Park Chanyeol is disgusting.

 

Luhan already felt bad enough, but Chanyeol had to go embarrass him more by saying... That.

 

Ewwwwww.

 

Luhan deosn't like the mushy feelings he seems to be accumulating for Chanyeol. Love, friendship and all that.

 

Why does Chanyeol have to say all these things? Is he... Extremely socially awkward or something?

 

Why why why, Chanyeol?

 

Why why why why why why why why why?

 

WHY?

 

Luhan does not, in the history of the universe, ever, want to think about it again. Everyone has a memory, that no matter how confident or happy they feel before they relieve it, will never fail to make them cringe and want to just crawl into a hole and die.

 

That's is Luhan's memory, because Chanyeol nowadays makes Luhan feel strange.

 

Perhaps it's because Chanyeol seems more vulnerable nowadays. More hesitant. 

 

But then, it's a good sign, because Chanyeol has not made any attempt to arrange any 'meetings'. At least not that Luhan knows of.

 

Besides, since Sehun always seems to be out, the house is quiet and devoid of arguments.

 

Peace at last, surprisingly including Chanyeol.

 

-----

 

"Luhan hyung?? Are you busy?" Chanyeol's voice is muffled by the sound of the kettle rattling away.

 

This is what Luhan mean when he says 'hesitant'. Now Chanyeol actually asks before he approaches Luhan. It's progress.

 

"Nope. I'm just reading." Luhan replies.

 

As Luhan looks up from his position on the couch, he sees Chanyeol peeking at him from one side of the wall.

 

"I thought you said you're busy when you're reading." Chanyeol says, eyebrows furrowed.

 

Luhan sighs. "I'm reading for entertainment now, Chanyeol. I do have a life."

 

"Oh." Is all Chanyeol says, before he proceeds to pad softly towards Luhan, his apron still on.

 

"So, wanna do something today?"

 

Luhan pauses for a moment, thinking hard. Chanyeol's better now, not so insistent. Should he say yes? Give in? Chanyeol has been, well, pretty good so far.

 

"Okay, but what?"

 

"The mall?" Chanyeol suggests tentatively.

 

The mall. Luhan should have known. But better than eating ice cream, which Luhan is already fiercely sick of.

 

"Yeah! Sure." Luhan puts down his book and a wide grin crosses onto Chanyeol's face.

 

"Luhan?"

 

"Yes?" Luhan says warily, wondering what Chanyeol has to say now.

 

"You didn't complain when I called you hyung." Chanyeol blurts out, smiling and cringing at the same time, as if he half-expects a scolding.

 

Luhan stops short. Did Chanyeol really call him 'hyung' without him realising? Then Luhan decides to let it go. Denying Chanyeol of these simple 'pleasures' is useless anyway. Chanyeol gets what he wants most of the time, and that's what makes Luhan a little annoyed whenever he thinks of this.

 

"You can call me that. I don't mind. Anymore." Luhan replies simply, refusing to look at Chanyeol, already knowing the look of glee that will cross Chanyeol's face in just a moment.

 

But Chanyeol doesn't smile. He just sighs. Luhan looks up in surprise.

 

Chanyeol really is different.

 

"Let's go."

 

Luhan shrugs a coat on and pulls open the door. It's windy today, and the cold air stings his face as it whips past. He steps out the door, and reaches back to grab Chanyeol's hand, just that Chanyeol isn't there.

 

"Chanyeol...?"

 

Chanyeol shuffles forward."o-oh."

 

"Do you want to go or not, Park Chanyeol?" Luhan hisses impatiently. Chanyeol stumbles a few more steps forward, and a small apologetic smile flashes across his face for a bare moment. One that doesn't light up his eyes.

 

"Sorry, hyung. I spaced out." 

 

Luhan grunts in reply, grabbing Chanyeol's forearm and dragging him forward.

 

"Did you bring money?" Luhan asks Chanyeol.

 

"Yes. Fifty dollars."

 

"That's not going to be enough when you get there, Chanyeol. No ice cream, okay? You'll get a sore throat."

 

Chanyeol looks up, half surprised, half indignant. "No! I won't!"

 

"You just recovered, Chanyeol." Luhan sighs, putting an arm around Chanyeol's shoulders with some difficulty. "No ice cream."

 

"Hrrmph." Chanyeol huffs, but this time a real smile actually flits onto his face for the first time in a few hours. Which is quite a long time for someone like Chanyeol.

 

Luhan smiles, and they head off. Chanyeol proceeds to bug Luhan with his usual nattering monologues, but occasionally lapses into silence just to see if Luhan's listening. 

 

"...and then Sehun says : don't go there, you'll get mistaken for a giraffe! And the I say :what's wrong with giraffes? And then... Luhan? Luhan?"

 

"I'm listening." 

 

"Okay, and then he says..."

 

Luhan's listening with rapt attention now. Chanyeol talked about Sehun before, actually, almost all the time, but he never brought this up.

 

"Since when is Sehun ever funny?" Luhan asks. "He never, ever tells this kind of corny jokes."

 

Chanyeol grins, again, incredulous this time. It's amazing how Chanyeol can express almost every emotion through his smiles.

 

"Luhan, it's before you moved in. Remember Sehun came in half a year before you?" 

 

"Oh... Yeah." Luhan mutters, and Chanyeol continues with all of Sehun's jokes.

 

Sehun seems to act differently around Chanyeol. Is it because he's like that to everyone else but Luhan, or... What?

 

Luhan glances at Chanyeol's face and watches as Chanyeol chatters animatedly. Every one of his smiles seem to light up his face, put a sparkle in his deep luminous eyes, make him seem younger, happier. Every frown, every grimace, makes Luhan feel this unexplainable pull from his midsection towards Chanyeol, making him want to pull him closer, to mess up his hair and comfort him.

 

"Hey, giraffe." Luhan says, feeling extremely cross and amazingly happy at the same time.

 

"Are you talking to me, Luhan? Don't call me that. Only Sehun does that." Chanyeol pouts a little, and Luhan feels himself inexplicably gravitating towards Chanyeol again.

 

"No, nothing." Luhan waves  Chanyeol away.

 

And as Chanyeol turns away, Luhan whispers softly to himself, "I think I'm in love."