just a short one this time (and it's kinda ty? but there's drama so...) :( i'm sorry. since the whole krisis, inspiration has been sparce for this story :(

If anything, the mountain of coursework looks bigger than it ever did. Handouts, assignment briefs, and textbooks all looked at him, waiting for him, daring him to even try. Chanyeol didn’t really want to though. He looked at it and thought there was no way he’d be able to do it. But then he’d think of course he can - well he has to if he wants to graduate. Either way he should at least try. He would never forgive himself if he came this far and didn’t even try. So he sat himself down at his desk and began to work.

The time went by slowly and Chanyeol was losing the will to live more and more. The words blurred in front of him and his mind emptied out as he stared at the exercise sheet. Just when he was going to give up, his escape appeared in the form of a text message. Surprisingly, it was from Kris.

from: kris

jongdae’s throwing a party at mine. wanna come?

Chanyeol stared at the glaring white screen weighing up his options. It’d be better if he stayed in and worked so he wouldn’t have to worry about it later. But it’d also be nice to blow off some steam, relax and hang out with Kris. It would be awkward though. He’s still not close enough to Kris and there would probably be a lot of people there he didn’t know. He turned to look at the dim grey world of dusk outside of his window and made up his mind. He found his most decent and cleanest clothes and quickly pulled them on. He ran some gel through his maroon hair to slick it back and sprayed on some aftershave he didn’t even know he had. Anything was better than staying in and losing his mind to coursework.

He could hear the thump of loud music from the end of the road as he walked up to Kris’s house. It looked like a fairly peaceful neighbourhood, wouldn’t the neighbours get angry? Chanyeol let himself in finding the party in full swing. People milling about in every corner talking amongst themselves with their drinks, none of whom he recognised. However, Kris was nowhere to be seen. So Chanyeol navigated his way to the kitchen in search of a drink. Which is where he found Kris’s housemate Jong-something.

He spotted Chanyeol with a wide grin and greeted him with ‘hey man! Kris’s friend, right? Didn’t know you were coming! What are you drinking?’ Chanyeol wasn’t all that fussy when it came to alcohol so Jongdae handed him a beer.

“Hey, where’s Kris?”

Jongdae scanned the room with his feline eyes, “You know, I don’t actually know.”

“No worries,” Chanyeol muttered and maneuvered himself through the throngs of people to find Kris.

The redhead found him the back yard with a group of people stood around a barbeque that his short owl friend was manning. Chanyeol wasn’t sure if having a barbeque was a of genius or a recipe for disaster. His stomach however, thought it was a marvelous idea. He was about to walk up and order himself a hotdog but he couldn’t. Watching Kris with his short little friend made him stop in his tracks.

Kris’s long arm was slung across his small shoulders as he helped with cooking. They looked so close. Almost too close. Chanyeol wasn’t sure why it bothered him. It didn’t bother anyone else, why was he the only one shaken up by it? Was it normal for them to be glued together? Kris smiled down at him fondly whilst Kyungdo - or something - looked up at him with faux anger but amusement in his eyes. It made his throat close up. Oh yeah, that’s right. Kris had a life without him now. Chanyeol didn’t belong in the space next to Kris anymore. Someone else was there to fit that gap now. A bitter feeling filled his veins and he turned around, finding a seat on a bench off to the side.

He regretted his choice practically instantly. Even though it was quiet and out of the way, it was the perfect place to view Kris and Kyungro being all buddy and starey at eachother. Chanyeol quickly down his beer and opened another.

Kris was so wrapped up in Kyungro he didn’t really talk to other people meaning he didn’t spot Chanyeol least of all talk to him. Chanyeol watched him laugh brightly with him, lips stretched to reveal his endearing gums. Chanyeol’s never really looked at a guy like this before. He’s becoming really weird. Not even Sehun made him feel like this. He could really do with the kid here to keep him company. And maybe make Kris notice him. He hasn’t seen the kid for a couple of days though.

If he went up there and plastered himself to Kris’s side in good humour, what would Kyungro do? Maybe he’s seeing things that aren’t even there. He’s probably making something out of nothing, he shouldn’t overreact. But as one drinks turned into two, then three, then four, it was hard not to notice little things like Kris’s hand on the small of the shorter’s back or the way Kyung-something would look up at him like there was only him the world.

Chanyeol stood up, fed up and stumbled into the kitchen to find more alcohol. Maybe the drunker he got, the less he would feel like this.

Drink in hand fresh from the fridge, the redhead turned around to a face full of chest, neck and someone else. And not a chest with a nice pair of s. No, this chest was very flat. He looked up not expecting to find who was there. Kris beamed down at him.

“Hey, what’s up! Didn’t know you were here.”

Chanyeol almost glared and stepped past him muttering a ‘yeah’. He ventured back to a spot in the corner of the living room with Kris at his heels.

“How have you been?” Chanyeol gulped down his drink, making sure to pointedly look anywhere but at the brunette.

“Alright I guess. You?”

“I’ve been good,” Kris replied, shifting himself closer on the sofa next to Chanyeol since someone sat down on the other side. He tried his best not to be fazed. They’re just friends, it’s no biggie. He tried to seek out Kyung-something amidst the gathering of party goers but couldn’t find him. Had he really left his side for more than a few minutes?

“Are you seeing someone?” Chanyeol found himself asking, glaring into the middle distance. A glance to his side told him Kris had stared off into the distance too.

“No, not right now.” Chanyeol turned to him in surprise. They weren’t dating? Everything he had seen was just copious amounts of skinship and friendship? Why does he feel so relieved? Kris looked at him from the corner of his eye, a forlorn smile on his lips. Chanyeol kind of wanted to kiss it away. “You?”

Sehun’s sinfully pink lips flashed in his mind, pressing into his neck. His nails which would dig into his hips and teeth that would latch onto his collarbone. “No.”

The alcohol in his system might be making his eyes deceive him but it looked like Kris’s smirk grew slightly, and the brunette leant back on the sofa. “When was your last relationship?”

There wasn’t anyone Chanyeol had been in a relationship with; nothing but quick hook ups here and there. And if there was someone who sticked with him, it was only for a couple of weeks and they certainly didn’t feel like someone he could call ‘partner’, ‘girlfriend’ or even ‘boyfriend’. “I don’t even know - too long,” He slurred. Talking was getting difficult. “You?”

“Ah, almost a year now.” Kris was looking off into space again, maybe reliving the memories of that person from a year ago.

“Why didn’t it work?” he said without thinking. Kris has really pink lips, how come he hadn’t noticed that? Why did he want know if the brunette had shaved today or not? Kris turned to him though, his eyes oddly mirthful.

“I think maybe because… I had someone else in mind, you know?” Chanyeol nodded firmly. Yes, he knows exactly how that feels. They looked each other in the eye for a moment and it was in that moment that tipsy Chanyeol blindly decided to do something crazy. It only took one mere second to everything up. He leant across and pressed his lips against Kris’s.

There was nothing for a while, just the smell of Kris’s deodorant or shampoo or something whilst he waited to be pushed off. When there was no reaction, he tentatively began to stretch his lips against Kris’s stiff pair. His lips tasted like beer and strawberries and it was a little bit gross but Chanyeol didn’t really care; he was actually kissing Kris, and he was going to pretend for a little while longer that it was okay. It was only when he felt a small nudge back against him that the redhead parted, looking at Kris in surprise.

Oops.

Kris was staring blankly at him as if he was in a daze. “,” he quickly muttered and stood up quickly, sending blood rushing to his head. He reeled for a second before blindly stumbling towards the door.

“Chanyeol! Wait - jesus…”

As soon as Chanyeol was out in the fresh air, he walked, or maybe jogged, home, ignoring the shouts of his name from behind him.

Well, he truly ed things up now. Kris probably hates him now. Back at his apartment, he punched his wall in frustration, but the sting wasn’t enough to distract him. Falling face first onto his bed he decided that becoming a regular wrestler at the Exo Pit was probably best for him. It would stop him from thinking about guys he couldn’t have, but kissed anyway and ruined any chance at friendship.