Chanyeol sighed. “Baekkie~”

Baekhyun ignored him and pointedly asked Kyungsoo for more rice.

Kai looked between the two and raised an eyebrow. “Trouble in paradise?” Baekhyun dug into his rice and Chanyeol sighed again. Kai turned to Chanyeol. “What’s wrong lover boy – !” Kai whimpered in pain as Baekhyun ground his heel harshly into his foot. “Touchy-touchy.” Kai muttered.

“I’m done,” Baekhyun announced, pushing back his chair. “I’ll be up in my room.” He paused and turned back. Chanyeol lifted his head hopefully like a puppy wanting his master’s approval. “Kyungsoo, could you check his head for concussions again? I think he has one. ”

Once he had left, Chanyeol visibly slumped onto the table. Kyungsoo patted him comfortingly. “Did something happen, Chanyeol?” Something was up because he was sure that Chanyeol didn’t have a concussion.

“I like Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo and Suho shared a glance.

“O-Okay?”

“I really, really like Baekhyun.” Chanyeol pillowed his head on his arms and pouted. “But he doesn’t like me back.” Suho and Kyungsoo winced. Sehun patted his back, face as impassive as ever.

“Baekhyun-hyung’s not too good with…that kind of stuff you know? And he doesn’t not like you, kinda, he brought you here when he could’ve left you in the alleyway to die.” Kai’s words didn’t seem to help.

“He doesn’t like me,” came the clipped, muffled answer as Chanyeol buried his head in his arms. “He hates me now.”

“Why is that Chanyeol?” Suho asked soothingly.

“I confessed last night and he threw something at me.” Suho frowned. Chanyeol was still injured and Baekhyun could have hurt him. But confessing…

“That…was probably a bad idea, Yeol,” Kai said haltingly. “Baekhyun-hyung’s…not good with feelings.” Sehun nodded.

“Why don’t you go talk to him?” Suho said. “If he throws something…well, it’s not like it’d be new.”

Chanyeol made a soft noise of despair and Sehun patted him again. Their tall, stoic maknae seemed to have a soft spot for Chanyeol, Suho thought. But, his eyes softened as they landed on Chanyeol’s dejected form, they all seemed to have one.

“Baekkie?” Baekhyun ignored him and Chanyeol bit his lip nervously. “C-Can we talk?”

“No.”

“Do you hate me?” The raw hurt in Chanyeol’s voice made Baekhyun stop and look towards Chanyeol. The taller boy was pressed against the door, fingers fisted in his shirt. He wasn’t looking at Baekhyun, his face turned to the floor and his bangs covering his eyes.

Something in Baekhyun’s chest clenched.

“I don’t hate you,” he said finally. He patted the bed beside him. “Chanyeol come here.” Chanyeol didn’t move from the door, face still resolutely turned to the floor. Baekhyun took a deep breath. “I said I didn’t like repeating myself Chanyeol.” Finally, Chanyeol shuffled to the bed and sat down, eyes still looking at the floor.

Baekhyun searched for the words he wanted to say.

“You…you don’t belong here Chanyeol.” Chanyeol said nothing. “This…you should know that. We have a reputation here.” Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol but Chanyeol still said nothing, still wouldn’t look at him. Baekhyun sighed. “You don’t belong here…and you especially don’t belong with me.” Baekhyun lifted Chanyeol’s chin up with a finger so Chanyeol looked him in the eyes so he could see how dead serious Baekhyun was.

Chanyeol bit his lip, visibly torn but Baekhyun kept his gaze steady. This thing had to stop. Even if Baekhyun liked Chanyeol’s innocence, liked that there was someone who seemed to like him despite everything though he would never admit it, Chanyeol would never survive Baekhyun’s world.

“A year,” Chanyeol said finally. He dislodged Baekhyun’s finger from his chin and bent down to rummage in his backpack. He pulled out a sketchbook and laid it in Baekhyun’s hands. Baekhyun flipped through it and saw drawings of buildings he could recognize instantly.

“These…are really good.” Baekhyun said and pursed his lips when Chanyeol blushed and beamed brightly at him. He wasn’t helping Chanyeol let go of this lover boy thing if he complimented him. But the boy’s talent was really something.

“A year,” Chanyeol said again, catching Baekhyun’s attention. “This project, me drawing the Underworld, is a year-long project. Help me finish my project and…” Chanyeol faltered. “… I’ll never bother you again.” He looked up. “And I’ll shut up about the lover boy.”

Baekhyun frowned. “And if I don’t help you?”

“I’ll just keep bothering you even if you ignore me.”

Chanyeol played nervously with his fingers as Baekhyun mulled it over. “Fine.” He turned to Chanyeol and looked him in the eyes again. “One year.”

A/N: Merry Christmas everybody :) Here is my small tiny present for you aka a boring chapter to segway into bigger, better things :DD and i realize it's not the best chapter in the world it just needs to happen so Chanyeol can stay with Baekhyun after his head injury heals. So anyways, Happy Holidays and i hope you all got wonderful presents.