It’s cold. Baekhyun winces as the cold bites his fingers and seeps in through his jacket. He’s all made-up and dressed-up in his tuxedo. Reaching into his silk coven pocket he pulls out a golden covered pocket-watch, it’s right on time, just like usual. Skipping down the steps he opens the taxi door. It’s going to be great.

The windows are misty from the cold that Baekhyun has a childish urge to draw something. Saliva slowly trickles down the windows and it’s no surprise to Baekhyun as he’s driven through the poor district of their world. Not country or place.World.Because no country with a “loving” government as they have let’s 50 thousand people slowly go insane and die of starvation.

The taxi bumps up and down and it’s no doubt that they are dead bodies. Their clothes would be hung from their bodies but not for long as they will be stripped and stolen from others. Baekhyun see’s the exact scene happening in front of him, through his coal – expensive brand name- eyes. Their eyes are so scarily void of emotion, these people simply don’t care.

Mucus filled spit is still dropping down the windows and undoubtly all around the taxi and Baekhyuns sighs. Having seen enough he turns away from the window and leans back into the safety of his soft taxi seat.

What those spitters don’t realise is that they could actually do something. They could protest and protest instead of just focusing on hating the wealthy. They the upper and lower class could snap the tight bond the government had over them both. However judging from their eyes and actions it wouldn’t be any time soon. Baekhyun wouldn’t put it past them. The taxi he’d ordered could feed over half of them for a year.

Lights steadily flash in front of them and they’re here. They’re in the upper district of their world. Billboards are flashing with all kinds of ads for better skin, food and a key. A simple key is shown for quite a while. A friendly little reminder from the government, that happiness doesn’t last forever. Keys are essential you see. To make things fair the government hands the rich an individual key. Keys that can be handled to the bank that’s on every street corner in the upper district. If your key is handed to the bank then all your wealth and status is taken away and is therefore the other persons.

Without your wealth and status you’ll be looked down upon and thrown to the poor district. He needn’t worry about his key though; he’s got it locked somewhere safe.

Baekhyun mutters “Wealth and status. “As he gets out and pays the taxi-driver more money than necessary.

He steps unto the stairs of the brightly-lit mansion. It’s going to be great.

He signs the sheet to check in and puts the greatest smile he has ever smiled. It’s going to be great. Greatly boring.

The minute he steps in he’s hit with the appetizing smell of aromas of food and spices mixed in with Dolce and Galbenia. Dark red curtains hung off the windows and chandeliers hung up from the ceiling.

There’s a faint low mummer of people making small chat and he grabs a glass of wine that will last him all night. Food is splayed out on tables, red lobster, cakes, melt in your mouth meat and garlic buttered rolls. Food that’s more enough to feed them and the poor district all together. All that food will go down rubbish shoots. Baekhyun scowls at the thought before remembering he should smile. There’s nothing to do all evening but smile.

“Ah! Baekhyun!”

He’d let his mind wander for too long. He turned around at the high pitched voice and faced the blonde-curled slender woman. His pearly teeth shine, as if he’s happy to see her.  

“It’s been long.” Baekhyun says after kissing the back of her hand.

It’s only been a couple of weeks but she brightens at the thought of Baekhyun missing him.

“How are you doing?”

Like you care.

Baekhyun takes a long sip from his glass of wine before replying:

“I’m doing good-“

“Still donating to those lower scums?” She interrupts and giggles, her eyes crescent shaped as she covers her teeth with her hand. “Oops. I meant lower class.”

He isn’t going to give her the reaction she wants. Baekhyun smiles brightly.

“Yes. Is your dress Ralph Lauren? It looks gorgeous on you.”

She blinks and that’s all that’s needed to set her off. She talks and talks. Baekhyun tunes her out but nods along to pretend as if he’s actually taking an interest in what she’s saying. His gaze slowly wonders across the room and he peers over her shoulder to see the same faces. The same faces wearing the same expressions talking to the same people. The expressions are happy and fake. Fake as plastic. Literally and metaphorically as in they weren’t interested in what the other person was saying at all.

Having a party every week is tiring after all and nothing changes or happens in a week. In between sips of wine he looks at faces, clothes. Everything’s the same same same. His eyes narrow until he comes across a red bow-tie.

He blinks surprised.A red bow-tie in a sea of black and white clothing. Baekhyun looks up curious to see who the red bow tie belongs to and almost drops the bottle of wine he’s using to refill her drinks. He must have been staring because pretty brown eyes meet his. The light hearted brown eyes of red bow-tie man crinkle at the corners sending a sweet glimmer to his eyes. What makes him stare a bit longer is that there’s a little in a plea in them as he’s cornered into a corner.

Baekhyun bows before kissing the back of her hand again.

“Excuse me miss.” He makes his voice go deeper and huskier, as he gazes into her eyes knowing full well that his eyes will enrapture hers.

“But I have some business to attend to; we’ll talk some later Miss beautiful.” As stupid as that line is it’s satisfactory for her as it has her blushing and shyly muttering goodbye.

 “Excuse me a minute.” The elder turns around at the touch of a palm on his elbow. Startled he glares at the interruption before realising its Baekhyun. He smiles sweetly then bows.

“Ah Mr Baekhyun didn’t realise you had a business with him.” His yellow stained teeth appear again as he smiles a lecherous grin. He smiles at red-bow-tied-man the way a wolf would smile at a lame lamb, even going as far as to wink.”I’ll catch you later.”

Red bow tied man sighs in relief as the elders back is turned.

“Thanks for that.”

He runs a hand through his not gelled hand but every strand of hair is perfectly styled in place and grins sheepishly. Baekhyun is surprised to see it’s an actual genuine smile.

“It’s just that I didn’t know what he was talking about. And before I knew it, it was too late to stop him. And if I stopped him to ask what he was talking about it’d looked like I wasn’t listening or interested.”

Baekhyun assess him carefully.

“Mr Park Chanyeol?”

Chanyeol lights up at the sound of his name, a proud flush on his cheeks the almost same colour as his tie.

“You know me?” he asks in disbelief.

The shorter male replies “Well of course....who wouldn’t know Mr Chanyeol the head of Weapons and Weapons, If Food is Food Can I eat you-“

Baekhyun tries to stifle laughter at the name of Chanyeols restaurant but he’s unsuccessful at the sound of Chanyeols voice.

With his voice high and defensive Chanyeol says, “The magazines tend to over-exaggerate that-“

Baekhyun interrupts. “And all of that and more at the tender age of twenty two.”

 “You do know that man you were talking to was very dangerous?” Baekhyun leans back against the wall, the sweet taste of cherry at the tip of his tongue before continuing,”Yesung was his name. The minute he’d got you alone, he’d killed you without batting an eyelash.” It’s pathetic really and there’s clear distaste in his voice as he spits “Blood-shed all just for your key.”

Chanyeol blinks before puffing his cheeks.

“....Seriously? He seemed so nice.”

Baekhyun stops mid-sip before peering over the glass at Chanyeol, “A face can wear many masks you know.”

Chanyeol stares back attentive, eyes attentive and bright. Yeah no wonder Yesung had picked him. Chanyeol stuck out like a sore thumb. For the twenty minutes he’s looked at Chanyeol he has his personality figured. He’s a good person also earnestly interested in other people. He makes such an easy target.

Chanyeol doesn’t hear what he says because he tilts his head to the left. “Pardon? Could you repeat that again?”

Baekhyun shakes his head before muttering “Doesn’t matter.”

Chanyeol blinks and nods along. He realises something his mouth forming an o shape.”And what key” he reaches into his silk pocket and takes out a silver key. “This?”

Baekhyun stares at the sparkling thing before spluttering. What is the idiot doing? He grabs and holds Chanyeols hand, the key in between entwined fingers.

“What are you, stupid?! Do you realise how many would kill you if they knew you had yours.On you.Right now.” Baekhyuns chest is heaving and at this point he honestly can’t say why he cares so much.”How many would want your wealth?! Why bring it here?!”

Baekhyun hisses, telling Chanyeol to put it back in his pocket. Chanyeol pouts, his expression like a kid who got told off because he got caught stealing a from a cookie jar.

“I just...got it this afternoon through the mail. I didn’t know what it was for so I just carried it with me.” He’s still making that face and Baekhyun wants to punch the idiot when his bottom lip juts out. “I’m sorry?”

Quickly drinking the rest of his wine, Baekhyun gathers his thoughts. This stupid smart and naive young man in front of him was so obviously new and oblivious – even though Baekhyun wasn’t sure how since everyone knew about keys- and he could get killed today. Scratch that he will unless-

Sighing Baekhyun says, “Stay by my side all evening.”

He’s just been a decent human being.

The remainder of the evening dragged on every minute felt like an hour but every minute that he was with Chanyeol was filled with laughter and weirdness, everything felt brand-new as Chanyeols eyes widened at the food.

 “Is this for all of us to eat?!” Chanyeol exclaimed and Baekhyun chuckled when Chanyeol whispered into his ear, his voice deep and alluring his sentences slightly slurred.

The hearty and delicious looking food the wealth being proudly shown off and the people. Everything feels less suffocating with Chanyeol giggling into his ear.

He doesn’t remember how or when they ended up sharing a taxi back to their homes. But they do, the best of them all of course. Cracked jokes fill the silence as Chanyeol slumps and rest his head on his shoulder. Baekhyun can’t stop smiling because Chanyeol is guffawing at his own jokes. He thinks he even sees a hint of a smile on the taxi-drivers face.

Of course they have to pass through the poor district and a silence befalls them and the atmosphere is weird as Chanyeol goes quiet. For all the 5 hours he’s known Chanyeol, Baekhyun knew he wasn’t one to keep quiet. He was a chatterbox his mouth constantly moving, talking. If he wasn’t talking he was either dancing or giggling.

An identifiable emotion in Chanyeols eyes as they both see the people laying there, left to spew in their own filth.

“Disgusting aren’t they?”

The warmth on his shoulder goes as Chanyeol looks at him as if he’d just sprouted another head.

A punch to the face wasn’t what he was expecting.

Baekhyun winces, his hand touching the left side of his face in disbelief.

Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun, then his fist in disbelief.

“S-ssory Baekhyun don’t.I-i just....My mom...She, she was one of them you know? Those disgusting things as you so said.”

Little sniffles and Chanyeols eyes filled with water. His face hurts like hell but Baekhyun puts an arm around him. He doesn’t need his face to comfort someone.

The first stop is Baekhyuns home and he tells Chanyeol to join him inside. Baekhyun takes Chanyeols jacket off; concerned and red rimmed eyes don’t meet.

Chanyeol plops down onto the plush expensive sofa and Chanyeol pulls the sleeves of his sheet putting his head into his arm, as if wanting to hide away.

“I-I’m sorry about hitting you...”

Chanyeol looks upset. As if he was the one who got hit.

Baekhyun sighs and sits down next to him. “It’s fine. As stupid as it was I was testing you. I deserved it.”

“...Testing...me?” Chanyeol sounds so lost. “Are, are we...we still friends then?”

Baekhyun shrugs and turns to wipes a stray tear on Chanyeols cheek. He doesn’t know if it’s the alcohol –they had drank a lot together and that’s why they had taken a taxi- or the  fire place that’s burning that makes Chanyeol look even more vulnerable especially those eyes. Deep behind Chanyeols eyes lays hidden secrets and an abundance of emotion waiting to spill out over the brim of his eyes. Baekhyun tucks a strand of hair behind Chanyeols ear. He’s a horrible horrible human being, Baekhyun decides as he kisses Chanyeols forehead then his mouth.

On the other hand Chanyeol doesn’t pull away. It could be because he’s feeling extra vulnerable after all he punched you and now you’re just taking advantage his conscious says. Baekhyun ignores the little voice in his head, it’s the alcohol. Baekhyun deepens the kiss, fingers undoing the buttons on Chanyeols dress shirt. He’d always been a touchy feely drunk.

In the morning Baekhyuns neck is marked in red, bedsheets are rumpled like they’d gone at it for hours and it smells like . When Baekhyun wakes up his hand reaches out and searches for a long-limbed man, he mummers unintelligently when he finds nothing.

Chanyeol isn’t here. Must have gone back home when he woke up.

Throwing the covers back with a groan, he strides to the bathroom. Sighing as he lets all his muscles stretch. Midway in on brushing his teeth something clicks in his mind. He spits the toothpaste out and rushes to the third floor of his house.

After having reached his destination with his desired item he opened his safe using his 32 digit code.

That little-

His key wasn’t there.

In it was a note.

He should be feeling deceived, angry and upset but Baekhyun can’t help but chuckle at the scribbled out text at the bottom.

Smart and Cute.

A face can wear many masks at any given time.

One tiny little thing Chanyeol forgot was that also while a face can wear many masks. They can change at any given time; it doesn’t necessarily mean the same mask is always left on. Masks can be beautifully crafted, each tiny little detail like beads or feathers all crafted to perfection all play a significant part. Baekhyun smirked as he re-read the note. He’d been beaten at his own game. Or had he?

However masks can wear thin.

Baekhyuns nose scrunches when he takes a whiff of his white-beater shirt. The note already discarded to the side, he decides to take a long shower to start off the day.

After all it’s going to be a long day.

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urgh this is so stupid idek.Thanks for reading<3

Brushfire~