*Chapter Eight; Closer;

Baekhyun barely had time to process what was happening, and came back to reality as Sehun fell on the ground, clutching his now bleeding nose. Chanyeol’s staring at Sehun, looking like he’s ready to kill, and Baekhyun shivered at the look Chanyeol was throwing.

“Stop.” Baekhyun croaked, his voice raspy. He was scared, like really scared of what Chanyeol can do to Sehun.

Chanyeol gave Baekhyun a blank stare before smirking, showing his rich teeth. He slipped his hands into his pockets, and then stared at Sehun, and then back to Baekhyun. His smirk grew even wider when Baekhyun bit his bottom lip, looking so nervous.

“You know what? You’re a ,” Chanyeol’s voice came out firm. He didn’t want to let out such words, it came out like it’s the most natural thing to say, but that was out of Chanyeol’s control. He, himself, was shocked of what he’d just called Baekhyun.

And before he knew it, Baekhyun’s palm met his cheek, the slapping sound echoing through the empty park.

“Don’t you dare call me one,” Baekhyun said, glaring at Chanyeol, and that’s when Chanyeol realized that if looks could kill, he’d be six feet under by now. “You don’t know me, Park Chanyeol. I’m never as weak as what you think.”

Baekhyun exhaled before kneeling next to Sehun, the sharp expression escaping and being replaced by a concerned one, and jealousy (or is it?) struck Chanyeol’s heart again. He didn’t know why he felt like he wanted to kill every time someone not him gets intimate with Baekhyun. And with that, he clenched his fist, but before he’s on his way to do something impulsive, he’s had himself stopped. He didn’t want to widen the rift forming between Baekhyun and him.

Chanyeol just turned his back upon seeing Baekhyun pulling out his own handkerchief and wiping it softly against Sehun’s sensitive skin. “Are you alright?”

Chanyeol gritted his teeth and ran away, his vision turning darker from all the anger and jealousy, though not admitted, he’s feeling.

***

“Chanyeol’s—“

“Sehun, stop mentioning his name. My blood boils every time I get to hear it,” Baekhyun said, collapsing on the couch upon entering his (and Luhan’s) house. He felt exhausted from all that’s happened for the day, but he couldn’t care less, for he’s get to know Sehun more.

“Why would I stop mentioning Chanyeol’s—“ Sehun’s words got cut off as Baekhyun shot him a death glare. Sehun gulped before continuing. “Okay, fine. Why would I stop mentioning my best friend’s name?”

Baekhyun suppressed a laugh, a fake one, though. “Is that what you call a best friend? If best friends hurt each other, then omg, I would’ve been at the hospital by now from all the things Luhan should’ve done to me.”

Sehun chuckled, collapsing to the couch beside Baekhyun, and then pulled the smaller into a hug. The warmth spread through Baekhyun’s body to his fingertips, and he couldn’t help but smile under the tall boy he’s sharing a hug with. “No, he’s just like that. He’s impulsive, I know, but I know that under that façade, there’s something extremely better.”

It was Baekhyun’s turn to spurt a chuckle. “You do love him, no?”

“I do love him, but as a best friend. We’ve been friends since diapers, and he’s been with me through thick and thin. He’s more than a best friend, he’s a brother, through different parents.”

Baekhyun smiled at Sehun’s words before closing his eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep, the tall guy doing the same.

***

“No, don’t. He’s tired.

“But I need to! I mean, he has a lot of assignments to do, I need him to answer all that, including mine.”

“Why won’t you study for your own good?! He’s tired, he can’t be disturb.

“I ING NEED TO WAKE BYUN BAEKHYUN UP. Is that so hard to understand?!”

“You don’t need to wake him up. You want to wake him up.”

“Byun Baekhyun has to be awake by—“

“SHUT UP, YOU TWO!”

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Baekhyun huffed as he stared at Luhan and Sehun, who both has their hands on their waists. “Why do you guys look so wasted?”

Sehun stared at Baekhyun, and then shifted his gaze to Luhan. “Because this idiot wants to wake you up but I said “no” because you’re tired. Aren’t you?”

Baekhyun just smiled and sat upright, ignoring the throbbing pain in his temple. He shook his head and spoke, his voice raspy from the headache he’s experiencing. “No, I’m not.”

“Stop lying, I can feel you have a headache,” Sehun said matter-of-factly. He bent down and placed his palm on Baekhyun’s forehead and then pulled it back, barely touching the skin. “Holy , you need to rest. Your forehead’s as hot as the sun!”

“Stop making puns, Oh Sehun. You just want to say that my best friend is as hot as the sun, well, not literally, as hot as it’s temperature but because he’s hot, if you know what I mean,” Luhan smirked as Sehun’s cheeks glowered from the blush creeping up to it.

“Well, at least I know what’s good for Baekhyun, not like you who came barging just because you want Baekhyun to finish all your schoolwork,” Sehun said, crossing his arms like a menace.

Luhan and Sehun measured death glares, and that’s when Baekhyun interfered. “Shut up, you’re making my headache worse.”

Sehun’s snapped, and then sat next to Baekhyun by the bed. “Do you need anything? Water? Bubble tea? Anything, maybe I can stay the night here? I can sleep by the couch, alright!”

Baekhyun chuckled. “No, I’m okay. And no, the couch isn’t a comfortable thing to sleep on, but I’m not saying I don’t want you to sleep-over, since we’re already close and comfortable. But if you’d like to, maybe we can share the bed, it’s pretty huge for me.”

Sehun laughed, “It’s pretty huge for you because you’re a midget, imagine seeing an Oh Sehun sleeping in a midget’s bed?”

Baekhyun smacked Sehun’s arms, “I hate you.”

“You know you love me.”

Baekhyun chuckled, “You got me there.”

Luhan coughed, as if to get the attention of the people playing by the bed. “Excuse me…”

Sehun stared, raising an eyebrow. “There’s no way or path to take here, maybe outside, though…”

Baekhyun laughed, standing up by clinging on to the bed post. Sehun sensed what he was doing and pulled him by the bed again, “No.”

Baekhyun breathed a sigh of exasperation with a brat named Oh Sehun, and then shifted his gaze to Luhan, “Leave me to this brat. I’ll be downstairs and then I’m going to answer your schoolwork.”

Luhan nodded, smiled, and then rolled his eyes at Sehun. The latter imitated what Luhan was doing, which made Baekhyun laugh. “Stop that,” Baekhyun mumbled as Luhan made his way out of the room and closed the door before him.

“He’s a fake,” Sehun said after the click of the door. Baekhyun just sighed and laid to bed, followed by Sehun.

“No, he’s not. We’ve been friends since we were born, he can’t possibly be.”

“He is, I can sense it. Look, he doesn’t care whether you’re sick or not as long as he’ll get an advantage for keeping you with him,” Sehun said, holding Baekhyun’s hand.

Baekhyun tried to keep the topic aside, “Look, I told you, we’re going to fit in this bed.”

Sehun chuckled, “Then, I’m staying.”

Baekhyun couldn’t hide the smile creeping up his lips, “Fine.”

“Good.”

***

Chanyeol stared up his room’s ceiling, remembering the look of concern Baekhyun has been giving Sehun. He clutched on the pillow, and then threw it to nowhere. Right now, he must admit something.

He’s jealous.

‘Why, though? Why are you jealous, Park Chanyeol? Don’t tell me…’ a voice at the back of his mind even messed up. He gritted his teeth, and then spoke.

“Fine, I like him. I ing like Byun Baekhyun. And I think it’s getting deeper.”

author's note.

oh my god, i'm sorry this update took so long, and it doesn't even have much excitement. sighs, i promise this'll get better, just wait and see. ^^ i'm really sorry, though. i just caught the flu. TT TT anyways, i promise the update will definitely be better, i had a lot of things to deal with. :( yeah. that's pretty much all, and oh! 66 subscribers, i never thought half a hundred people will actually waste time on this crap, but THANKS! please, bear with all these boring chapters, IT WILL GET BETTER! promise! ((length: 1.3k words + chanyeol confessed to himself!))