! How can you know that we are here?” Suho asks happily, he will be really happy if all of them uniting just like now, and his real signature smile will be showing all the time.

“Kris texted me.” Yixing retorts as he sits between Suho and Luhan, Zitao coughs again, which makes Jongin laughs. Yixing acts like he didn’t hear; well, or maybe he really didn’t hear because he’s the most oblivious, even more oblivious than Chanyeol if Baekhyun could say.

“And then gege asked us to accompany him to come.” Jongdae adds and sighs, showing that he didn’t really want to come. But then Kyungsoo throws a ball of paper at him. “Wow, what’s that for, hyung??”

“For acting like you don’t wanna come. I know that you miss us.”

“Aww, I really miss you guys till I feel like I’m gonna die.” Jongdae starts his sarcasm.

Minseok merely laughs, he is really used to Jongdae’s sarcasm. But then he stops laughing when he hears an unfamiliar laugh joins. He follows the voice and taken aback by a tall figure laughing happily beside the blushing Baekhyun.

“Who??” Minseok asks, still surprised by the presence of Chanyeol. He really didn’t realize that there’s someone else besides Baekhyun. “I thought you were Kris.”

“Well, I’ve been sitting here even since you haven’t arrived yet, Minseok. In front of him.” Kris says, Minseok merely nods.

“Are you that new guy?” Yixing asks.

Chanyeol nods fast, “Hello, I am Park Chanyeol! It’s really nice to meet you all.”

Jongdae smiles, “Ah, yes yes. It seems like you are younger than me so call me hyung, okay?”

“Well, he is actually only 2 months younger than you. I don’t think that he can call you hyung, because he also doesn’t call me hyung.” Baekhyun finally speaks after ‘choking’.

“Yes! I call him Baekkie. Isn’t that nice?” Chanyeol asks innocently.

“What? What did you call him?” Luhan asks with his eyebrows raising, not sure with his ear.

“Baekkie! It’s nice, right? I can’t call him hyung because he is physically shorter than me and he also looks like a baby. So I call him Baekkie.”

Baekhyun almost choking again if Jongin didn’t start choking first.

“Jongin, what’s wrong?? Here here, drink first.” Kyungsoo hands him a glass of water which is immediately drank by Jongin.

“I’m sorry, I choked my saliva.” Jongin gulps and exhales, remains silent for a while and then laughs hard.

“WHAT??” Baekhyun protests, he knows that Jongin is laughing at him, or them, referring to him and this tall guy beside him.

“No, Baekkie. Nothing.” Jongin stops laughing slowly and wipes his tears. “Nothing.”

“That’s cute, Chanyeol. But I think our Baekhyun is a little bit shy because you call him like that.” Yixing says as he giggles.

“Ah~” Chanyeol claps, “So that’s why you choked?”

Baekhyun will have thrown the glass in front of him to both Chanyeol and Yixing if he didn’t mentally slap himself again.

“Uh… Yeah.”

And every heads starts letting out a loud laugh.

“Ah, Byun Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo shakes his head ­­­­as he continues laughing with everyone.

Baekhyun who thought that Chanyeol would apologize to him, got shocked when he got Chanyeol laughing together with everyone.

“Park Chanyeol, what do you want…” Baekhyun hisses as he rubs his temple for feeling dizzy, ashamed, and… happy in the same time.

≈

“Bye~~~” Tipsy Sehun waves to every people they are passing by, Luhan who is trying hard to keep him balance, finally sighs and asks for Kris’s help.

“Goodbye baby goodbyeee~ YEAH yeaAAAH goodBYE!!”

“Sehun, please stop singing.” Luhan says gently to Sehun’s ears, hoping that Sehun will hear him this time and stop singing.

“Nae ireumeun sujiga aninde~”

“Yes, your name is Sehun, not Suji.”

“No, Luhan, he is singing Miss A’s song.” Kyungsoo adds.

“Oh? Oh… He sings flatly, I thought he’s talking.” Luhan retorts blankly, eventhough Kris has already helped him, he still feel really heavy because Sehun stands towards him. It feels like Sehun is putting all his weight on him.

“Luhan, just give him to me.” Kris finally says after looking at the exhausted Luhan.

Luhan smiles and pushes Sehun gently to Kris.

“Ah! Oh my God, Sehun is really heavy.” Luhan grouches silently as he massages his shoulders.

“Isn’t he still underaged?” Chanyeol asks, scratching his head for feeling confused for the umpteenth times today.

“Yeah. But he’s always like that. His body is intolerant to alcohol, so even though he drink only a very little amount of alcohol, he will get tipsy. But he always try to steal some drops from anyone’s glass.” Luhan explains and sighs.

“And whose glass he took tonight?”

“Mine.” Kris answers as he positioned Sehun in his car. “That brat took my glass while I wasn’t looking.”

“I didn’t see it too.” Luhan adds, “Sehun always try to drink, he is really stone-headed.”

“I will be the president euwahahahaah presidenteu hahahah.”

“SEHUN SHUT UP OH GOD.” Zitao who is half-asleep in car suddenly shouts at Sehun that’s sitting beside him, who speaks in sleep.

“Oh my God.” Suho exhales, “You guys better go now. And… let Sehun stay at your home, Kris. I don’t think that his parents would like it.”

“Yeah of course. Get in, Luhan, Yixing. Bye guys, see you tomorrow in New Years’s Eve!”

“Yeah, see you!”

Everyone starts separating like usual, and again, Chanyeol drives for Baekhyun.

 

“Mmm, Chanyeol?” Baekhyun hesitates, but finally speaks up, before they arrive at his home and separates and loses his chance to ask.

“Yes, Baekkie?”

Thump.

Baekhyun’s heart suddenly jumped when he hears Chanyeol calling him with Baekkie again.

“Uh… Why do you call me like that? I mean, I heard your reason, but… uh.”

“You don’t like it? Or do you feel uncomfortable with that? I can just call you with Baekhyun. But, yeah, I just want to be close with you.” Chanyeol trails off in his last sentence, so that Baekhyun can hardly hear that.

“What?”

Chanyeol laughs, “No. Forget that.”

“No, how can I forget that.”

“Of course you can, come on, it is not important.”

“No.”

“Forget that, Baekkie.”

“Okay.” Baekhyun finally gives up, he hates arguing, even though he’s a typical of criticizer, he doesn’t really like arguing.

“Good.” Chanyeol smiles, “Baekhyun.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you have a good nickname for me? I have Baekkie for you, and what do you have for me?”

Baekhyun tilts his head and bites his lower lip, thinking for a good nickname for Chanyeol. Yeollie? Hmm, too ordinary. It will be the same like Baekkie, then. Chans? No, that’s weird. Chan-chan? Lol what is that? Baekhyun laughs while thinking of it.

“Why do you laugh, Baekkie?” Chanyeol who is waiting for a nickname, joins Baekhyun’s laughter without knowing what makes Baekhyun laughs.

“No, no. Just focus on the road. I am thinking for your nickname.”

“Okay.”

Baekhyun just giggles and continues thinking, he looks at Chanyeol from head to toe; even though he couldn’t really see his toes, and got a good nickname.

“Giraffe!”

“What? Giraffe??”

“Yes! Because you are really tall and looks happy all the time!”

“Is giraffe always happy?”

“I don’t know. But giraffe looks funny for me, so I guess it is always happy.” Baekhyun smiles, making his little eyes turns into crescent.

Chanyeol nods, “I like giraffe too! So, thank you for the nickname!”

“You’re welcome!”

“Oh, oh, Baekhyun, I think I got a new nickname for you.”

“And what is that? Hurry up before we arrive at my home.”

“Puppy!”

Baekhyun’s eyebrows raises, “Puppy? Why puppy? Do I look likea puppy?”

“Yes, the white and fluffy one.” Chanyeol says as he steps the break. “Arrived, puppy.”

“Why the white and fluffy one?”

“Because you are cute!”

Baekhyun laughs as he gets off of the car, together with Chanyeol.

“Thank you for the nicknames!”

Chanyeol smiles and ruffles Baekhyun’s fluffy hair, “You’re welcome. Thanks for the Giraffe too!”

Baekhyun smiles, “Good night, Chanyeol.”

author's note: ddaddaaa~ hehe sorry for the late update T__T how is it? I inserted tipsy Sehun because I think this is really silly hahaha. Tipsy Sehun is really really cute to imagine lol but I hope he will not drink any -__- Sehun is forever innocent maknae in my mind kekeke. Ah! I think I will start to give some focus on different couples in different chapters (beside BaekYeol of course heheh), and  this time is HunHan! Yeah, I know it’s not really detailed but it is HunHan kekeke. And OMG!! 12 SUBS! Thank you thank you! I will continue to work hard, I love you so much :*

~minxian~