Fast footsteps, almost running.

 

 

Kris and Kai snicker as they stare at their friend eagerly walking ahead of them.

 

 

“Are you sure he’s already there?” Chanyeol throws Kris a quick glance, eyes wide as he nears the particular room for Kris’ first period class.

 

 

Kris clamps his hands over his lips first to stop snickering before answering.

 

 

“Yeah. He’s always an hour early so of course he’d already be there.”

 

 

Chanyeol does not look back and only keeps nodding his head as he gets a hold of the doorknob, a huge playful grin on his face.

 

 

Counting from three to one, Chanyeol bursts in the room and silently sneaks his way to a particular petite male who’s currently reading his notes from their past lesson. Kris and Kai follows after him and watches as their friend leans very, very close to his victim who is still too busy to actually notice the person advancing in on him.

 

 

Chanyeol whispers something into the busy petite male’s ear and a loud shriek is heard… which, of course, is followed by Chanyeol’s cackle while running out of the room, but not before making sure to throw a playful grin at the enraged male he had once again successfully annoyed.

 

 

Baekhyun stands up from his seat and points at the taller male who caused the disturbance to his perfectly normal morning while screaming at the top of his lungs in anger.

 

 

“PARK CHANYEOL YOU STUPID IDIOT I SWEAR IF YOU SHOW YOUR FACE IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN I’M GOING TO THROW YOU OFF THE BUILDING!!!!”

 

 

Chanyeol is out of the room in less than 5 seconds.

 

 

Kai is snickering as he trails after his friend who just ran out of the room.

 

The rest of the class cheers and teases Baekhyun.

 

 

Kris stares at the petite male that’s already back to his seat, murmuring curses that are surely directed to the male who just left cackling like an evil witch.

 

It’s interesting, Kris thinks, how Baekhyun stays quiet the entire time and only makes so much noise when Chanyeol is around.

 

Baekhyun is the type of person who wouldn’t mingle with people when it’s not important and he knows that already for the past two years they’ve known each other. The petite male is sweet but you wouldn’t know that unless you put much effort into getting to know him. Chanyeol is the person who knows this the most. Over the three years the two knew each other, Kris is already able to understand how Chanyeol is the only male in the entire school who can make Baekhyun laugh so loud in the middle of the class, talk or even gossip about things even when Baekhyun isn’t even interested while crouching down and whispering to each other, and even scream at the top of his lungs because Chanyeol has once again played a prank on him. With Chanyeol around, you’d see so many emotions and reactions from Baekhyun.

 

 

Like that tint of blush on his cheeks right now.

 

 

“Look guys! Baekhyun is blushing!!” Jongdae points at the petite male who immediately leans down and buries his face on his arms.

 

"No I'm not!”

 

 

But it’s so obvious in his voice, which moved an octave higher, that he is, indeed, feeling something more than the usual. That Chanyeol’s sudden appearance in front of him is something he misses.

 

 

Baekhyun didn’t attend the last summer classes so he was not classmates with Chanyeol. The last time they saw each other was during their final exams last semester. They weren’t classmates anymore this semester because Chanyeol slacked off again in his studies and had to retake a subject. It has been three months since the last time they saw each other and although seeing Chanyeol means getting teased, annoyed, or even being played a prank on, Baekhyun could not hide to himself that he did miss his tall, annoying friend.

 

 

This is the first time Kris heard that high-pitched voice of Baekhyun after three months.

 

 

 

He gives Baekhyun a sympathetic pat on the shoulder as he passes by him on his way to his seat.

 

 

 

 

*

 

From: Ham and Baekon

To: Chanyeol

 

PARK CHANYEOL I SWEAR IF I SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN I’M GOING TO SKIN YOU ALIVE AND ROLL YOU ON SANDPAPER

 

 

*

 

 

 

Saying the words ‘I miss you’ is something Baekhyun doesn’t feel comfortable to. Showing affection to someone he knows he could develop real feelings to is something he avoids at all cost.

 

 

It took less than a minute when his phone starts blinking. But it's not like he was waiting for it. It's just that he knows Chanyeol would reply almost instantly to his text messages so he was just a bit aware of the time it took for the other to reply.

 

 

*

 

From: Park Chanyeol. Tss. =__=+

To: Baekhyun

 

Then I’m not going to show my face in front of you again. :P

 

 

*

 

Baekhyun stares at his screen for awhile before deciding that Chanyeol doesn’t mean it and stuffs his phone in his bag again.

 

He tries not to think of the sensation left by Chanyeol’s warm breath over his ears when he murmured those words he would never admit to anyone.

 

 

“You missed me, didn’t you?”

 

 

 

 

**

 

 

 

 

“What are you doing tonight?”

 

Kai side-glances Chanyeol as they walk home together. “Huh?”

 

“I’m going to hit the club tonight. Wanna come with me? My treat.” Chanyeol asks as he lazily slings his bag pack to his back.

 

 

Kai shakes his head. “Nah, I need to catch up on our lesson today. I didn’t understand any of it.”

 

 

Chanyeol laughs.

 

 

“Why do you even study on your own too much? You already have Kyungsoo tutoring you.”

 

 

“Exactly. What would he think if I don’t know the answer to the questions he asked me? I don’t want to look like an idiot in front of him.”

 

 

Chanyeol laughs loudly. “But that’s why you have him as a tutor—because you don’t know stuff. So he needs to teach you them. That’s how this whole tutoring thing works.”

 

 

Kai shrugs. “Well not to me.”

 

 

Chanyeol hits Kai hard in the back as they are about to reach the intersection where they part ways.

 

 

“Man, you’re ing whipped.”

 

 

The latter doesn’t even deny it, and only returns a shy smile to the smirk that Chanyeol gives him. It was what Kai says before walking to the other direction that the smirk on Chanyeol’s face gets wiped away.

 

 

 

“And what makes you think you’re not?”

 

 

The taller male only stares at his friend’s retreating figure for a few moments, trying to process what he’s just been told.

 

 

The pieces finally click together.

 

 

Who’s whipped? Him? Hell no! It’s true that he would do everything the petite brunette would ever ask for but that still doesn’t count as being whipped. Not even the fact that he favored Baekhyun a little too much over all of his friends—maybe even over Kai or his cousin that he takes care of. At least he has self-control. He has the willpower to say no to Baekhyun’s requests. No matter how much the petite male bugged him about it. Like the silver bracelet Baekhyun said he likes that he is wearing right now. It's not that he is not willing to give it to Baekhyun. It's just that he wants it for himself. Then he would buy one for the petite male like the one he owns. Not for a couple-thingy thing. It's not his fault Baekhyun wants the same thing he wants. If anyone is to be blamed for their future couple bracelet, it's Baekhyun. Chanyeol argues to himself, trying to drown that little voice that is telling him yes,he is indeed whipped.

 

He pursed his lips to try and hide the grin about to make way on his face even though no one is looking.

 

 

 

He rings the doorbell for his cousin to open the gates and lets out an impatient huff when he’s not answered after the third time.

 

Taemin isn’t back even when his class ended a few hours ago. He knows he has ed up his own life but one life is enough and he needs to take Taemin away from whatever ed up mess he has brought himself into. He cannot swallow the guilt of seeing his little cousin following the same messed up route he took. He makes a mental note to call his little cousin’s number right after getting inside the house. He rummages for the spare key inside his backpack that he still can’t seem to get used to.

 

The sound of something being fried and the sweet aroma of meat filled his nose. Their neighbor is cooking those delicious meals that Chanyeol would die to have every day. Living away from home and in an apartment has its perks. One of it is being independent from your strict parents and being able to do what you want. These ‘wants’ of course includes drinking to his heart’s content, wasting the night away at random clubs, coming to school only when he feels like doing so, and spending the hard-earned money his mom provides him with thinking that her son is being a good boy.

 

The guilt does get to him but he tries to push away it with more liquor and chemicals that go past through his throat. He wants to give back something to his mom who raised him singlehandedly with love but right now he just needs tojust get away from all this.

 

 

Drinking isn’t enough, he knows that. The pain and problems washes over him back like a tide during the day when he is once again sober.

 

 

He was doing well before when he has his distractions to keep his mind off of the things that continually stabs his heart and bugs his head. That little distraction comes in a form of a petite man with brunette hair and a smile that never fails to warm his heart.

 

Chanyeol couldn’t find his keys. He should be muttering curses right now but instead there’s a smile tugging on his lips.

 

 

God, how much he missed him.

 

 

Finally seeing Baekhyun after a few months of not seeing each other and hearing that high pitched voice he has grown to like brought back the butterflies he hadn’t felt for a long time.

He shouldn’t have slacked off and failed that subject. He should have studied well instead of acting busy when in truth he was stealing side glances of the petite male beside him studying hard for their final exams. Now the number of days he is actually present in class gradually decreased for his only motivation to actually attend his past classes isn’t around anymore to shout at him for being annoying.

 

 

“Chanyeol…”

 

 

He almost drops his bag at the sound of a voice calling him. He places a hand over his chest to calm his heart that momentarily panicked before looking at whoever it was that was standing on the far right side of the gate.

 

 

His eyes widen at the sight of the petite male looking at him with incredulous eyes.

 

 

“B-baekhyun..” He could only call back the male’s name as he drinks in his sight.

 

 

Baekhyun looks nothing like how he saw him that day. The Baekhyun standing in front of him at this moment looks exhausted, his hair disheveled, school uniform crumpled and there were black circles under his eyes.

 

 

 

And Chanyeol might have seen it coming, by the way Baekhyun gasps out his name before walking towards him in long strides, Chanyeol could see danger coming.

 

 

And the ‘danger’ came with the sound of Baekhyun’s palm meeting his left cheek and the skin burning as his jaw feels like it might actually fall off from the impact of the slap.

 

 

His body temperature instantly rises up. He doesn’t deserve this. What wrong has he done to the petite male to actually receive such a hard blow on his pretty face? Well except maybe the constant times he annoys the man but it’s been months since the last time he did and this morning wasn’t even such a major offense compared to all the other things he did to Baekhyun before.

 

 

Baekhyun, of all people, knows just how much Chanyeol treasures his face.

 

 

He was made to face Baekhyun and shout a ‘WHAT THE WAS THAT FOR’ but couldn’t find the will to do so because of what the brunette does next.

 

 

Baekhyun looks up at him with teary eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he is seeing. Then frail hands were brought up, fingertips lightly touching his stinging cheek before it gets pulled back almost instantly, as if the touch burns his skin. The brunette looks at Chanyeol with questioning eyes, then to his hands, to the fingertips that touched the taller's cheek. He stares at his fingers for a few moments before he slowly, as if trying not to scare the other away, lifts the hand again and gently caresses his stinging left cheek. He looks down at Baekhyun, shocked and bewildered by the brunette’s unusual behavior.

 

 

Baekhyun stares at him with so much pain and sadness in his eyes. Something that Chanyeol has never seen from the petite male. Before he could speak again, tears starttotrickle down the brunette’s cheeks as his hand falls to his side. Chanyeol was left staring in shock as Baekhyun began to sob.

 

 

“Baekhyun—Baekhyun what’s wrong?”

 

 

Chanyeol doesn’t know what to do. Never, not once has he seen Baekhyun cry this much in front of him or even show a little emotion near to sadness. The petite male has always been either a ray of sunshine around him or a storm ready to take him down and end his life. Never this. It was never like the rain that sadly pours down as the sky cries.

 

 

“Baekhyun, please—what’s wrong? Tell me what’s wrong.” He brings his hands to hold Baekhyun on his shoulders and levels his face with the latter’s but the smaller male only continues to sob, disrupting the silence in their neighborhood.

 

 

Chanyeol starts to panic because Baekhyun could be hurt somewhere.

 

 

“Are you hurt? Does anywhere hurt?” And the memory of his prank this morning comes to his mind.

                                     

 

“Was it what I did this morning? Is that it? Baekhyun, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you would be this angry.”

 

 

Baekhyun only shakes his head as he continues to sob. The sight of Baekhyun crying in front of him makes him feel like his heart is being clenched and pulled out of his chest. It’s unbearable so he did what he could think of.

 

 

Long arms find its way around Baekhyun’s waist as the smaller male gets pulled closer to the taller male.

 

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” There was no reply, only the sound of the smaller male sobbing louder like a little child who just lost his favorite toy.

 

 

Chanyeol could not do anything. He doesn’t know what went wrong or what he did wrong. But this hurts him. Seeing Baekhyun sob like this—like he’s never seen before hurts him so bad that he’d want to hurt anyone that has caused this to the petite male. He would give him anything he wants just to stop him from sobbing.

 

 

He doesn’t want Baekhyun hurting.

 

 

An arm touches the small of Baekhyun’s back as he pulls him closer while a hand caresses the back of his head. Chanyeol whispers more ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry’ into the petite male’s ear even though he doesn’t know what it is he should be sorry about.

 

 

Baekhyun continues to sob as he circles the taller man’s waist and sobs on his shirt, clinging to Chanyeol like his life depends on it.

 

 

 

**

 

 

 

“Shh… it’s okay now, Baekhyun... It’s okay now...sshhh…”, the soothing whispers and the hand caressing his back calms him down as he lets himself be glued to Chanyeol’s chest.

 

 

But he still feels scared.

 

 

 

 

**

 

 

 

 

Crying obviously tired out Baekhyun as he has his face buried in the crook of Chanyeol’s shoulder. The petite male still has the front of his shirt clenched in his small hands. Chanyeol continues to the back of the smaller male whose sobs now turned into short gasps.

 

 

Baekhyun has finally stopped sobbing minutes after Chanyeol led him inside his apartment. No words were spoken after that. Chanyeol continues to whisper soothing words in the smaller male’s ear. The smaller male’s attention is concentrated on the steady heaving of the taller male’s chest as he calmly breathes in and breathes out.

 

 

Chanyeol’s life has never been clear ever since the time his father left him and his mother’s side. Questions remained unanswered and his confusion grew even more and developed into depression. Never has he once opened up to anybody about his self-struggle, fearing that people may judge him as someone who is weak. Weak is something he believes he isn’t and shouldn’t be. He should be strong for his mom so he tries to drown the doubt and sadness and attempts to lie to his self.

 

 

There was only person in his whole life that he has told his problem to. He didn’t even know why he told that person something so private.He doesn’t even know why it had to be that person. All he and that person did was bicker. He doesn’t understand what made him trust that person but he does, and now that person is here, in his arms, looking so fragile and sad.

 

 

He feels the twisting of his heart with every short gasps the petite male lets out as an aftermath of too much crying. He holds him close, forgetting the numbness he is supposed to feel in his thighs where he cradles the man.

 

 

 

The petite male fell asleep in his arms and Chanyeol slowly and carefully brought the male in his room to place him carefully on his bed. He had to try to be careful as to not awake the smaller male when he had to unclench his hands that were still clinging to his shirt. He sweeps the petite male’s fringe to the side before placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

 

 

 

He makes his way out of the room to sleep on the couch for the night, making sure to set his alarm so that he could wake up early to make breakfast for the man in his room.

 

 

Nevertheless, Chanyeol woke up early that morning and immediately walks to his room to check on his brunette-haired friend only to find nothing. Baekhyun wasn’t anywhere in sight, as if he disappeared into thin air.

 

 

Or maybe he left the house in the deep of the night.

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol wasn’t expecting much after that. Not after the coldness left on his bed where he tucked the petite male in.

 

 

They’ve already known each other for three years. He already knows Baekhyun well. He knows how Baekhyun hates being too attached topeople. He knows how Baekhyun is uncomfortable with too much affection. He knows how Baekhyun shies away from loud people who express themselves to everyone easily. He is one of those loud people who like to express his self. If it weren’t for his continual efforts to annoy the petite male, he doubts he would actually be in a relationship with Baekhyun where they could call each other names. So Chanyeol wasn’t surprised when he woke up to the emptiness of his bed, the petite male nowhere in sight.

 

 

He must have felt uncomfortable.

 

 

Chanyeol knew and expected that he would be ignored that day or would be cursed at, as usual, by the petite male if he tries to talk to him about what happened last night.

 

 

What he wasn’t expecting was the appearance of the very same man who he thought would be hiding in the core of the earth just to avoid him. Chanyeol couldn’t believe it at first as he watches the petite male who picks up his glass to take a sip of his tequila. He thought it might have been because of all the booze he drank. But then his eyes averts from the petite male who nonchalantly looks at the surrounding as he drinks the rest of the tequila in Chanyeol’s glass.

 

 

 

“So this is how a pub looks like.”

 

 

And that’s it. Chanyeol knew Baekhyun really is sitting in beside him, drinking his expensive tequila in two gulps.

 

 

“That’s mine.” He snatches the glass from Baekhyun who doesn’t resist and rests an elbow on the counter facing him.

 

 

Chanyeol faces the bartender. 

 

“Another round please,” The bartender nods as he takes out a bottle from underneath the counter.

 

 

“No actually, please cancel that. This idiot doesn’t need that anymore. Ever again.”

 

 

Baekhyun flashes a sweet smile to the bartender who in response smiles back with his dimples showing. And Chanyeol immediately decides he hates that sweet smile of Baekhyun directed to the bartender with deep dimples—or anyone else. Anyone that isn’t him.

 

 

Chanyeol’s brows furrow as he completely faces the petite male.

 

 

“And why is that, Baekon?”

 

 

“Because,” the petite male pauses to snatch the glass in between Chanyeol’s index and middle finger and places it on the counter, somewhere far from the latter’s reach. “This place is only for lonely people who are alone and doesn’t have anyone to talk to.”

 

 

Chanyeol blinks away the tipsiness as he hums, urging the smaller male to continue.

 

 

“But you’re not alone.”

 

 

Chanyeol snorts and plants an elbow to the counter, head resting on an open palm. “Yeah right.”

 

 

“Because you have me,” At that, Chanyeol turns his head to the petite male beside him. “And I’ll give you something worth more than the numbness these alcohols provide you with.”

 

 

Now, the smaller male has Chanyeol’s interest.

 

 

“Which is..?”

 

 

Baekhyun takes out a few bills from his wallet and gently places it on the counter before jumping off the stool.

 

 

“My precious time.”

 

 

Chanyeol gets pulled off the stool as well and if it wasn’t for the slender fingers that wrapped itself on his wrist, he would have protested. He likes the warmth from Baekhyun’s hand. He wants it to stay longer so he lets himself get dragged out of the pub by a small brunette.

 

 

Chanyeol was the one who picked his own apartment. It wasn’t a coincidence at all that his apartment is only a block away from the said pub.

 

 

Baekhyun leads him to his apartment like it’s his own. Like he’s been going there since forever.

Like he is and should always be there.

 

 

The doorbell rings twice before a huffy, wet-haired Taemin comes running out of the front door to open the gates. The sight of Byun Baekhyun surprised him but what surprised him more were the fingers wrapped around his older cousin’s hand.

 

 

“Hi Taemin. I’ve come to bring home your idiot of a cousin.”

 

 

“Baeko—Baekhyun hyung..”

 

 

Taemin knows a lot of things about Baekhyun, courtesy to a drunken Chanyeol who continues to nonstoptalk about the said brunette. So he knows that such action from the petite male isn’t something to normal. He doesn’t find it new to see the mesmerized face of his older cousin who continues to stare at the back of the brunette’s head. Judging from the way Chanyeol could still walk straight, Taemin knows his cousin isn’t drunk and the visitor doesn’t need assistance to drag his older cousin to his own room.

 

 

 

**

 

 

Chanyeol lets himself get led to the bathroom.

 

 

“Wash up.”

 

 

The petite male disappears for a short moment and he comes back with a t-shirt and a sweat pants that looks like his’.

 

“Are you going to wash up or do you want me to do it for you?”

 

 

The taller male stays unmoving for a few seconds. It was when Baekhyun raises a brow and crosses his arms over his chest that Chanyeol starts to move.

 

 

 

**

 

 

Baekhyun’s fringe covers his eyes as the taller male gets tucked in his bed. He stayed still as he lets the smaller do whatever it is that he wants. Of course, Chanyeol finds all of this confusing but he likes the feel of it. He likes having Baekhyun around. He likes how Baekhyun’s lashes flutter as he blinks. He likes how Baekhyun purses his lips to the side as he pulls the blanket over his shoulder. He likes how close Baekhyun is to him right now.He likes the way Baekhyun’s cheeks are now tinted with the color of a rose…

 

 

Why were you there? How did you know I was there? Why is this happening? Why are you doing this?

 

 

There are so many questions he wants to ask Baekhyun but he continues to settle down because he likes this. He likes the current attention he is getting from the petite male who’s been ignoring him ever since he can remember. He wasn’t drunk at all. He only had two glasses of tequila and that was nowhere near enough to make him drunk. He might be a bit tipsy but not enough to be unawareof his surroundings; of the shuffling next to him and of the presence of the petite male next to him.

 

 

Maybe he should get drunk more often.

 

“Sleep.” Baekhyun isn’t asking him to sleep. He is ordering him to. The smaller male stands straight, arm crossed over his chest as he examines the man he tucked in bed, as if making sure he’s not going to run back to the pub.

 

 

“Baekhyun?”

 

 

“Yeah?”

 

 

“How did you enter the pub when you’re still wearing your school uniform?”

 

 

Baekhyun pauses, his eyes averting from Chanyeol to the bedside lamp then back to Chanyeol.

 

 

“It’s either the security guard is too kind or he’s gay and my sweet smile had him nodding a yes.”

 

The brunette sports a smirk that has Chanyeol cursing under his breath and swearing not to get drunk and step back inside that pub ever again.

 

 

“Sleep now, Chanyeol…” Baekhyun’s voice was much softer this time and Chanyeol closes his eyes to the feeling of Baekhyun running his fingers through his hair before he slips into deep sleep with dreams full of a brunette who likes to be dominant over him.

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

Three years.

 

He’s known Baekhyun for three years so it’s just normal for him to know well how the brunette’s mood swings from him being yelled at to finish his part for their group assignment to him being completely ignored by the said brunette. It was never like this. It was never him and Kai being dragged out of the café where they play computer games. It was never him being dragged out of his apartment to eat out and study together.

 

“And don’t bring your laptop with you or else I’d have you shipped to the Amazon River and be fed to the crocodiles. We have a major test tomorrow and I’ll kill you if you distract me with your stupid SuperMario game.”

 

Chanyeol chuckles as he listens to the brunette’s voice from the other line. Baekhyun’s way of threatening him never fails to amuse him.

 

“Where the hell do you seriously get your references Baekhyun? If you want to sound threatening then use words that your opponent can actually understand otherwise it loses its essence”.

 

And you’d only sound cute to your enemy.

 

He hears a scoff.

 

“No need. I know you get my point.”

 

“Of course I do. I’m awesome so of course I do.”

 

Chanyeol smiles to himself as he hears the hearty laugh of the brunette male. He can almost see the brunette’s eyes turning into crescents as he continues to laugh.

 

He ends up staying up late to study in a coffee shop with the brunette but none of what he read got absorbed by his head even when he constantly kept on asking the petite male sitting across him about how to solve different problems to which the latter surprisingly responds to. The night ended with him sending Baekhyun home in the middle of the night but his mind continued to drift back to where the petite male is.

 

 

 

It was never near anywhere like all that’s been happening recently. It was never him receiving telephone calls at random time from Baekhyun to talk about things he knows the brunette isn't even interested of. It was never him being invited to play badminton by the sea and long moments spent in silence as they watch the sun setting. It was never him getting so much attention that he had always wanted to have.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Chanyeol stares at the plasma TV in front of him as he lazily switches from one channel to another. It’s Saturday and Taemin isn’t home. Kai is busy studying to impress the apple of his stupid eyes and Kris is with his girlfriend. Only he is left stagnant in his apartment, bored as hell and without anything interesting to do.

 

 

It would be nice if Baekhyun would choose to appear once again today like what’s been happening recently. It amazes him how the brunette always appears in front of him just when he is thinking of him. It could either be destiny or Baekhyun just really misses him as much as he does.

 

 

The questions continue to linger in his head but he fears that the moment he asks the brunette about why all of these unusual things are happening, the latter suddenly goes back to completely ignoring him. Of course he wouldn’t want that.

 

 

He finally gives up finding a decent channel and stands up from the couch to look for movies he can watch from their collection of DVDs. He reaches to take out a particular DVD and ends up cursing as all the DVDs along with a red notebook on the rack falls over to him.

 

 

How nice would it be to watch a movie with Baekhyun, he thought. Albeit he knows that won’t be happening. December is ending and that means midterm exams are coming soon and the petite male is probably busy studying.

 

 

But it won’t hurt trying to ask him, right?

 

 

He types out a text message as the movie starts to play.

 

 

 

 

 

*

To: Ham and Baekon XD

From: Chanyeol

 

Baekhyunaaaaaa~ Whatchu doing? ^o^

*

 

 

 

He stares at the message before starting to press the backspace, while cringing. Baekhyun would probably only ignore his text if he tries to be all sweet to him.

 

 

*

 

To: Ham and Baekon XD

From: Chanyeol

 

Baekhyun? :>

 

 

*

 

No. It’s still not right. Delete.

 

 

 

 

*

To: Ham and Baekon XD

From: Chanyeol

Bacon

 

*

 

 

He presses send.

 

 

*

To: Chanyeol

From: Ham and Baekon XD

What now Park Chanyeol

 

*

 

To: Ham and Baekon XD

From: Chanyeol

yo

 

*

 

To: Chanyeol

From: Ham and Baekon XD

What do you want

 

*

To: Ham and Baekon XD

From: Chanyeol

Eye mishu

 

 

*

Chanyeol can almost see Baekhyun making out puking gestures. He starts to backspace again.

*

 

 

To: Ham and Baekon XD

From: Chanyeol

U said last semester that if you would pass you’d treat me out

 

*

 

To: Chanyeol

From:  Ham and Baekon XD

What are you even talking about, Park Chanyeol

 

 

*

 

Chanyeol stares at the reply. Unbelievable. How could Baekhyun just forget about his promise! He was so delighted when he heard the brunette promise to him a treat because he knows that the hard-working brunette would definitely pass their major subject. It was going to be the first time the petite male would treat him out.

 

It would have been only the two of them eating out like... like it’s a date.

 

 

*

To: Ham and Baekon XD

From:  Chanyeol

U did. U said that to me that time. It was past midnight. U promised

*

 

To: Ham and Baekon XD

From: Chanyeol

Well I don’t remember so it’s not valid anymore :p

mehrong :p

 

*

 

 

Chanyeol should have known that the petite male wouldn’t keep his promise.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

People come and go in a person’s life. There are those you would be willing to let go while others you would want to keep. For Chanyeol, there are only a few people whom he would want to stay and one of those people is a petite brunette who could easily turn him into goo of his own feelings with just having the latter’s attention; the same goo of feelings that he would gladly drown in to. But he knows Baekhyun too well. And he wished he doesn’t. Because then he wouldn’t know that Baekhyun would probably not feel the same way towards him or even if he does, he wouldn’t admit it. That’s how Baekhyun is. He always likes to keep on running from things, from people and no matter how fast he tries to run, Chanyeol just can’t keep up.

 

 

That is why he tries not to get too used and all excited about Baekhyun being around him a lot these days because he knows someday it would stop. He dreads the day that would come but then he forgot to control of his own emotions. Before he knew it, he’s already drunk with the thought that maybe, just maybe, the petite male also has fallen in love with him.

 

 

 

Today is the day he proves himself wrong.

 

 

 

It was supposed to be a normal walk to the nearest grocery store as Chanyeol was expecting. He was supposed to just buy food to feed his damn stomach but it ended up much more than just a trip tothe store.

 

 

Among the few people in the grocery store, he spots a brunette hair and it doesn’t need to be confirmed who the brunette is with just the familiar laughter floating in the air as he began to walk near the brunette.

 

 

“Hi Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo’s heart-shaped smile gets ignored as he approaches, eyes locked on the brunette who’s facing away from him.

 

 

“Baek”

 

 

The brunette turns on his heels and what he expected, a sweet smile like he has recently been receiving from the petite male, got turned down as the other looks at him with cold eyes, like how he usually would a few weeks ago. When there were no butterflies in his stomach caused by all the things the petite male does.

 

 

There was dead air as silence reigns between them. Baekhyun looks at him impatiently as if he’s waiting for him to say something. But there’s nothing he could say. Words don’t come out. Not with the way Baekhyun looks at him, foreign and strange.

 

“Let’s go, Kyungsoo.”

 

 

And Chanyeol was left staring at the back of the brunette who didn’t even look back.

 

 

 

 

That night his phone rings. He doesn’t have to guess from the telephone caller number who is calling him. Feeling even more irritated at the continuous ringing of his phone, he takes out its battery and tosses it somewhere far from him. He decides to go out and go somewhere to wind up and get his head off the brunette who decided to be imprisoned in both his heart and mind.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

“I said,” Baekhyun pauses for an emphasis. “Let’s go.”

 

 

But Chanyeol doesn’t budge. He doesn’t even look back at the brunette.

 

 

Apparently, his idea of doing something to get his head off the petite male ended up with him being on the same bar he promised the brunette he won’t ever come back to. He isn’t that drunk but he wished he is because hearing the small male nag him to going back home is not a pleasant way to spend this evening.

 

 

“You promised me you won’t do this again!”

 

 

Why does he even care?

 

 

Chanyeol slams the bottle on the table as he looks up at Baekhyun with half-lidded eyes, head lolling to one side and enunciates with a slur of words.

 

 

“Why are you here, Baekhyun?”

 

 

Baekhyun looks at him, unblinking with confused eyes.

 

 

“What do you mean—because I want you to stop drinking and come home with me!”

 

 

Chanyeol lets out a bitter chuckle as he swings his head to look back at the petite male.

 

 

“Home? Where? I have no home here.”

 

“Let’s go, Chanyeol. You’re drunk.” Baekhyun makes an effort into holding Chanyeol’s arm and pulls the taller male. Chanyeol only swats his hand away. Baekhyun’s eyes widen at the harsh gesture. A sad expression replaced the shocked one.

 

 

Chanyeol doesn’t even look back to the petite male as he gets off the stool and starts to walk away, a bottle of beer on hand and trying to walk straight even though his world seems to be dancing.

 

 

Baekhyun follows after him and continues to call his name but he doesn’t stop. Why should he stop and answer to the call of the man who continues to play with his feelings? If he stops, Baekhyun will continue to break him more into pieces.

 

 

And that’s something he thinks he can’t take.

 

 

“Chanyeol, would you listen to me just once?!” Baekhyun pulls Chanyeol to facing him.

 

 

Already feeling tired,Chanyeol coldly looks straight into the brunette’s eyes.

 

 

“What.”

 

 

Baekhyun lets out an exasperated sigh.

 

 

“You promised you won’t do this again. You said you’re going to fix yourself. You said—” Baekhyun did not get to finish his sentence when Chanyeol cuts him with a bitter smirk on his face.

 

“Why, Baekhyun. What’s the use of all of these? My life is useless. No one wants me. My own father ing left me. He doesn’t ing want me. No one stays behind. Every one leaves. Well that’s the irony of life, people leave. So what’s the purpose of working hard and wasting my time over things I don’t even like. This, Byun Baekhyun, this is what I enjoy doing. Not studying. Not going to a school that does nothing good to me.”

 

 

Baekhyun’s words are stuck in his throat at what Chanyeol says to him. He clenches his hands at his side, his knuckles almost turning white.

 

 

“Then do it for me, god damn it. Do it for me.”

 

 

Chanyeol looks at the brunette as if he is trying to decipher the true meaning of what the latter just said.

 

 

“Why. Why should I do it for you? Who are you to me, Baekhyun? Who am I to you?”

 

 

And Baekhyun is silenced. He and Chanyeol, what are they to each other anyway? He had never asked himself what they actually are. The laughter, the times they shared, even the times they bicker—those are enough for him. He didn’t need to name what relationship they have. Now the problem presents itself and he doesn’t know how to respond to it.

 

 

“You... you’re Chanyeol. We’re friends...”

 

 

The scoff from Chanyeol makes Baekhyun flinch because he knows he said something wrong because maybe he knows the answer but he’s afraid to admit it.

 

 

Why should he be afraid to admit it?

 

 

Didn’t he promise he would let him know the moment he sees him again?

 

 

Answers. He’s afraid of answers.

 

 

“Yeah.Chanyeol. I will always just be Chanyeol. The Chanyeol you would run to when you feel bored studying and doing all those academic you do and then leave behind when you get tired. The Chanyeol you feel ashamed being around with. That Chanyeol. That’s what I am to you. Right, Baek? So I don’t see why me wasting my life away matters to you.”

 

 

Baekhyun stares at Chanyeol with incredulous eyes and when he realizes that Chanyeol meant what he said, he moves forward to snatch the bottle of beer Chanyeol is about to down again and throws it across the street. Chanyeol only stares at the broken glasses on the road.

 

 

“Because I care. I ing care and I’m sorry I’m a total at trying to show you how I care. I’m so, so sorry so please don’t do this. Don’t...don’t waste your life.”

 

 

It was evident that Baekhyun’s voice was trembling and Chanyeol is taken aback as Baekhyun looks pleadingly at him while biting his lower lip, trying to stop the tears threatening to roll down his cheeks. The smaller male’s gaze falls to the ground when he couldn’t stop the tears and chokes on a sob.

 

 

And it takes that one simple sound to sober up Chanyeol.

 

 

“Please don’t hurt yourself like this, I don’t want to lose you,” Baekhyun says in almost a whisper, tears continouslyflowing down his cheeks. Chanyeol stands unblinking in surprise.

 

 

Baekhyun. Baekhyun is crying. Baekhyun is crying and it’s because of him.

 

 

It took one long stride to reach Baekhyun and envelope him in a hug.

 

 

Words need not be said as they stay still. Baekhyun wraps his arms around the latter’s waist and Chanyeol buries his nose in the brunette’s hair. The silence was enough to convey their feelings. Maybe it’s because the feelings had been there for too long, been ignored too long that even a slight hint of intimate gesture lets both of them know that the other reciprocates his feelings.

 

 

Isn't three years enough already?

 

 

It's enough. It's more than enough. But they're too inexperienced, too young, too naïve, too scared to admit their feelings for each other. They've been running around in circles for too long that they couldn't even notice the three months turning into three years and then into forever.

 

 

Only that there's no forever for the two of them.

 

 

And they couldn't notice their time running out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

It was all supposed to be a secret. No one was supposed to know of his little secret. Everything was going as he perfectly planned. But he made one small lapse in his judgment.

 

 

"I don't understand why you would need my books and notes in Math101, Baekhyun. You have better notes than I do. And you don't even take this subject."

 

 

Kyungsoo stares at Baekhyun, chin resting on his folded arms on his desk.

 

 

Baekhyun smiles at him while stuffing the books in his bag.

 

 

"I need to help someone study..."

 

 

Kyungsoo's smile widens as he teasingly looks at Baekhyun. He might just have a tiny bit of idea who this person Baekhyun is referring to.

 

"Okay I need to go now, Soo. I'll make sure to return this to you!"

 

 

Baekhyun exits the room as he hugs his bag to his chest. Kyungsoo finds that unusual of Baekhyun. That and a lot of things. Like how his uniform is wrinkly. ByunBaekhyun hates anything in disorderand his wrinkly uniform is definitely not in order. That glint in his eyes and the cheeriness of his voice is unusual too but it's not the bad-type of unusualness. In fact, Kyungso actually likes that unusualness because this unusualness points to a certain giant that can make Baekhyun smile the brightest.

 

 

Kyungsoowaves goodbye as Baekhyun exits the room.

 

He was just about to leave the room as well when his phone starts ringing.

 

 

Calling...

Caller ID: ByunBaekhyun.

 

 

Why would Baekhyun be calling him right now when they just met?

 

 

He looks back to the direction where Baekhyun ran off earlier before hesitatingly answers the call.

 

 

"Hello?"

 

 

"Kyungsoo..."

 

 

A brow is raised as Kyungsoo answers. Baekhyun's voice is back to its platonic nature again.

 

 

"Let's meet later. I need to borrow your Math101 notes."

 

 

Kyungsoo's phone almost slips out of his hand.

 

 

 

“But you just left after taking my notes...”

 

 

There was a slight pause.

 

 

“What? No, I did not. I’m at home,” there was a long pause, Kyungsoo checks his bag again.

 

 

“Kyungsoo, are you feeling sick?”

 

 

 

 

His Math101 notes aren’t in his bag pack.