Chapter 9

what’s up this chapter: so much love. Like really.

‘Kyungie!’ Chanyeol yelled, his deep voice echoing throughout the recesses of the tiny streets. As passers-by paused in their shopping to stare curiously, Kyungsoo’s cheeks flushed a deep red and he huffed, hiding away his face.

“Chanyeol, don’t be so loud.”

Chanyeol winked and pinched his cheek. “Hey, being loud is my job. If I can’t be loud, then I’ll have to live under a bridge and never see you again.”

“W-would you?” Kyungsoo stuttered. He composed his outer self again. “Well, in that case I’d break the bridge and make it crash on you.”

“Your insults aren’t as mean today,” Chanyeol sighed teasingly. “What a wonderful kind of day!”

Kyungsoo looked up and stared at his companion, bemused. Chanyeol’s hair wasn’t sticking to his head so much (unfortunately, neither were his ears), and his eyes were creepily wide and bright. In fact, they were so wide that they bested even Kyungsoo’s. But what was even wider and creepier was his smile, which stretched to the tips of his large ears. The man positively emitted sunshine.

“You look like an absolute pedo.”

“Back to your old self, I see,” Chanyeol cackled. “Oh yeah, Luhan gave me a bunch of things and I thought you would like one of them.” He held up a nice little ring that shimmered with dull rainbows.

“A mood ring?” Kyungsoo leaned closer, inspecting it. “...”

“It’s nice, right?” Chanyeol prompted, taking Kyungsoo’s hand suddenly.

“W-what are you doing?” Kyungsoo found himself with an insufferable stutter for the second time that day. Flushing, he tried to wriggle out of Chanyeol’s grasp.

“Stay still!” Chanyeol pried open Kyungsoo’s hand and planted the ring firmly in the center of his palm. “I like to give gifts to new friends, and you told me you didn’t like bright colours, so….”

Kyungsoo coughed. “Thank you. It’s… it’s very pretty.” And for the first time in a few months, his heart began to glow again. It was so nice to have a friend.

To add to it, this was a side of Chanyeol that he liked to see. Not the stubborn, sarcastic Chanyeol that talked about seduction and other mature material that Kyungsoo wasn’t even sure that Chanyeol understood. Kyungsoo had enough sarcasm for both of them, and seduction didn’t fit Chanyeol. Instead, he liked this cheerful, thoughtful Chanyeol who didn’t look so weighed down by trouble, and cracked light-hearted jokes.

“I’m glad you like it,” Chanyeol grinned, and grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand again. “Well, let’s go!”

“Ch-chanyeol-”

“Oh, you two are such a cute couple,” a man chuckled, his wife smiling sentimentally at them. “You remind me of my nephews and nieces. My wife was wondering if she could get your picture.”

“Of course!” Chanyeol laughed, oblivious to Kyungsoo’s faint protests. “Say cheese, Kyungie!”

Kyungsoo looked up, and gave a bashful yet radiant smile.

“I love you, Minseok,” Luhan sighed, cuddling closer to his companion.

Minseok said nothing, simply smiling in contentment. He had the man of his dreams by his side, and yet all he felt like doing was cuddling.

And then suddenly, Luhan was glancing at the clock and standing up, tugging on Minseok’s arm.

“Oh, we’re going to be late to our reservation! You should put on something fancy. Oh, and pack a small backpack.”

“What?” Minseok raised a lazy eyebrow, though internally, his heart perked up. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going, just the two of us to a formal little Italian restaurant. After that,” Luhan continued, his eyes twinkling, “we’ll go to stay at one of my aunt’s houses, since she owes me a little favour- I asked for the one with a nice hot tub, too- and sleep there. We’ll have breakfast at a nice little buffet and then crawl back here after.” Luhan winked at Minseok, who looked dazed.

We’re at that base already?

“Wow. I mean, that sounds amazing,” Minseok told his boyfriend truthfully, and Luhan beamed.

“It is a great first date, isn’t it?”

Minseok’s heart skipped a beat, and all he could see was Luhan’s beautiful smile.

“W-well, I’m going to go get dressed.”

“Okay, I’ll just write a note for Chanyeol,” Luhan chirped cheerfully, kissing Minseok’s cheek.

A few minutes later, Minseok emerged, and Luhan squealed.

“Don’t you look handsome? Well, let’s go!” Luhan skipped out.

“Coming,” Minseok called after him absentmindedly, Luhan’s note to Chanyeol catching his eye. Curiously, he picked it up, skimming over it.

I’m out with Minseok and a few friends, Channie ^-^ We’re staying over at their house until morning, but I know that you don’t like staying overnight -_-   I  left some food in the fridge for you to microwave if you do come home before dinner. Have a great night  :)

Minseok frowned. Is it really worth sparing Chanyeol’s feelings by lying to him? It’ll just hurt more later.

“Minseok, we have five minutes to get there!”

“Yes, just forgot something. I’m coming!” Minseok yelled after him, a little less enthusiastic than he was before. He pushed the troubled thoughts down, though. After all, it was just a tiny little adjustment to the truth, one that couldn’t harm anybody.

And by the time he got to the car, Chanyeol was completely forgotten and Luhan had recaptured Minseok’s attention.

“Jongdae, we need to talk.”

There were only two times before this that Jongdae had heard that phrase. First was when his father got sick, and second was when Jongin had died. Obviously, neither of them were good times.

And when Baekhyun showed up at his door, the aforementioned sentence being the first to come from Baekhyun’s mouth, it made his stomach turn.

He summoned up a smile and looked at Baekhyun.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“I think we should try.”

“Try what?” Jongdae blinked.

“Try…” Baekhyun sighed shakily. “Try to become closer. At least friends.”

“What?” Eyes widening, Jongdae tried to process the words. “Uhh...wh-”

“Please,” Baekhyun begged, sudden and quiet, his eyes filling up with tears. “W-when we do get married I d-don’t want us to hate each other.” The tears began to spill over. “Please.”

“Hey, hey,” Jongdae soothed, panicking. “I get it. Don’t cry. It’ll be alright.” At Baekhyun’s grief-laced expression, he remembered his mother’s words.

I’m saying that he could do something desperate. Don’t let him.

Jongdae’s warm heart pulsed with pity for his fiance. All the times that Baekhyun had been hostile, he was just trying to maintain control of his life.

“Come in, it’s cold outside.”

Baekhyun sniffled and nodded, taking a few steps forwards before Jongdae closed the door behind him and took his coat.

“Thank you,” Baekhyun whispered, looking up with teary eyes as his fiance quickly hung up the coat. As Baekhyun watched dazedly, Jongdae made his way to Baekhyun, and to both men’s surprise, enveloped Baekhyun in a warm hug.

Baekhyun stiffened in Jongdae’s grasp, but then relaxed slightly. Jongdae waited a few moments and then took Baekhyun’s chin, tilting his head up and wiping away some stray tears. The action only elicited a new flood of tears from Baekhyun, who looked shocked and upset at the same time.

“Why are you so nice to me?”

“Because you’re only human too,” Jongdae replied softly. “And I realized it when I remembered how you acted at the funeral. You may act mad or unaffected but really, you’re just someone who needs love like the rest of us.”

Baekhyun began to tremble, ducking his head down. And for the second time that day, both of them were surprised as Baekhyun buried his head in Jongdae’s chest.

“It’ll be okay, Baekhyun. Everything will be okay.”

Baekhyun wasn’t one to get fooled by empty promises, but the phrase struck a chord in his heart and he began to sob into Jongdae’s chest.

Feeling so protected...it was something he’d missed so much.

“I can’t believe those people thought we were a couple!” Chanyeol exclaimed, chuckling heartily.

The two sat at the same cafe they had dinner at, the day they first met.

Kyungsoo blushed bashfully, twisting the ring around his finger. They said we looked...cute. As a couple.

“Imagine their faces if they knew I already had a boyfriend,” Chanyeol commented breezily, looking over the menu and oblivious to the damage he’d just caused.

Kyungsoo’s chest tightened, a familiar feeling in his throat. “O-oh, really? Well, I take it you’ve gotten Luhan, then.”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol chirped, just as merry as he was an hour ago.

Kyungsoo looked down in his lap at his ring, tears threatening to wet his eyes. Both his mood appetite were suddenly and considerably dampened.

This is what happens when you fall in love, Kyungsoo. I thought you learned this already. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Hey, are you okay? You don’t look so well.”

“I don’t feel so well either,” Kyungsoo choked out truthfully.

“Do you want me to take you home?” Chanyeol was concerned now, placing his hand over Kyungsoo’s.

The shorter man pulled back his hand as if he’d been burned. “No. I can go alone.” He’d gathered up his emotions again, back to his crisp, sarcastic self.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. You never learn, do you? Nobody’s ever in love with you, Kyungsoo.

“The streets are dangerous at night.”

The deep voice broke through his outer facade, and he stood up suddenly, anger, pain and embarrassment surging through his veins.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” And with that, he disappeared, out of the cafe and into the dry, frigid night.

I’ve got two polls for you here. I know I depend too much on my readers but :P