They first had Science class together. He was a transferree and the smaller boy was assigned as his partner for the rest of the term. He was proven to struggle in the subject and the smaller boy was nothing but kind to offer him aide. The first time they had a laboratory activity together, he was a bit clumsy and almost had the two of them burned. The professor gives him the eye behind those thick-rimmed glasses and grumbles, "You're lucky you're partnered with Mr. Byun here or you would have failed my subject a long time ago."

The boy looks down at the mentioned who was chuckling at the teacher's remark and smiles. "I know."

He was more than glad to help the tall boy with the subject. He found that he liked spending time with this tall boy whose grin scared the little kids and whose eye twitched whenever he laughed. Those long legs of his did nothing but put him into trouble and he would be there dragging the heavy giant out of every situation. So it was safe to say they were becoming good friends and he also finds that he likes that. The being friends part.

"Baekhyun?"

He hums in response. They were on their way to the mall. It was one of those Fridays when the two usually headed down to the mall arcade after a long day.

"Are you tired?"

"Of what?"

"Of looking out for me?"

Baekhyun scoffs and then laughs. "Chanyeol, what kind of question is that?"

"I mean, you're always there saving me and my sorry . Remember that one time when stupid Jongin stupidly got his stupid hands on that fire extinguisher and stupidly wasted it by spraying it all on us and then he stupidly escaped when a professor walked by, leaving both of us and innocent Kyungsoo to face the consequences?" He recalls. "I still don't even understand how you got the three of us out of that situation."

"That's called being lucky."

"Seriously, Baekhyun."

"And seriously, Chanyeol. Why ask that absurd question when you already know the answer?"

Baekhyun stands in front of Chanyeol, halting them both in the middle of the sidewalk much to the irritation of the passers-by. "I'm your friend, Chanyeol. I care about you. I wouldn't take all the risks if I didn't."

Chanyeol cannot recall when he had the smaller one wrapped in his arms, the continuous sobbing being softer and duller than earlier when Baekhyun knocked on his front door, eyes red and rimmed with tears, as he threw himself at him.

All he did remember was Baekhyun finally came out to his parents regarding his ual orientation and neither liked it one bit.

"Dad's furious and mom was crying when I ran out of the house." Baekhyun says when he was calmer and more able to talk. "It was good that I left soon or else they would have thrown things at me."

It wasn't alien for Chanyeol to hear such things about Baekhyun's parents. His parents were overbearing on him and relished on the idea of keeping their son on a tight leash. Quite abusive, they were, but maybe it was to be expected when they had a reputation to keep and having to know their son was homoual wasn't exactly benefitting them.

It wasn't also alien for Chanyeol to dress the smaller one with bandages or patches whenever Baekhyun had a physical disagreement with his father. It happened multiple times and Chanyeol liked to believe that he's already used to it but this time though, his heart broke more than ever when he saw the ugly purple bruises all over Baekhyun's torso; his heart completely shattered into pieces when he felt Baekhyun wince.

"Yeol?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not weirded out by me... are you?"

"Now you're the one asking stupid questions," Chanyeol teases, finishing treating the bruises and patting his friend's head softly.

"But I'm also serious, Chanyeol," Baekhyun says. "I barged in at the most inconvenient time and I'm embarrassed that I even made your parents worry."

"It's all right, Baek. They don't mind at all. You're welcome here anytime, you know that."

"I'm sure I won't be anymore when they learn who I really am, though." Baekhyun bursts into tears again and Chanyeol panics, bringing the boy back into his arms.

"Baek, shh," He murmurs, rubbing a hand on the shaking back of his friend. "if you must know Baek and you must, that I don't care about who you are or what you are. I just know that you are Byun Baekhyun and that you are my best friend and I care for you as you care for me."

Baekhyun pulls away from his embrace to look at him in the eyes, the applied eyeliner ruined and running down his cheeks. "Really?"

Chanyeol smiles reassuringly and runs a hand through Baekhyun's hair. "Really, Baek." And he brings him back to his embrace, inhaling that minty scent of his hair that was soon so addicting to him. 

He couldn't understand why his heart was suddenly beating too fast, why Baekhyun smelled so good today, why he was conscious of Baekhyun's body so pressed against his, and why his hands gripped on tighter at the smaller frame never wanting to let go.

"So, giant," Jongin sings. "when are you gonna confess your unconditional love for Byun Baekhyun?"

Chanyeol almost chokes on his drink and hisses at the dark-skinned man sitting across him as Kyungsoo pats his back.

"What the hell, Jongin?" Chanyeol looks around the cafeteria, afraid someone had heard of what his friend said. "What do you mean?"

"Oh calm down, Yeol," Jongin says. "Everyone's bound to know. I mean it's not like everyone here don't know how you guys are with each other."

Jongdae howls with laughter. "People would have at least suspected you guys were dating. Human Resource Management is awfully a close-knit community, if you know what I mean."

Jongin chortles at the ual innuendo while Chanyeol could only stare in confusion.

"So are you implying that most of the students of HRM may somehow be ually affiliated with each other?" Yifan asks.

"Woah." Jongin says after a brief silence over what the tall stoic boy said. "You're actually smart, hyung."

"..."

"Anyway," Chanyeol pipes up, getting back into the topic. "why would you even say that, Jongdae? We're best friends."

"Best friends who want to fu-" A slice of bread was stuffed into Jongdae's mouth, almost choking him.

"Please," Zitao who looked up from silently eating his lunch, snorts at Chanyeol. "we all know how you feel for Baekhyun hyung. You're so in love with him and you gave the fact away with those silly grins and soft eyes whenever you're with him."

"Huh?"

"It's surprising to know Baekhyun doesn't notice." Jongdae says.

"That makes two idiots." Jongin adds.

"Hey!" Chanyeol whines, sliding aside the unopened bento to put his head down on the table. His friends were making his head hurt. He was confused and most of all, frustrated. He didn't understand what his friends were talking about and he thinks he wouldn't at all. Add with that the stress of worrying over the defense he'd be doing later, Chanyeol had the urge to give up and stop functioning for awhile.

"Are you going to eat that?" Zitao curiously asks and Chanyeol mutters a "no and no, Zitao, you can't have it."

"Seriously, hyung," Jongin starts. "if you love him so much, you wouldn't let him get away, would you?"

"He's so happy with you, Chanyeol." Kyungsoo adds. "Why not make him happier?"

Before he could ask again, he hears his name being called repeatedly and he raises his head to where the voice was coming from and he sees Baekhyun grinning, quickly making his way to the giant's side and grabbing Chanyeol's unopened bento.

"If you don't mind, Yeol," Baekhyun says, hurriedly opening the bento. "might as well have your lunch if you aren't going to eat it."

Chanyeol visibly softens and he lets out a laugh, patting the shorter on the head. "Go ahead, Baek. It's actually for you."

"Hurry up, giant!" Jongin hisses, struggling to push Chanyeol to walk further. Chanyeol's classes were over and it was just one in the afternoon, and they were on their way to Baekhyun's class.

Chanyeol couldn't even disturb the boy, it was exam week and he knew Baekhyun was very dedicated with his studies especially now because they all had their major subjects and Baekhyun refuses to fail any one of them.

"Jongin," Chanyeol hisses back, swatting Jongin's hands away. "Baekhyun is taking his exams and I want him to do well."

"Come on," Jongin groans. "it's almost 1:30, Baekhyun's class would soon then be over. And once he walks out the classroom, you must and you must ask him out on a date."

"It's Friday. We go to the arcade and play."

"Stupid, that's not what I meant." Jongin growl, meeting Chanyeol's attempts to flee.

"Jongin," Chanyeol whines.

"No."

"Why are you even here? Don't you have your own exams to worry about?"

"Uh, I'm a Performing Arts major. I don't do written ."

"Let Jongin get his way, Chanyeol." Kyungsoo chuckles beside him. Kyungsoo just finished his last batch of exams and Jongin willingly went all the way from the Arts building to the hotel school which was at the very end of the university campus to drag him along. "He'll stop pestering you once you do what he wants you to do." 

"Besides, what better treat could he receive than getting treated out to a delicious lunch by his lovely best friend after a week of pain and torture?" Jongin says. But before Chanyeol could answer, he was suddenly grabbed by both arms and soon enough, he was standing in front of C407, out of breath and hair a mess.

"What the , Chanyeol," Jongdae gives out a tsk looking at Chanyeol's disheveled appearance like it was insulting to him before he gives Jongin and Kyungsoo a thumbs up and walks away like he just didn't help drag a gangly heavy giant all the way up the stairs.

"Now remember, Chanyeol," Kyungsoo says, fixing Chanyeol's shirt and hair. "take him out to a good place, preferably not fast food but maybe Chinese or Thai because both of you deserve a good meal for doing well this week."

"Yes, mom." Chanyeol chuckles but he can't help but feel anxious at what he was about to do. He and Baekhyun always went out to eat (fast food, actually) and he still did not get why today was such a big deal for his friends. Jongin and the others got into the plan because Chanyeol was "too chicken you need to see a flying saucer from the sky before you finally move your ," as Jongin puts it.

The bell rings and in just a minute, every student has left the classroom in a daze except for the tired-looking professor and Baekhyun who was calmly making his way to a dizzy Chanyeol.

"Hi."

"Hi." Chanyeol smiles brightly at him but Baekhyun can tell the giant's way too flushed and wobbly after that stampede.

"Who told you to wait for me in front of the door?" Baekhyun muses, holding Chanyeol upright. "That's like asking for a deathwish."

"Sorry," Chanyeol sheepishly says. "I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to even move aside."

"What are you doing here anyway?" The fourth floor was already deserted and Jongin and Kyungsoo were nowhere to be found so the two friends made their way out the HRM building. "You usually wait for me down at the plaza before we head to the mall."

"I was thinking we could do something else for today, you know." Chanyeol mildly stutters and Baekhyun looks at him, amused.

"Something else, huh?"

"Sure." Chanyeol replies, getting all flustered again because Baekhyun was looking at him differently. "You've been working hard for the past few days and I figured playing arcade games is not much of a way to end the week in a great note. You deserve something good for working so hard." 

"Oh, really," Baekhyun smirks, delighting in the way Chanyeol has become so squirmy and flushed and avoiding eye contact with him. "so what do you propose we do then?"

"Lunch?" Chanyeol looks at him, this time looking at him with that silly smile on his face. "There's this Thai place I've heard of. People told me the food is exquisite―"

"Let's go then!" Baekhyun chirps, pulling Chanyeol by the arm as they make their way around the university and out into the busy streets of Seoul. Chanyeol softly smiles as he catches up with Baekhyun' pace, steadily waking beside the short boy with their hands now intertwined between them and Baekhyun's laughter filling Chanyeol's ears.

"This is great, Yeol." Baekhyun says, swinging their hands, unfazed by the curious stares they were getting. "I'm glad you chose to do something different. Let's do this again, next time okay?"

"Next time?" Chanyeol echoes. "But we haven't even had lunch yet!"

Baekhyun laughs again. "So? Trying out different things with you is amazing itself."

A/N: 2/2 on the next chapter!