Chapter 2: Drowning

“Byun Baekhyun!” Chanyeol’s voice can be heard all over the Byun mansion.

There were a lot of scenes in which Chanyeol could envision being welcomed by Baekhyun after his 2 week trip at China – Baekhyun crying and whining about how long he was gone, Baekhyun playfully punching him while preventing tears to fall, Baekhyun enveloping him in a tight embrace – but Baekhyun making out with a guy wasn’t one of them, wasn’t even close to even one of them.

Nonetheless, here he was, witnessing his younger brother’s tongue fight for dominance.

“What the hell are you doing?” Luhan’s voice was of a higher tone and thus startling the guys concentrated in a heated battle of the mouths.

Baekhyun and the guy stood in an instant but didn’t look all surprised as if they weren’t caught doing indecent scenes. To make it worse, Baekhyun his lips, still savoring what had transpired and with all confidence flashed his trademark eye-smile.

“Uhm, kissing him?”

Chanyeol released a half scream – half growl. Chanyeol was indignant and fought to keep himself under control because the urge to permanent destroying the face of the guy who devoured Baekhyun’s mouth was like a video on repeat playing on his mind.

Luhan, being the eldest just rubbed his temples trying to calm his senses, “We need to talk, and you -- ”

“Sehun. He’s name is Sehun.” Baekhyun replied cheerfully.

“Sehun, you should probably go home.” Luhan ordered. Baekhyun stared at him wide-eyed.

“No, we’re finishing a project and he can’t go and I can’t do it alone.” Baekhyun whined.

Chanyeol heard Luhan sighed in defeat.

“If you’re doing something so visual, go do it in private and not here where you’re flaunting yourselves.” Luhan started nagging and Chanyeol knew it will take awhile because Luhan irked ten times worst than a mother. “And you and your boyfriend should know the limititations, you’re just high school students.”

Furrowing his eyebrows, Baekhyun cut Luhan’s endless rant, “Wait a sec Lulu hyung...”

Luhan stopped and raised an eyebrow.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

***

“Bye Sehunnie! Don’t forget, 7am tomorrow.”

Luhan and Chanyeol watched as Baekhyun waved both of his hands cheerfully to a retreating figure of Sehun.

When the youngest turned around, he has a disgruntled face and passed by his brothers without looking at them. Both thought, Baekhyun would go straight away to his room, much to their surprise the brunette sat down on their living room couch.

“What made you think he’s my boyfriend?” Baekhyun crossing his arms asked the two approaching figure and Chanyeol thought, Seriously, you just made out with a guy.

“We’re doing that because of a project.”

Chayeol listened to Baekhyun in sullen silence, his brow ceased with disapproval.

Baekhyun had gone on, “We need to write this story for our final exam and we’re aiming for the highest grade.”

“And you need to shove your tongue to him because?” Luhan eyed his brother curiously.

Sighing heavily, “Because we need to describe how a kiss between should feel like, you know, so our story will be detailed and full of emotion.” Baekhyun had explained with vigor.

Luhan could not contain his laughter and he did not know why he felt so angry and happy at the same time.

“And besides, Sehun isn’t that hot. Why would I want him as a boyfriend?” Baekhyun faked a puking action making Luhan cackle even more.

“I don’t know what to do with you Baek.” Luhan mumbled while he ruffled the hair of his youngest brother.

Baekhyun just giggled softly while his hands found its place around Luhan’s waist. “And before, I promised that if I ever have a girlfriend or a boyfriend, you’re the first one to know Lulu hyung.”

“I know.” Luhan smiled at the memory of a 10 year old Baekhyun raising his right pinky threatening Luhan to pinky promise with him. Luhan giggled softly, Baekhyun still clinging onto him. Chanyeol stayed quiet, mind still stuck on the image of Baekhyun mindlessly shoving his tongue in somebody else. Luhan noticed the serious look on Chanyeol’s face.

“The drive to and from the airport took so long, I need a shower. Baekhyun was excited to see you Yeol and the stories about the places you visited in China.” With that Luhan untangled Baekhyun from him and headed upstairs wanting to go to  his room after leaving Chanyeol a message, “Go easy on him.”

Usually, Baekhyun was the one who would always start to initiate skinship whenever they got into a fight just like what Baekhyun did with Luhan just a minute ago so Chanyeol was confused as to why Baekhyun was still unmoving from his spot.

“Baek.” Chanyeol’s deep voice echoed in the living room.

Baekhyun shot him a glance then continued staring at the floor.

The easiest thing would have been to initiate the skinship himself but Chanyeol was too enraged to even move from his seat. With his platinum hair, brown eyes, prim and proper figure and a stoic face, Sehun, looked like a teenage heartthrob whose built was taken from a model of a famous magazine. Any woman or man, on that matter, would swim their way over the Pacific Ocean to take a glance at the handsome boy; not that Chanyeol was feeling envious; rather, he was just feeling protective over his brother.

That’s it right? Nothing more.

But it was lot more, Chanyeol just refusing and still fighting the fact.

It had been over ten minutes, not one of the two brothers had spoken or moved from their spots. Chanyeol was still caught up the with image in his head to really calm his nerves.

“Sorry.”

It came out hoarse and sad.

Chanyeol woke up from his reverie, eyes focused on Baekhyun.

“What are you sorry for Baek?”

“I don’t know but you seemed angry and I don’t want you getting mad at me. You just came home and you’re angry and I don’t know why. I’m sorry hyung.” This time, Chanyeol can hear faint sounds of hiccups and sniffles. Baekhyun was crying and it made Chanyeol’s heart sank.

Slowly, Chanyeol stood up and kneeled in front of Baek, cupping the boy’s face.

“Baek, look at me.” Chanyeol said softly while wiping the tears away from Baekhyun’s face. “I’m sorry.” And Chanyeol was feeling guilty and depressed for making his beloved younger brother cry. “I shouldn’t have acted like that. I’m sorry Baek.”

Baekhyun was like a vast pool of water and the best way to not fall for him is to avoid any contact. Chanyeol knew it was better to retreat at this state because if he takes a plunge, he was well aware that the deeper he dove, the more unwanted feeling would rise up to his chest. And he would not want to be caught up in the deepest of the ocean because Baekhyun is his younger brother and Baekhyun could not save him if he drowned.

Chanyeol knew he has a few seconds to step back, he has a little chance to escape but he didn’t. Baekhyun threw his arms around Chanyeol and continued to sob.

“Hyung, what took you so long? I missed you.” Baekhyun’s hold was getting tighter as Chanyeol’s heart was beating louder, “I missed you so much.”

And Chanyeol could not back away anymore. He was drowning.

“I missed you too Baek.” Chanyeol whispered. More than you will ever know.

***

“I want to visit China too.” Baekhyun pouted while his hands rummaged Chanyeol’s luggage.

“On your vacation, let’s go together.” Chanyeol suggested as he tried to arrange his stuffs on his dresser.

“I think Luhan hyung will like that, he’s half Chinese right?” Baekhyun giggled softly.

Chanyeol’s heart sank. What he meant was he and Baekhyun would go together, just the two of them not that he has something against Luhan, he loved his older brother dearly but Chanyeol just wanted to go only with Baekhyun.

“I can’t find anything here.” Baekhyun whined as he furiously pushed Chanyeol’s luggage and jumped on his brother’s bed.

Chanyeol chuckled, “Of course silly, your gift is with me.”

Baekhyun eyes turned wide and glee was evident in his face. “Hyung, give it to me, I wanna see.”

“I’ll give it to you tomorrow. It’s late, you better sleep, you have classes tomorrow.”

Baekhyun pouted and tried his aegyo but Chanyeol wouldn’t budged. “It will not work Baek. Go back to your room and sleep.”

“I wanna sleep here.”

Chanyeol almost lost his balance.  The look on his face must have said it all.

“You won’t like it if I sleep here with you?” Baekhyun said dejectedly.

Sighing, Chanyeol went and sat in his bed, inches away from Baekhyun. “You can sleep here, Baek.” And in an instant, Baekhyun was smiling. “Go and move on your side of the bed.”

“Just a few minutes more hyung, I’ll sleep later, I just need to finish this story.” Baek reached for his laptop situated at Chanyeol’s bedside table. “Sehun and I need to pass this tomorrow.”

“Is that the project you’re mentioning a while ago?” Chanyeol asked curiously.

“Yup, the one with the kiss.” Baekhyun explained as his eyes focused on the screen. Chanyeol once again remembered the distasteful scene he tried hard to keep at the back of his mind.

“I don’t know how to end this.” Baekhyun was so close into pulling his hair, “Hyung, I still can’t explain what a kiss should feel like. I should probably ask Sehun to come here earlier so we can try it out again.” Baekhyun thought for a while and smiled after reaching for his phone and started to dial Sehun’s mobile.

“No.” It came out as a harsh grumble.

Baekhyun was startled.

“Don’t call him” Chanyeol could not stop the words from coming out of his mouth. “Why is it important that you need to kiss him?”

“Because hyung, we need to write that lasting feeling, we need to describe the kiss.” Baekhyun explained wanting to convince Chanyeol that experiencing a kiss will solve all his problems and can make their story as real and pure as possible. “In our story, they weren’t permitted to kiss because if they do, all hell will break lose. An angel isn’t supposed to be in love with a devil and the last scene, they will leave all their reservations behind because the last thing they want to do before they reach their final breath was to experience how it was like to kiss.”

There was a deafening silence, Baekhyun had a pleading look, he really wanted to finish the story so bad and he and Sehun wrote the story for weeks hoping they will earn the highest grade and will grab the opportunity to be included in the published stories for their school.

Chanyeol knew he was already drowning and there was no way Baekhyun would ever save him but he felt he needed to sink more.

“Let’s try it.” He said, eyes focused on the perplexed brunette male.

“W-what?” Baekhyun suddenly felt his mind blurred.

“The kiss, let’s try it.” Chanyeol doesn’t even know where his confidence was coming but nonetheless, he disregarded the small voice warning him and telling him over and over again that it was wrong.

“So you don’t have to wake up early just to write. It’s better to finish it now so you won’t have a problem with it later.” Chanyeol tried to put the words where it will not sound as crazy as it seemed. For a second, Chanyeol thought Baekhyun would go crazy or mad but what he hoped was more heart breaking than what he thought.

“Okay.” Baekhyun uttered barely audible.

Chanyeol felt his knees wobble. It was the reality Chanyeol didn’t expect because it was his fantasy coming to him in a flash.

Baekhyun was like a vast pool of water and the best way to not fall for him is to avoid any contact. Chanyeol was stuck in the middle of ocean and no could save him

Soft lips against chapped ones, heart racing, mind blurring.

Chanyeol felt he stepped into a new world where flowers bloom and never dies, the smell of fresh air tingles your nose. If you look behind his eyes, you would see fireworks and glees of fairies in delight. His breath stopped for a second, you will think he had no lungs.

Chanyeol felt he should ran away and stop this thing he was doing but the smell of strawberries filled him, it was invigorating. And the taste of Baekhyun’s lips was addicting.

Chanyeol felt dizzy, the taste of Baekhyun’s lips can make him forget his name.

It wasn’t long, it wasn’t short but it was enough to make Chanyeol realized so many things, forget poignant memories; and it was enough to make him more in love.

The memory will last forever.

The kiss makes him more trapped in a forbidden love.

Because Chanyeol let himself drown even more.

*Another kiss*

Willl try to upload another chapter later.

Thanks for reading and subscribing guys /sprinkles love/