"Channie-hyung!"

Channie-hyung has somewhat become Baekhyun's pet name for Chanyeol, despite numerous attempts to get Baekhyun to pronounce the 'yeol' in Chanyeol's name. 

However, Chanyeol finds that he doesn't mind so much now, because he likes the way Baekhyun says his name so happily and easily, like Channie-hyung is his favourite person in the world.

"Channie-hyung kiss!" 

He also likes the way Baekhyun ask him for kisses every time they meet, with his hands outstretched and his eyes shining. 

He likes the way Baekhyun smiles and he likes how warm Baekhyun feels as Chanyeol gathers him into his arms and allows Baekhyun to snuggle into Chanyeol's hold. He likes the soft, baby scent that was so distinctly Baekhyun, and he likes the way Baekhyun snuffles happily when Chanyeol gives him a soft peck on the forehead.

Sometimes, Baekhyun returns Chanyeol's kiss, straightening his torso and planting a wet, sloppy kiss on Chanyeol's cheek. (Baekhyun couldn't reach Chanyeol's forehead.) Chanyeol's heart flutters especially fast when Baekhyun does that and he feels like his heart will explode everytime Baekhyun smiles at him with those twinkling crescent-shaped eyes of his.

He wonders if the gentle flutters of his heart and the squirming of his stomach are considered to be normal reactions, because it happens every time Chanyeol kisses Baekhyun, or every time Chanyeol hugs Baekhyun, or every time Chanyeol meets eyes with Baekhyun... which happens quite frequently.

Or maybe very frequenly, Chanyeol thinks, as Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol with those bright, glimmering eyes of his, and his heart thumps quickly again.

Chanyeol does well for his examinations and he manages to enrols into a decent neighbourhood high school soon after he recieves his results. The two families holds another celebration for Chanyeol when he recieves his results, complete with a warm feast cooked by none other than Auntie Byun and a kiss from Baekhyun.

However, he can't bring himself to be happy when he finds out that Kris is moving back to China.

"Why are you moving back? Aren't you going to high school with me?" Chanyeol whines, grabbing Kris's hand tightly. He couldn't believe his ears. Kris is basically the only close friend he has in school, and Chanyeol couldn't imagine spending life without his presence in school. 

"Sorry Yeol, but I need to go back." Kris pushes Chanyeol's hand away gently. "My family was never planning on staying long... My father only moved us here for a business trip, but now that it's done with, we're going back..."

"No, don't go back please." Chanyeol pleads, tugging at Kris's arm. "You can move in to my house! My room is big enough for two people and everything..."

Kris sighs. "You know it's not feasible, Yeol. I can't be so far away from my family."

Chanyeol knows it's unfair and selfish of him to want Kris to stay, and Kris has relatives in China waiting for him to return, so he retracts his hands and looks down on the floor sadly. Kris gives him a pat on his back, but it does nothing to let Chanyeol feel better.

"I'll write you letters if I can." Kris says, squeezing Chanyeol's shoulder. "You just have to give me your address. It's not like I will disappear from the face of the earth, right? We can still communicate with each other." 

It's not really the same though, and both Chanyeol and Kris knows this.

"When?" Chanyeol swallows the painful lump in his throat, and he his dry lips. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

Chanyeol snaps up his head in surprise. "That fast?" Chanyeol asks, trying to maintain a stable voice, but his voice still comes out slightly shaky. "You never told me..."

"My father just told me today." Kris shoves his hands into the pockets of his winter coat glumly. "I didn't know too."

Chanyeol looks down on the floor again, and Kris does the same. Both of them stays like that for a while, saying nothing and occasionally lifting a feet to kick the frost-covered pebbles on the ground.

"I know it's a short notice." Kris mutters, breaking the silence hovering in the air.

Chanyeol nods.

"I'm sorry." Kris says, and Chanyeol knows he's not only apologising for the short notice.

I'm sorry that I can't go to high school with you. Chanyeol hears it, those unspoken words.

"It's ok." Chanyeol says in a small voice, before looking up and meeting eyes with Kris. "Thank you. For everything." For being there whenever I needed you, for tolerating my selfishness, for tolerating my uncanny obsession with Baekhyun, and for accepting me for who I am.

For being the only one who could understand me. 

Chanyeol couldn't bring himself to say all those thoughts aloud, so instead he just utters, "You are the best thing that has ever happened in my life."

"Apart from Baekhyun." Kris says matter-of-factly, and Chanyeol smiles.

"Yeah, apart from Baekhyun." Chanyeol agrees, grinning as Kris scoffs in mock jealousy. "Aww, don't be jealous." Chanyeol playfully nudges Kris with his elbow.

"Pfft, as if I would." Kris rolls his eyes, pushing the elbow away. "Take good care of Baekhyun ok?"

"I always take good care of him." Chanyeol says. "I kiss and hug him lots."

"Yeah, I know," Kris runs a hand through his hair, "but don't ever abandon him, ok? You're important to him, I can tell, and he is just as important to you as you are to him." Kris say earnestly. "I don't know why I feel this, but I don't ever want to see the both of you separated."

Chanyeol is a little surprised at the fact that Kris dedicated an entire mini-speech for how he shouldn't leave Baekhyun, but he nods and tells Kris, "I know. I won't leave him." 

Kris seems satisfied with that answer. "Ok." The he looks down again, and Chanyeol knows that it's time for Kris to go home and pack his things. "Bye, Yeol. It's been good knowing you, Baekhyun, and the rest of your families."

"Yeah." Chanyeol's voice becomes small again. "It's been really good knowing you too."

On impulse Chanyeol pulls Kris into a tight hug. Kris stiffens at the gesture, but nevertheless he returns the hug (albeit a little awkwardly) and pats Chanyeol soundly on the back. "I'll try to visit." Kris promises, but Chanyeol knows the chances of him coming back anytime soon is slim. 

Chanyeol feels the painful lump rising back in his throat again as he hears the smooth whir of Kris's car and the slight screeching of brakes as it comes to a stop beside them. The hug ends and Kris pushes his hands into his pockets and Chanyeol knows that this may be the last time he will see Kris. "Bye, Kris." Chanyeol manages, his voice sounding strained even to himself.

Kris nods, his expression calm but Chanyeol hears the sadness laced in his tone. "Bye, Yeol."

And Chanyeol watches as Kris gets into the black, shiny car, the door closing with a clunk.

The first few weeks of high school are tough for Chanyeol.

Chanyeol takes quite some time getting accustomed to the hectic high school life, trying to keep up with classes and assignments, and not only that he also has to dedicate time to his newly formed band. (He created a band together with some of his friends that went to the same middle school as him, and Chanyeol is in charge of playing the guitar.)

Also, without the presence of Kris, Chanyeol is forced to actually socialise and make friends (because in middle school he was practically living in his own world, together with Kris). Which turns out to be something he isn't very good at, because a few days into high school and he's already being teased for his twitchy reactions and labeled as 'the class derp'. Chanyeol is somewhat ok with it though, because the expressions he makes when he laughs seems to make the whole class laugh together with him, and Chanyeol likes it when he is able to make others happy. (Not that he is doing it on purpose, though.)

Chanyeol somehow makes friends with almost everyone in the class with his loud and boisterous character, but he knows that no one can ever replace Kris's spot as his best friend. Despite that, Chanyeol finds himself enjoying high school life (or as much as he can, with the overloading homework assignments and band practice).

Chanyeol recieves a letter from Kris two months later, as he reaches home from school.

Hey Yeol,

I'm back in China now.

It feels good to see my relatives... I think.

I'm still trying to get used to speaking Mandarin. Sometimes, Korean slips out of my mouth naturally.

My father says the company is going to expand to Canada as well, if the deal goes well. So we might move to Canada in the future, but I don't think it would be anytime soon.

Are you doing well in high school? I hope you're making friends.

Send Baekhyun my well-wishes too.

Kris.

It's short, brief and concise, but Chanyeol is still b with happiness as he quickly runs into his room to get paper and a pen. He scribbles down a reply immediately, not even bothering to take off his school tie.

He chews on the back of his pen occasionally at certain points in his letter, but after about 35 minutes he manages to put together 3 pages of words. (He puts in all the tiny details of his first week of school, his new band mates, and about Baekhyun learning how to dress himself and eat with a spoon, which is probably the main reason why his reply became so long.) 

He and slaps a few stamps onto the envelope in satisfaction, before sealing up the envelope. He puts the envelope in his bag, making a mental reminder for himself to drop the envelope into the nearest post box on the way to school.

"Channie-hyung look!" Baekhyun points truimphantly to the spoon in his hand, which was carrying some porridge. "Eat by myself!" He boasts, putting the spoon into his mouth, and smiling as Chanyeol ruffles his hair. Chanyeol thinks Baekhyun looks adorable in his bib and his mouth 

"Baekhyun is a clever boy~" Chanyeol sings, wiping up the few drops of porridge that dripped down from the spoon during it's journey from the bowl to Baekhyun's mouth. (Baekhyun is by no means an expert in feeding himself yet. ) Chanyeol then wipes Baekhyun's small, pink lips clean with the towel, before spearing some broccoli and carrots with Baekhyun's tiny plastic fork. 

"Baekhyun eat broccoli~" Chanyeol says, making an 'ahhh' shape with his mouth and hovering the broccoli around Baekhyun's mouth, but Baekhyun stubbornly closes his mouth and shakes his head. 

"No broccoli! No carrot!" Baekhyun pushes Chanyeol's hand away and turns his head away. Chanyeol sighs. Baekhyun has never liked vegetables, no matter how delicious Auntie Byun cooked them.

"Come on~ Just one little bite~" Chanyeol cajoles, trying to meet eyes with the toddler. But Baekhyun steadfastly refuses to, and Chanyeol decides that it might be time to use drastic measure. 

"Hmph!" Chanyeol mock huffs, before slamming the fork down with considerable force. The impact of the plastic fork hitting the table startles Baekhyun for a while, but Chanyeol continues on with his little show of being annoyed (when he's actually not). 

"...Channie-hyung?" Baekhyun says in a small voice as Chanyeol turns his back on Baekhyun, arms crossed. "Channie-hyung angry?"

Chanyeol remains quiet, partly because he wants to see Baekhyun's reaction.

"Channie-hyung..." He hears soft thudding sounds, and then he sees Baekhyun appearing in front of him. Baekhyun has a fearful and guilty look on his face, and Chanyeol would have chuckled at his expression if he weren't pretending to be angry.

"Channie-hyung kiss me?" Baekhyun questions hopefully, and Chanyeol shakes his head, still frowning at the younger boy. The crushed look on Baekhyun's face makes Chanyeol's heart shrivel, and he almost reaches out to pull the toddler into his arms to kiss and comfort him. 

But Chanyeol tries to maintain his act of being angry, and he continues to frown at Baekhyun. "No, Channie-hyung won't kiss you if you don't eat your veggies."

Upon hearing that, Baekhyun runs back to his table to bring the bowl of porridge (and the fork that is still holding the broccoli). "If I eat this, Channie-hyung kiss me?" Baekhyun asks, but he eyes the broccoli with disdain.

Chanyeol finally allows himself to smile. "Only if you eat the broccoli." Chanyeol instructs, and Baekhyun sends a dirty look to the fork of broccoli.

Baekhyun scrunches his eyes shut and nibbles a small bit of the green vegetable. "Channie-hyung kiss?" He asks, when he swallows the small amount he has just bitten off.

"Nope, you got to eat the whole thing." Chanyeol shakes his head and hides his smirk when Baekhyun grimaces.

Eventually, Baekhyun opens his mouth and bites the entire green vegetable off the fork. He chews a few times with a look of disdain and unhappiness, before he finally swallows.

"Good boy Baekhyun~" Chanyeol immediately praises, and he engulfs Baekhyun into a hug. He makes sure to plant a big kiss on Baekhyun's forehead.

Baekhyun hugs Chanyeol back and smiles the happiest smile Chanyeol has seen that day.

"Eat more and Channie-hyung will give you more kisses~" Chanyeol stabs another piece of broccoli, and the smile vanishes from Baekhyun's face.

Nevertheless, Baekhyun finishes the porridge and all of the vegetables, smiling in content when Chanyeol ruffles his hair and places his lips on his forehead at the end of it all.

Chanyeol thinks he might be addicted to kissing Baekhyun.

why are there so many of you here...

imma cry now i gained 60+ subs without doing anything omg its like everytime i come onto aff there are new subs T__T you guys really ;_: why are so many of you here ahhhh askdjl;gfs;skd

and here i bring you the next chap! 

yea enjoy this i haven't edited or proofread it so theres bound to be many tense inconsistencies and like that but have fun

no angst yet heh but more might be coming :]

and have i mentioned that i really love all of you

<333333 /inserts iloveyou gif which i do not have/

byeee!

(btw i might not update for a couple of weeks bcos i have work + going overseas uhm sorry in advance ><)