The Boy Who Loved Summer
These Days of Summer
This love, it is a burning sun,
Shining light on the things that we've done.
I try to speak to you every day,
But each word I spoke, the wind blew away.
The rolling fields and endless sky of the countryside wasn’t something Chanyeol was new to. Long ago, when his body had been corporeal and the thought of summer nothing more than the wind in his curly blond hair, he’d lived in a warm little house out in the countryside, and everything had been peaceful and gentle and perfect. But he’d always avoided going to places like that after he’d become the spirit of summer because he’d thought the memories would be too much.
But now, with the summer wind at his back as he floated gently above the ground, and the soft pink and yellow of the sunset tinting the sky, he realized that he’d never felt more at home.
“How could I have ever left this place?” He said to himself, breathing in the smell of fresh, unpolluted air. He’d stuck close to the cities and the suburbs for so long that he’d forgotten what it was like for air to be anything other than smog, and now that he’d gotten a taste of what he’d been missing, he knew that he could never go back.
With a whoop and a laugh he knew no one but himself could hear, Chanyeol leaned back, letting the wind carry him through the air as he soared over hills and treetops, heading for a small town he could see on the crest of the horizon.
He didn’t know the name of the little town, but that didn’t matter much to him as he dove, spinning, through the air and let himself land gracefully on top of the roof of a quaint little brick house. From there he could practically see everything, so he grinned and took a seat, one leg hanging over the edge as he put his chin in his hands and just watched, enjoying the view and the soft murmur of the townspeople as they went about their business.
“Tomorrow’s Saturday, you guys!”
Chanyeol started at the loud voice that came from right under him and leaned over the edge of the roof, wondering who it was, only to have everything catch in his throat as he saw who’d spoken.
A boy who looked as if he was barely out of his teens stood there on the stoop of the little brick house, shouting up at the second-story window. He had soft, brown hair and large dark eyes that seemed to reflect the entire world back at him, and Chanyeol could only stare, entranced by his beauty.
The window the boy had been shouting at opened then, nearly startling Chanyeol enough to make him slip off his perch, and another boy of similar age stuck his head out, his black hair a stark contrast to his pale skin.
“I know that tomorrow’s Saturday, Baekhyun,” he shouted back to the boy on the stoop, “Why is that important?”
“How could you have forgotten?” Baekhyun replied, mock disbelief in his tone. “Tao, it’s the first day of summer!”
Tao shook his head, smiling, “What is it with you and summer?”
“Summer’s the best season out of them all,” Baekhyun said with a grin, and Chanyeol felt his heart soar.
His name is Baekhyun, and summer is his favorite.
“So, do you want to go out somewhere to celebrate tomorrow?” Baekhyun was saying, “We can get the others to come and it’ll be great!”
“Sure!” Tao called back, “What time?”
“Whenever we all get up!” Baekhyun laughed. Then he ran off with a whoop, throwing his hands up in the air as Tao chuckled and retreated back into his room, closing the window behind him.
It only took a few moments of thought before Chanyeol was following Baekhyun, hanging practically over his shoulder as he watched the boy text some friends of his, telling them that they were going to go out to celebrate the first day of summer the next morning. Then he slid his phone into his pocket and continued down the street, a skip in his step as he headed for a small grocery store on the corner. Chanyeol followed him in, balancing on top of the shelves of cans and bagged potato chips as Baekhyun picked up some essentials – milk and eggs and bread and whatnot – then paid and headed on home.
He hummed a soft tune to himself as he walked, and Chanyeol got up in his face, relieved and disappointed all at once that Baekhyun couldn’t see him.
“You love summer,” Chanyeol said, as if Baekhyun could hear him, “And I am summer, so why can’t you see me?”
But of course, Baekhyun didn’t answer. He just continued along down the sidewalk, the two bags of groceries swinging from his arms as he headed towards an adorable little two-story white house. There was a picket fence out front, and it had a cute little blue roof, and for a moment Chanyeol had to just stare at it, grinning.
“So you’re living the picket fence life,” he said, blowing a gust of warmth against Baekhyun’s ear, “I’ve heard it’s nice.”
Baekhyun paused suddenly, turning around, and for a moment Chanyeol thought he could see him. But then Baekhyun just shrugged and headed up into the house, and Chanyeol sighed.
Well, it was worth a shot.
Chanyeol spent the night in a tree across from Baekhyun’s house, watching him sleep through the boy’s bedroom window as he tried to convince himself that it wasn’t creepy at all. He was just interested in this boy who loved summer. It was a novelty, of sorts, for him to meet someone who loved summer so much.
Back in one of the cities he used to frequent he could remember countless times that he’d been hanging out in a tree or on a lamppost, only to hear someone complaining about the heat and how summer was so annoying and how they wished it was winter so things could cool down. But here it was different. Here it seemed Baekhyun wasn’t the only one who was looking forward to the season, for Chanyeol had seen a group of kids getting out of school earlier, whooping for joy and proclaiming they couldn’t wait for summer to begin as their parents trailed behind them, talking about vacation plans and all the things they could do together, and it made him happy.
Maybe Jack was right, he thought, watching as Baekhyun smiled and muttered something in his sleep. Maybe I just needed some fresh air.
The next morning Baekhyun got up early, throwing his bedroom window open wide and breathing in the soft summer breeze. He still couldn’t believe how much the weather seemed to have changed so suddenly when just a few weeks ago it had still been really cold, as if winter had latched itself onto spring in an attempt to keep summer out as long as it could. But now the sky was clear and the flowers had bloomed and the air was heavy with that soft, gentle warmth that Baekhyun had always preferred to humidity, and he couldn’t have been happier.
He knew he had time to get ready and wake up fully, because his friends had probably taken advantage of staying up really late and sleeping in really late and it’d be a while before they’d all get together, so he busied himself by straightening up his room, taking a shower, and then getting a cup of coffee and a good book and sitting out on the front porch to read.
He’d always enjoyed lazy mornings, but even with summer on the breeze and the promise of spending time with friends later, he felt sort of wistful, as if a morning like that would’ve been so much better if he’d had someone to share it with.
Suddenly his phone rang, shocking him out of his stupor, and he left his coffee and book to go answer it, the uneasiness in his stomach stilling as he heard Tao’s voice on the other side, saying that the others had decided that they’d meet up at his house and then go out for an early lunch. Baekhyun agreed, saying he’d be there on time, and smiled as he hung up and went to pick out something to wear.
I just hope all goes well, he thought as he looked at himself in the mirror, dressed simply in a pair of skinny jeans and a graphic t-shirt, and smiled. It had taken a while for him to sum up the courage, but he’d made his decision and he was going to stick with it.
He was going to confess to Tao that night, and nothing would stop him.
“It’s pretty windy today, isn’t it?” Baekhyun said.
Minseok glanced at him. “You think so?” He frowned. “I haven’t felt any wind.”
“Me neither.” Tao smiled, “Maybe the summer breeze just likes you, Baekhyun.”
“Maybe,” Chanyeol said in a sing-song voice, whipping up another gust of wind around Baekhyun and laughing when the boy threw an exasperated look up at the sky, as if it was the sky’s doing.
“Hey, Tao,” Baekhyun said suddenly, “After we eat … can I talk to you?”
There was a strange tone in his voice, one that Chanyeol recognized instantly, and suddenly something in his chest clenched up as his memories rewound back to the day Jamie Bennet had confessed to Jack Frost. The look in Jamie’s eyes, the uncertainty, the waver in his voice; Baekhyun was mirroring all of it.
And suddenly, Chanyeol felt cold.
Baekhyun … likes Tao.
Wait, why should he be sad? Baekhyun didn’t even know him so it wasn’t like he’d chosen Tao over him. He was just summer. He was a season, nothing more, and Baekhyun didn’t deserve someone like him. Baekhyun deserved someone great. Baekhyun deserved someone like Tao.
“Of course,” Tao was saying in response to the shorter boy, “Is, uh, is something wrong?”
Baekhyun shook his head. “No, no. I just have something to tell you. It’s good news, I promise.”
Tao shrugged and nodded, smiling back at him, and Chanyeol took that moment to send another gust of wind towards Baekhyun. This one was different than all the ones before, though. It was softer, gentler somehow, and on its wings it carried a promise; a blessing Chanyeol could still remember his mother telling him when he was younger.
May you always walk in sunshine, may you never want for more.
Baekhyun smiled, blindingly bright and beautiful, and Chanyeol knew then without a doubt that he was pathetic. He was pathetic for thinking someone so perfect and so beautiful would ever see him. He was pathetic for thinking someone like that would ever even notice him. And as he realized this he hung his head in shame.
And suddenly it didn’t feel right being there anymore; floating over Baekhyun’s head and following him and his friends around. He couldn’t take it, not when he saw the way Baekhyun looked at Tao and smiled at him and laughed at his silly jokes, so he quickly lifted himself up and away, heading back to the same tree he’d been in the night before. He wasn’t sure why he was going there since it was right across from Baekhyun’s house, but he didn’t know where else to go.
And as Chanyeol alighted atop his favorite branch, shoulders drooping and eyes sad, the summer air grew completely still, responding to the sadness of the summer spirit as he shut his eyes and tried to figure out why he was so sad.
And, for the first time in nearly two hundred years, Chanyeol decided to ignore the world this time instead of letting it ignore him.
It was easier that way.
But as he sat there, reclining in the tree with his eyes closed, oblivious to everyone and everything around him, he began to think, and as always when he began to think, he began to wonder. He wondered what his life would’ve been if he hadn’t died so young. He wondered if he still would’ve become the summer spirit upon his death, or if the Man in the Moon would’ve chosen someone else by then. He wondered, for the nth time since he’d started in this new life, why Manny had chosen him in the first place.
Why him?
Chanyeol sighed again, cracking his eyes open to stare at the golden strands of sand now sifting through the air, and managed a small smile. The sandman was always right on time no matter the occasion, and one of Chanyeol’s favorite games had always been to pick one of the lines of sand and then follow it back to its recipient.
Tonight, though, he really didn’t feel like playing.
Wishing he could fall asleep, though he knew he never would because spirits had no need for sleep, Chanyeol shut his eyes again, planning on sinking back into his peaceful realm of silence and ignoring everything, when a sudden sound reached his ears.
Crying.
Someone was crying.
And why should I care? He thought bitterly.
Despite his bravado, though, he really couldn’t help himself. The crying was getting closer but it was so soft and gentle, almost as if the owner of the tears was too sad to really put much effort into it, and Chanyeol quickly opened his eyes, rolling onto his side to see who it was.
He nearly fell out of the tree when he saw none other than Baekhyun walking down the sidewalk – alone, he noticed – with his head in his hands as he sobbed. He looked so incredibly sad, so depressed, and Chanyeol could only stare as he stumbled up the stairs to his house and went in.
The window was open, thankfully, so Chanyeol slipped in that way, watching as Baekhyun sank down onto his bed and sobbed into his pillows. The summer spirit had never heard anything so terribly heart-wrenching, and suddenly he knew what had happened.
Tao had turned Baekhyun down.
The urge to comfort Baekhyun was incredible, so even though he knew that the boy would not hear him or feel him, Chanyeol tip-toed his way over to the bed and sent a gentle breeze to ruffle his hair, hoping it’d calm him down at least a little.
But, to his surprise, it had a very different effect than he’d hoped, and Baekhyun suddenly sat straight up in bed, his eyes wide.
“Wh-what?” He gasped, tears running down his cheeks. His eyes were red and puffy from all the crying, and Chanyeol’s heart clenched again, wishing he could just hold the boy and comfort him. “Is – is someone there?” Baekhyun was trembling now, clutching his pillow to his chest as he stared around the room, and even though Chanyeol knew the boy couldn’t see him he went rigid, standing absolutely still as if Baekhyun would be able to sense his movement.
Suddenly Baekhyun froze, and it took Chanyeol a moment to realize that the boy was staring at him. Not through him, but at him.
“Who are you?” Baekhyun’s voice was twisted with fear, his eyes wide.
“… What?” Chanyeol rasped out, his mouth dry, “Can you – can you see me?”
“Of course I can see you!” Baekhyun gasped, “Who are you? Why are you in my house?” He trembled, his eyes filling with tears again, only this time it was worse because this time Chanyeol had been the cause. “G-get out before I call the police!”
Chanyeol stepped forward, “Baekhyun, I’m not –”
“How do you know my name?” Baekhyun shrank away from him as he got closer, “Are you stalking me?” The tears were rolling down his face now, dripping off his chin as he scrambled away and ran for the door. But Chanyeol moved faster, deciding it was worth a shot to try and stop the boy, only to find that Baekhyun ran into him instead of through him like he should have, and suddenly nothing made sense anymore.
What is going on?
“No!” Baekhyun gasped, backpedaling until he was pressed up against the adjacent wall, “Please – please don’t hurt me.” He sobbed, his shoulders shaking. “Please.”
Chanyeol knew he had to get this situation under control soon, so despite the questions and confusion whirling around in his head, he quickly bent down in front of Baekhyun, holding his hands out in the universal sign of ‘I come in peace.’ “Baekhyun, look, I’m not going to hurt you, alright? And I’m not a stalker.” Well, not really.
Baekhyun sniffled, curling into himself and away from Chanyeol. “Th-then who are you? And what do you want?”
Chanyeol smiled softly at him, a warm breeze blowing his hair out of his eyes, “I’m the spirit of summer.”
Baekhyun stared.
“Maybe I should’ve worded that differently,” Chanyeol sighed, “But I can give you proof if you don’t believe me.”
“P-proof?” Baekhyun squeaked.
Chanyeol nodded and stood, grabbing Baekhyun’s hand. The boy squeaked again, letting out a shrill ‘hey!’ in protest, but Chanyeol just ignored him, focusing instead on creating a cushion of air around them both and smiling as they began to float up towards the ceiling; weightless.
“This – this is impossible!” Baekhyun gasped, clinging to Chanyeol as if he was afraid he’d fall, “You can’t – I mean – this is …”
Chanyeol smiled. “Do you believe me now?”
“I must be dreaming,” Baekhyun said. “I must be.”
“You’re not,” Chanyeol gently lowered them both back to the floor, grinning; “I am Chanyeol, the spirit of summer. Though, uh … I’m not entirely sure why you can see me.”
“Are – are you saying that most people can’t see you?”
Chanyeol shook his head. “Actually, no one’s ever seen me before now. And you haven’t been able to until just now either, unless you were purposefully ignoring me while I was floating around your head and blowing in your ear.”
Baekhyun’s eyes widened. “That – that was you?”
“Yep!” Chanyeol pushed himself off the ground, laughing as he somersaulted through the air around Baekhyun and landed on his bed, grinning widely.
“But … why me?” Baekhyun asked a bit breathlessly, “It’s not like I’m important or anything.”
Chanyeol smiled at him. “Well, it was sort of chance that I met you, I guess … or perhaps fate was involved somehow, I don’t really know how that works. Anyway, I only just came to this town a few days ago. I wasn’t even planning on it originally, to be honest, but Jack said I needed some fresh air, and I think he was right.”
“Jack …?” Baekhyun looked as if he was having a really hard time getting all this to sink in. “I thought you said that no one’s ever seen you before.”
“Oh, well no one human I mean,” Chanyeol said with a shrug, “Jack Frost isn’t exactly human.”
“Jack Frost.”
“Yes.”
Baekhyun stared at him. “Like … like the winter spirit? Like that saying about Jack Frost nipping at your nose, or whatever?”
Chanyeol nodded, “But let’s not talk about him.”
“No, wait. Chanyeol, are there – are there others, then? I mean, you said you’re the spirit of summer, and there’s Jack Frost too, so what about all those other legends? Like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy and –”
“Yeah, they’re all real.” Chanyeol smiled. “Though, he likes to be called North, not Santa Claus, and he’s really big and loud and Russian and he carries these scimitars with him all the time. And then Toothiana – er, the Tooth Fairy – is really sweet and kind of disturbing sometimes when it comes to teeth, and she looks like an oversized hummingbird really. Then there’s also the Sandman and the Easter Bunny and that groundhog whose name I can never remember, and lots, lots more.”
Baekhyun’s mouth fell open, “Wh-what … seriously?”
“Yeah.” Chanyeol floated up into the air a few feet, alighting back on the bed on the tips of his toes and squatting down so he was eye-to-eye with Baekhyun, “But that’s not what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about is you, because you are the main reason I decided to stay in this town.”
Baekhyun’s eyes were wide. “M-me?”
Chanyeol nodded. “When I first came to this town, I landed on Tao’s roof right around the time you decided to come up and start shouting. I nearly fell off the edge because of that, by the way.” He laughed, “But then I saw you, and you were just so beautiful with your big, brown eyes and your dazzling smile and the way your hair caught the sunlight and I couldn’t possibly look away.” he leaned forward, grinning as warm, summer air and the smell of earth and sunlight wafted over Baekhyun, “And then you said you loved summer.” He reached out, caressing the shorter man’s cheek. “You said that you loved me, and I knew then that I could not leave.”
Baekhyun stared at him, his eyes wide. But, rather than reacting as Chanyeol though he would, his eyes suddenly filled with tears, and Chanyeol’s smile shattered.
“Oh no … no, I didn’t mean to make you –” he pulled away, thinking he’d scared the boy, and felt panic rising in him as the tears cascaded down Baekhyun’s cheeks. “Did I – did I scare you? I’m sorry, I didn’t – that’s not what I … oh, please don’t cry.”
Baekhyun shook his head, grabbing Chanyeol’s hand, and sniffled softly, “I’ve – I’ve never heard anyone talk about me like that.” He raised his head, his eyes red and puffy as he offered Chanyeol a small, timid smile. “You didn’t scare me, I was just … so overwhelmed, I – I didn’t mean to worry you.” He laughed and wiped away the tears on his face, “I got carried away, I’m sorry.”
Chanyeol paused for a moment, making sure it was okay before he stood and pulled the shorter boy into his embrace. “Don’t apologize.” He murmured, subsequently wondering how in the world he was the first person to tell Baekhyun how beautiful he was. It was so obvious; people should’ve been falling at his feet wherever he went, praising his beauty to the high heavens.
And yet, despite that – despite Baekhyun’s obvious beauty and kindness and just all-around perfection – Tao had still rejected him.
Then suddenly Chanyeol got an idea, a beautiful idea that made his soul soar, and he smiled even as he held Baekhyun close to his chest, because even though he was nowhere near good enough for Baekhyun, maybe – just maybe – he could be the one the boy needed.
And maybe, just maybe, he could get Tao back one day, because no one as beautiful as Baekhyun deserved to cry such terrible, heartbroken tears.
A/N: Sorry I updated this so late bleh
and there will be more, btw ... eventually
probably after I finish with my studies and my ACT exam which is April 13th *hyperventilates*
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