It took Chanyeol merely a second in the class president's closet to realize that the boy had a fatal, and rather unexpected, addiction to skinny jeans.  It was an addiction that he didn't fully appreciate until Baekhyun stood from his position on the couch, where he had sat carefully nudged against him and mingled with a few of their classmates, as he made to get the two of them drinks. There was a soft smile on his lips when he turned, like he didn't know and didn't think anything about the way he looked. The way the fabric hugged his thighs so tightly, the way they perfectly emphasized his full yet delicately slender hips. Well, it almost had the athlete drooling in awe. It did have the athlete drooling in awe, but he was fully intent upon denying it if someone were to question him.

     The moment the two had stepped into the party, obnoxiously loud music blaring around them and the potent scent of liquor padding the air, they were surrounded.  The captain of the basketball team and the academy's number one kingka, who were, of course, bound to garner attention sooner or later.  Chanyeol glanced over at the boy beside him.  He wasn't as bubbly as before, Chanyeol noted.  His smile wasn't as bright, faltering about the time they were first spotted, his eyes dim but nervous in a way that Chanyeol neither expected nor understood really.  Baekhyun shifted beside him, twisting his fingers in the denim pockets, his eyes skirting around the familiar faces that seemed to grow closer and closer as the seconds passed.  He seemed uncomfortable to say the least, but only Chanyeol even seemed to notice.  They just kept coming closer and talking louder, not even bothered by the fact that he wasn't entirely there, not in the way he was before, when it was just the two of them.

     A group of boys near them smirked and whispered to each other as they raked their eyes up and down the brunette.  Chanyeol preferred to believe that the expressions were directed towards the scantily clad group of girls encircling "their oppa" and not towards the damsel in distress who was oblivious to their erse intentions.  It was no wonder why Baekhyun didn't go to parties.  If people always acted like this, Chanyeol certainly couldn't blame him.

     Chanyeol noticed the way Baekhyun changed in front of their classmates.  They would fawn over him, compliment him, treat him almost like the royalty that he damn near was.   And Baekhyun would smile, that beautiful white grin of his that made people fall head over heels for him, and he would speak pleasantly and enthusiastically with all of them, whether he personally knew them or not.  But Chanyeol didn't miss the small sighs that occasionally fell from his lips or the way his smile fell ever so slightly when he thought no one was looking.  Chanyeol could see what everyone else seemed to miss. Baekhyun's loneliness.

  "Here.  I'm not really sure, but I think it's some kind of beer," Baekhyun chirped as he reappeared at Chanyeol's side in the rather secluded corner, two plastic cups in hand. Most of their classmates had gone off at some point or another, a few to dance and several more probably on their way to go hookup somewhere. There were others around them, stumbling in their unsuccessful attempts to move to the beat of the music.  They hadn't seen their friends yet, though Chanyeol knew that most of the basketball team would already be trashed.  It was ironic, given his past record, but Chanyeol was probably one of the most sober people in the entire house aside from Baekhyun.

  "You drink?" Chanyeol asked in surprise as he reached out to take one of the cups.  Baekhyun sat back down beside him, their legs gently brushing against each other. Heat practically radiated off of the smaller like a human furnace.

  "Nope, least not since first year when Lu Han and I accidentally got drunk on the peach schnapps in his mother's liquor cabinet."  Baekhyun smiled slightly before tipping the drink back. Chanyeol could only laugh when he got a glimpse at the boy's sour expression. A shudder racked his body as he squinted at the nearly half finished beverage.  He continued to stare at the cup, then at Chanyeol, and then back to the cup.

  "You actually drink this stuff?" he questioned, lips pursed.

  "Well, I don't hate the taste as much as you do apparently, but most people don't drink it for the taste."  Chanyeol chuckled as he took another sip of his own. Baekhyun looked at his cup again and nodded accordingly.  He went in for another drink, which resulted in him almost choking to death when someone jostled his shoulder roughly.  The contents splashed over his hands, dripping down his arms and onto the clothing beneath.  He didn't seem bothered by it as much as the sore shoulder though.

  "Baekhyun!"  Came an all too familiar voice. "I see you took my advice. I'm glad someone can get you out of the house," Lu Han added, clasping the same shoulder with a knowing look in Chanyeol's direction. He was dressed in a pair of ripped black skinny jeans with a mesh shirt and sleek leather jacket, accompanied by a glass of some horrid looking alcoholic concoction in his grip. His eyeliner was smudged, feathery hair muddled, and pouty lips pink and swollen. Baekhyun chose not to think about the reasoning for it, as he often did when he saw his best friend in such a state.

  "Wait," Lu Han slurred, taking his hand off of the president's shoulder to stick a finger in the air. "What happened with Yejun?"  Baekhyun's eyes widened slightly, silently hoping that the other would stop talking before he said something he shouldn't.

Lu Han went to a reasonable amount of parties.  If anyone was being honest, he went to a few too many, but he almost never let himself get drunk. Much like Baekhyun, he didn't like the complete loss of control, besides the fact that he already did enough stupid when he was utterly sober.  But on rare occasion, Lu Han let go of all of his inhibitions, and got totally plastered.  This just so happened to be one of those rare occasions, much to Baekhyun's dismay.

  "He had other things to do," Baekhyun replied nonchalantly.  He set his beer down on the coffee table nearby, keeping his eyes trained on the clasped hands settled in his lap. He could feel Chanyeol's questioning gaze burning into his side, but he chose to ignore it for the moment.

  "That . That- that total dickbag! That-"

  "Lu Han, you're drunk." Baekhyun warned.  His eyes snapped up suddenly, mouth set into a firm line in a facade of calm.  No one aside from Lu Han really knew about Baekhyun's family.  No one else could know. They wouldn't understand.  Besides, Lu Han didn't need any more reasons to feel terrible in the morning, and he would, if he was so insistent on telling the world the truth about Yejun.  He may have been an at times, but he did place personal loyalties above everything else.  His loyalty to Baekhyun, in fact, almost always came first.

  "Maybe," he conceded with a small hiccup.  "But your brother is always an , even when I'm not drunk.  Wha-what did he say this time, Baekie?  Did he hurt y-"  Baekhyun stood quickly, clamping his still sticky, beer covered hand over Lu Han's mouth with a frown.  Coming here was definitely a mistake.

  "Look. There's Kyungsoo over there. You want to talk to him too, right?" Baekhyun asked hopefully.  Lu Han shook free from Baekhyun's hand and grinned.

  "Of course I do." As soon as Lu Han managed to wander, or stumble, over to the not-so-sober looking Kyungsoo on the other side of the makeshift dance floor, Baekhyun carefully turned back around, meeting Chanyeol's wide eyes.

  "Baekhyun, are you o-"

  "Let's go get more to drink." Baekhyun picked up his beer and tipped the rest back, grabbed Chanyeol's hand, and left the room, dragging the somewhat shocked giant along behind him. 

     Chanyeol didn't try to press the issue after that, not that Baekhyun would let him or that he even could with the amount of noise surrounding them.  But he did have a million and one questions on the point of Baekhyun's safety with his brother.

     Once they reached the kitchen, Baekhyun grabbed the closest shot on the counter and dunked it back.   He didn't like the taste of it any more than the beer, but it was easier to get down, at least.

     God only knows what was in that shot glass, Chanyeol thought, unnaturally concerned about the consumption of alcohol.  He would never think anything of drinking. It was a Friday night, and he knew plenty of people at the party, even the thoroughly stoned host making out with a second year on the stairs. He had a growing suspicion though that Baekhyun was going to be a lightweight.  This suspicion was only confirmed when Baekhyun took a second shot, followed closely by a childish giggle, before setting the empty remains of both back down onto the counter.

     Baekhyun looked up at Chanyeol innocently with a tiny smile, picking up another one of the shots and offering it to him.  Chanyeol stared at the drink for a moment, the clear liquid filled to the brim of a small plastic cup he always thought resembled what you take cough medicine in.  He knew for a fact that Baekhyun never got drunk.  Lu Han was already wasted, and aside from him, Chanyeol didn't know anyone that would be able to watch after the boy.  But he could take one shot.  It was just one, after all.

     Chanyeol graciously accepted the shot and drank it all in one fluid motion. It was extremely bitter for his taste. He wasn't even entirely sure how Baekhyun got it down.

  "Do you want to dance?" Baekhyun asked suddenly.  There was a grin on his face, and a slight red tint that reached the tips of his ears. He wasn't drunk, but the alcohol was doing its job of loosening him up a bit.

  "Um, sure." The drink had no effect on Chanyeol. Even if there was no party, Chanyeol had been known to relax with the guys for a few drinks while a game was on. It didn't matter so much the sport or the team, because there was always a game on.  There was always a reason to kick back and have fun.

     The two made their way back to the living room they were in before. The lights had been turned off while they were gone, but the strobe lights let them see well enough without tripping over the sparse furniture littered about. There was a fog machine somewhere along the wall, sputtering tendrils of smoke around their legs, the vague scent of vanilla clinging and mixing with that of sweat and liquor.  As soon as they came across an available spot on the floor, Baekhyun began to sway his hips to the music, soft at first, but entirely seductive.

     Chanyeol stilled, mouth falling open in a slightly cartoonish manner.  Baekhyun's eyes slid shut, a dainty hand situated in his styled hair as he moved the strands away from his damp skin, the light cotton shirt and skinny jeans clinging to his body.  Clothes that Chanyeol had thoughtlessly suggested he wear. Seriously, why did he hand Baekhyun a pair of skinny jeans? Chanyeol collected himself before Baekhyun could open his eyes and catch him gawking so openly at his body.  He followed Baekhyun's lead.  He wasn't a very good dancer, unlike Baekhyun, but it was far too dark and crowded for anyone to actually notice him.

     For someone that didn't attend parties, Baekhyun danced extremely well. His body was fluid, flowing along to the bass of the music in a manner that made it look simple but gorgeous and entirely Baekhyun. It made sense that every girl in school wanted him.

     Baekhyun slowly opened his eyes, offering a gentle smile, a mere tilt of the lips that Chanyeol found incredibly y. The brunette reached out suddenly, pulling Chanyeol closer by the belt loop. All things considered, it wasn't an inappropriate gesture. There was still a decent amount of space between the two, more than there was between Chanyeol and the guy behind him actually.  For Chanyeol though, the distance seemed too close and too far at the same time. He could feel Baekhyun's breath ghosting over his pulse, his lips perfect and pouty and oh so near his own but not quite where he wanted them.  Baekhyun, however, was perfectly content to dance next to Chanyeol, completely oblivious to how it was slowly driving him insane.

     The next few hours were spent in a similar fashion.  Dancing, tossing back shots and random drinks then blundering back to the dance floor and doing it all over again, light conversation filling the cracks in between.  Chanyeol was pleasurably buzzed.  He had just enough to drink that he knew he shouldn't drive, the alcohol setting heavily on his limbs, clouding his vision and his mind, but not really his better intentions. Baekhyun though, Baekhyun was beyond inebriated.  He was totally blitzed, and there was nothing stopping the raging hangover that was sure to ensue. Chanyeol knew that he should get Baekhyun out at this point.  He wanted to, if for nothing more than the boy's apparent lack of self-preservation.  He didn't appear to notice exactly how much the alcohol had affected him, and he also didn't notice the way the same group of guys from before were eyeing him now.  Chanyeol was without a doubt, by this point, that they were focused on him.  But just as he was about to drag Baekhyun out, two girls from their school, just as drunk if not drunker than Baekhyun, crawled their way in.

  "Baekhyun Oppa, come play with us, too." One of the girls whined as she tugged lightly at his arm.

  "Yeah, come on, Oppa.  It'll be fun," the other slurred as she tugged at Baekhyun's shirt, exposing the smooth skin of his upper chest.  She giggled and planted a kiss on his collarbone, her obnoxiously red lipstick smearing the soft white underneath.  Baekhyun stopped dancing, body rigid and eyes too wide and hazy.  His hands curled into fists at his sides as the girl quickly worked her way up from his collarbone to the column of his pale neck.

     Chanyeol stood with an expression similar to Baekhyun's, utter shock smoothing into irritation after a second or so. They were both all over him, a distinct lack of shame exhibited as they clawed at his collar with their long, manicured nails.  Before the girl on his neck could snake a hand under Baekhyun's shirt like she was intending, Chanyeol stepped forward sharply, wrenching her away by the elbow.  One look at Baekhyun and he no longer cared to be gentle.

  "Sorry, but we're going home.  I suggest you do the same."  Without waiting for a response, Chanyeol seized Baekhyun's wrist and carefully tugged him towards the door.  The brunette stumbled faintly behind, legs stiff and his feet weighing down on him as he struggled to keep pace.  Chanyeol swerved, the most suitable path outside apparently being a winding surge between bodies.

  "Wait," Baekhyun said, jerking back on Chanyeol's hold.  "We should make sure that Lu Han is okay," he added, spinning around to look through the dining room, the last place he had spotted his best friend.  He wasn't there anymore.

  "Don't worry. I saw Lu Han go home with Sehun an hour ago.  He's fine."  It was common knowledge how close the two were, and Chanyeol, having spent so much time with him personally, knew that Sehun was a good kid.  He could be trusted.

     Baekhyun seemed to think so, too, as he made no protest when Chanyeol pulled at his arm to get him to start walking again.  Chanyeol kept a firm hold of him as they pushed outside, making their way down the outside stairs gradually, letting the majority of Baekhyun's weight fall against his side.

  "Oh, where did I park again?" Baekhyun questioned airily, fumbling in his pockets with an absent expression.  He fished the set of keys out, clattering in his palm and shining as pallid moonlight struck silver.

     Chanyeol blanched.  "We've both been drinking.  I don't think this is the time to be driving."  Chanyeol reached a hand around Baekhyun's shoulders, steering him back in the direction they came from.

  "But my car-"

  "We can come back for it tomorrow," Chanyeol cut him off, a sigh closely following.  "Walking is better than possibly wrecking.  You don't live too far from here anyways."  He released his hold on the brunette's shoulders, dropping back down to wrap around his wrist.

  "You're sleeping over?" Baekhyun questioned, eyes drifting up to meet Chanyeol's surprised gaze.

  "What?"

  "You can't drive home either," Baekhyun reminded him with an obvious lift of his lips.  "You're sleeping over."  The lift bloomed into a genuine smile as Chanyeol's eyebrows scrunched together, his lips forming a small pout.

  "Oh, I guess I didn't think about that."  He probably should have before giving into Baekhyun and the temptation of alcohol.  "Do you mind if I stay?"  Chanyeol glanced down at him, a hint of vulnerability playing into his eyes, Baekhyun thought, even this drunk.  His demeanor somewhat resembled a puppy, even more so at the moment than it normally did.

     Baekhyun hummed.  "Nope.  I wanted you to stay with me anyways."
 

     Another thing that Chanyeol had not necessarily considered was helping a drunken and wobbly Baekhyun up a flight of stairs.  He stayed close, one hand planted steadily on the railing, the other a light pressure on Baekhyun's lower back, fingers digging into the dip of his spine every time he wavered backwards.  If Chanyeol wasn't there, Baekhyun most definitely would have ended up killing himself on the way to his bedroom.  He knew it, and somewhere in the back of Baekhyun's bleary mind, he was surely aware, too.

     Chanyeol was frankly amazed at the amount of effort it took just to get to the bedroom.  The journey was a lengthy process of walk, stumble, giggle, and repeat, one that required quite a bit of patience as he struggled to walk correctly on his own legs.  He wasted no time in shoving the door open once they reached it, silently and carefully assisting Baekhyun to his bed.  He sat the tittering boy down on the edge before kneeling into the soft threads of the carpeted floor, sliding Baekhyun's shoes off with a gentle hand.  Chanyeol pushed himself back to his feet.  He ushered Baekhyun farther up the mattress, making sure that his small frame was entirely on the bed.  He lay propped up, snuggled into a stack of feather pillows as his hair fanned out like a halo around his face.  Chanyeol grinned at the image, before turning away, with absolutely every intention of sleeping on the couch.  That is, until Baekhyun had other ideas.

     He gripped tightly at the side of Chanyeol's shirt, hands fisted into the fabric as he pulled the athlete back with a surprisingly strong snap of the wrist.  Chanyeol gasped as he plummeted.  He was barely able to catch himself before crushing him.  His hands flattened beside Baekhyun's head, one knee planted next to the boy's leg, the other clipping the air in an awkward balancing act.

  "Baek, what are you-" Chanyeol was cut short as Baekhyun lifted up, his lips capturing Chanyeol's own with a desperate urgency.  His hands surged upwards to the nape of the giant's neck as he tugged him closer.  Chanyeol shifted automatically, subconsciously dragging his dangling knee onto the mattress as the other nudged between Baekhyun's plush thighs.  His lips were incredibly soft, even softer than the hands tangled in Chanyeol's hair or the hip held in his tender grip.  He dragged a thumb gently across Chanyeol's jawline, pressing and skimming his fingers against heated skin.  Baekhyun pushed further against him, shyly at the seam of his mouth.

     Whatever weak protests Chanyeol could come up with at the moment lodged in his throat as he opened willingly, his own tongue curling keenly against Baekhyun's.  One of Chanyeol's hands shifted down, hooking under his bent knee and hiking it farther up his side.  Baekhyun's mouth tasted sweet, a hint of sugar and sweetness seemingly present despite the bitter alcohol he knocked back earlier.  And he was hot, so impossibly hot as his skin crawled with the purest form of heat Chanyeol had ever felt.

     Baekhyun Chanyeol's lower lip into his mouth, slowing, his back pressing more comfortably into the pillows.  He released Chanyeol's lip, moving down and softly nipping at the skin of his neck, his sharp jaw, before placing one last kiss to Chanyeol's mouth.  It was short and simple, but just as intense and breathtaking as before.  He pulled Chanyeol completely onto the mattress, his body resting slightly on top of Baekhyun.  Baekhyun didn't notice or mind the slight weight, and Chanyeol certainly didn't mind wrapping the smaller into his warm embrace.

     Baekhyun giggled again, nose contently nestling against Chanyeol's throat.  "My brother is going to kill me," he continued to snicker in great amusement.  Yejun was probably his last concern at the moment.   His only concern now was how well he fit into Chanyeol's arms. Perfectly.  Just like the missing piece of a puzzle.

(Edited July 22, 2017)