“Minji, stop texting during dinner. Baekhyun, stop playing with your food.”

  Baekhyun chose to ignore his mother’s words, choosing instead to stab at his food repeatedly. He could not help but worry about the audition that loomed ahead in less than five days. Against his better judgement, he had gotten his hopes up about getting chosen and he could not help but wonder whether all the time he had spent practicing on the piano would be enough.

  His thoughts, however, were shattered by his sister’s high pitched squeal of excitement. “Oh my god! Baek, are you really going to audition for the piano competition!?”

  Baekhyun stiffened, stunned. “W-where did you hear that?”

  “Please tell me that was not a serious question,” Minji gasped. “My friend just texted me. Do you know how famous you are? Everyone in the school knows about you, the fallen champion, fighting to get his title back!”

  Minji clasped her hands to her heart, sighing dramatically, before a cough from their father interrupted her.

  “Baekhyun, is that true?”

  “Um… yeah…” Baekhyun reluctantly nodded, unsure of what his family’s response would be. “But it wasn’t my decision; a friend signed me up without asking.”

  “I want you to withdraw. You’re not going to take part.” His father’s simple reply surprised Baekhyun. He has thought his father, the one who had ignited in him the passion for playing the piano, would be more than eager for his son to attend the audition.

  Baekhyun knew that his father’s words should have brought him relief. After all, he never did want to sign up in the first place. But despite that, all he felt was disappointment, for he had actually been looking forward to the audition.

  “But, Dad-“ Baekhyun began, looking pleadingly at his father, but his sister beat him to it.

  “Dad, what the hell, shouldn’t you be more supportive? Him going for the audition isn’t going to hurt anyone.  Just let him do whatever he wants,” Minji piped up from where she sat, eyes glued to her phone.

  Baekhyun nervously glanced at his father, hoping Minji’s words would change his mind, only to jump out of his skin when his father suddenly stood up, his chair falling over with a loud bang, and banged his fists against the table.

  “Isn’t going to hurt anyone?! It’s going to hurt him! Baekhyun, I forbid you to take part!” The man roared, storming out of the kitchen.

  Awkward silence reigned in the room for a few seconds before Baekhyun’s mother finally added her own opinions from where she had been observing the conversation for the past few minutes.

  “Baekhyun, honey, you have to understand that your father has your interests at heart. We all know what the doctors said, it’s no use trying to change the fact. What we need to do is accept it and move on, because if you keep pretending and acting like nothing has happened, you’re only going to get hurt. You need to stop pretending and accept that you will never be as good as before.”

  Time seemed to slow to a stop as his mother’s words sunk in. Baekhyun could only stare at his mother dumbly as unwanted tears sprung to his eyes. She had just told him to give up on his dream.  Wasn’t she supposed to do the opposite and encourage him? He could hardly believe his ears.

  “I thought you and Dad, of all people, would support me the most. Looks like I was wrong,” Baekhyun’s whisper hung in the air as he left the room and headed straight for the front door, his head held high and choking back sobs, determined not to let anyone see how affected he was.

  But once he had stepped out into the cool night air, running down the road with the door slamming shut behind him, he let the tears he had been fighting back fall freely as he fumbled to unlock his phone and dial the one person he wanted to see at that moment.

  “Chanyeol? Can I stay over at your house tonight?”

~*~

  The front door was pulled open before the chimes of the doorbell had even finished, and Baekhyun was met with a worried looking Chanyeol.

  “Holy , you look terrible. What happened?” Chanyeol asked, his voice laced with concern as he gently led Baekhyun up to his room. “Let’s go to my room, I don’t want my parents to think I’m bullying you.”

  An hour, twelve tissues, and a pint of ice cream later, Baekhyun lay curled up on Chanyeol’s bed. “I hate my parents,” he repeated for what seemed to be the millionth time.

  Chanyeol watched from where he lay sprawled on several beanbags as his friend wallowed in self-pity. He understood Baekhyun’s parents’ want to protect their son, but in all honesty, he felt that what they had said was just plain mean.

  “Hey, Baek, you know what you need?”

  “Leave me alone, Chanyeol…” The mumbled response went unheard as Chanyeol strode over to the bed and slid under the covers next to Baekhyun.

  “A hug,” Chanyeol declared as he wrapped his arms around his friend’s small frame, refusing to let go despite the Baekhyun’s half-hearted struggling.

  “Stupid idiot,” Baekhyun muttered darkly, but despite his words, he found himself relaxing in Chanyeol’s embrace. Baekhyun might have been the kind of person who hated any invasion of their personal space, but for some reason he could not explain, Chanyeol’s hugs were different from any other hugs he had received. It was warmer, somehow.

~*~

  3AM, the neon green numbers on Chanyeol’s clock seemed to scream at him. Baekhyun’s  breaths had long since slowed down, but Chanyeol still lay wide awake, staring at his friend while his heart thumped wildly.

  How many times had he secretly dreamed of the time when they would lie together, Baekhyun cuddling up to him? Countless times, and here they were.

  Chanyeol studied Baekhyun’s sleeping features. The way his hair fell over his eyes, partially hiding from view the long eyelashes that cast shadows on his cheeks. The barely audible puff of air every time he exhaled. And his lips that seemed entirely too kissable.

  All in all, Chanyeol thought that the sight was the definition of perfect, and as he lightly traced his fingers over Baekhyun’s lips, he wondered how it would feel like to kiss them again.

  Deciding immediately that Baekhyun would not be waking up anytime soon, Chanyeol leaned in and ever so lightly, brushed his lips against Baekhyun’s.

A/N

Well, the Baekyeol ball is rolling again~

I'm sorry it took quite some time to update and I hope y'all enjoy this chapter ^^