87.
From Jongdae (11:05) < Sorry, Junnie and I have to be at the house when the delivery truck comes today

From Chanyeol (11:33)

Baekhyun groaned, setting his mobile down as he stared up at the ceiling. How was he supposed to write who-knew-how-many wedding invitations all on his own? His hand was going to fall off; not to mention when he showed the first round of the guest list to Chanyeol, the younger’s jaw had dropped at the number of names. It wasn’t Baekhyun’s fault that he didn’t know who you were and who you weren’t supposed to invite to a wedding. The brunet jumped a little when his text notification went off, a little confused by the ID that popped up with the message.

From Kyungsoo (11:40) < Chanyeol said you needed help with the invitations for the wedding. Want me to come over?

To Kyungsoo (11:41) < You’re already going to have to write a second round of yours since it’s being postponed, are you sure you want to write a third?

From Kyungsoo (11:44) < If you don’t want my help you can just say so.

To Kyungsoo (11:45) < No! Not what I meant. Please help me TT.TT

The dark haired male arrived shortly after noon, joining Baekhyun at the dining room table, looking over the stacks of cardstock and envelopes picking up the list Baekhyun had been making, cracking a smile at how many names were crossed out only to be written again.

“How many guests did you write down?” Kyungsoo asked, Baekhyun rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms on top of the table, resting his head on them.

“I stopped counting after a hundred,” he admitted.

“Did you just go through your and Chanyeol’s contact lists and write down everyone?” Kyungsoo asked, noticing the vague alphabetization of the names.

“… No…” Baekhyun said slowly, the other arching an eyebrow at him, causing the other to sigh softly. “Yes,” he corrected, Kyungsoo fighting back a laugh, holding out his hand.

“Give me your mobile,” he said, setting the list down, reaching for a fresh sheet of paper and a pen. Baekhyun handed the device over, taking the pen and stack of cardstock that Kyungsoo offered in exchange. “Start with just writing the information that everyone’s going to be getting. Date, time, and that it’s for Chanyeol and your wedding. If you work on that, then I’ll start on a guest list and we’ll write names on the envelopes after. Sound good?” he asked, and Baekhyun nodded, getting to work.

You’re invited to celebrate the wedding of
Park Chanyeol and Baekhyun
June 27th at 2pm
R.S.V.P : xxx-xxx-xxxx

Baekhyun set his pen down after the tenth invite, flexing his fingers and rotating his wrist as he looked over at the list that Kyungsoo was working on. With how few names the younger was writing, Baekhyun was going to end up writing too many invites.

“What are you doing, picking every fifth person?” he teased, Kyungsoo not looking up from the page as he wrote down a name.

“No, just writing down the names that I’ve heard you mention,” he replied. “Neither you or Chanyeol seem like the type to just invite everyone you know as a formality.”

“I guess you’re right, we weren’t really thinking about inviting the entire city like the two of you,” Baekhyun grinned. “We still were thinking about a large wedding though, just not quite on the scale of yours and Jongin’s. Maybe about half or two-thirds the size or something like that,” he continued, going back to writing the invites. He had passed twenty before Kyungsoo broke the silence.

“You still have Taeyeon-Noona’s number?” Baekhyun looked up at the other, chewing on the inside of his lip.

“Is that bad?”

“I don’t know, is it?” Kyungsoo replied, causing the older to look down. “The way I see it, you two have been friends for years and you two care about each other. Sure you’ve dated a couple of times, but that doesn’t mean that she’s not allowed at your wedding.

“So you think I should invite her?” Baekhyun asked, Kyungsoo offering a shrug.

“That’s up to you. You could always ask Chanyeol-Hyung if it would bother him if you’re that worried about the matter,” he added, and Baekhyun nodded.

“Put her on the maybe list. I would like to have her there, like you said she’s someone I care about, and I feel like she would like to see me happy but the last thing I want to do is make our wedding awkward,” Baekhyun explained, the front door opening suddenly, Jongdae stepping in.

“Speaking of making things awkward,” Kyungsoo mused, Jongdae laughing.

“Oh, are we talking about Baekhyun’s bachelorette party?” Jongdae asked, Baekhyun frowning.

“‘Bachelorette’ party?” he echoed, Jongdae ignoring the offended tone in his voice as he draped an arm over the older’s shoulder. 

“Yes, exactly.”

“Jongdae, what are you even doing here, what happened to ‘I can’t come over, moving truck, blah blah blah’?” Baekhyun continued, Jongdae pretending to examine his fingernails.

“I did just that, and once our new bed was set up I made my way over here. It’s not my fault you didn’t see my text,” he said, Baekhyun turning a small frown to the smile Kyungsoo had on his face.

“You knew he was headed over?” he asked, Kyungsoo looking to Jongdae.

“Here I thought you and Junmyeon-Hyung would have… broken in the new bed,” he said, pulling a laugh from Jongdae.

“Usually we would, but Baekkie and I have many things to plan,”

“Since when do you call me ‘Baekkie’?”

“You mean Junmyeon-Hyung had to go to work.”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Jongdae replied, laughing as Baekhyun huffed at how he was being playfully ignored by the two. “Now, time to take a break from all this boring invitation stuff,” he said, releasing Baekhyun to nudge the papers on the table to the side, sitting on the table in their place. “So, I’m thinking we should put toys in the grab bags.”

“You can’t be serious,” Baekhyun stated, Kyungsoo getting up from the table, setting Baekhyun’s mobile down.

“I think that’s my cue to leave,” Kyungsoo mused, Baekhyun turning a pout to him.

“Don’t leave me alone with this,” he begged, gesturing to Jongdae, who had taken to spreading out at least a dozen catalogues for toys of all kinds over the table. Kyungsoo looked to Jongdae, then back to Baekhyun.

“That one’s yours, you two decided that a couple of years ago; now you’re stuck with him,” he laughed, earning a groan from Baekhyun as the youngest laughed.

“See ya, Hyung,” Jongdae called, waving as Kyungsoo made his way out of the apartment, leaving Baekhyun at the mercy of the brunet sitting on the table. “So, I think we should have a suggestion box for recommendations, but they should all be randomized so people don’t know which ones they’re going to get in their bags.”

“Jongdae, no-”

“Come on, it’ll be great! That way people have the chance to try something new, especially if it’s not something that they know enough about to get for themselves, or maybe even something that they’ve never heard of that ends up becoming their new favorite toy, and-”

“Jongdae we’re not giving away toys at my bachelor party.”

“Baekkie, Baekkie, Baekkie,” Jongdae tsked, shaking his head. “There’s no reason to be shy about toys, they’re great. I know not everyone has some kind of expensive collection like Junnie and I do, but still. They’re a nice little surprise every now and again,” he rattled off, digging through the pile of magazines before he picked up one, flipping through a couple of pages, turning it so Baekhyun could see the enlarged-or at lease Baekhyun hoped it was enlarged- image. “Don’t you think Chanyeol-Hyung would have fun with something like this? Twelve settings, remote controlled, it’d be great~” 

“Chanyeol wouldn’t even know how to use it!” Baekhyun exclaimed, face flushed as he tried to push the magazine down. Jongdae looked down at the image as if to check whether he was showing the right picture or not, turning a confused look to Baekhyun, pointing to the remote control that was attached to the toy with a cord.

“You… you just put batteries in and you press the button. I know he can be an idiot, but he can’t be that stupid, right?”

“Well it’s not like we’ve tried anything with those kind of toys before,” Baekhyun mumbled, looking away.

“You what?” Jongdae gasped, Baekhyun unable to tell if the horror on the other’s face was genuine or dramatized.

“We’ve never played with toys before.”

“Never?”

“Well I did tie him to the bed once,” Baekhyun revised, and Jongdae breathed a sigh of relief.

“Handcuffs can be considered a type of toy, Baekkie.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t use handcuffs and we didn’t have while he was tied up.” Jongdae gave him a blank look before he grinned.

“Ah, so you gave him some kind of show and he couldn’t do anything about it, huh?”

“No, I left him at the apartment for three hours while you, me and LuHan practiced for the end of the year showcase as a punishment for that game you and him played with Junmyeon-Hyung and I!” Baekhyun explained, swatting at Jongdae’s shoulder, causing the other to wrap his arms around his waist as he laughed.

“Oh yeah! That was a great game. Shame we never did it again. Wonder why,” Jongdae mused.

“Because Chanyeol knew he would never get off again if he so much as tried.”

“Harsh,” Jongdae grinned. “Anyway, come on,” he said, sliding off the table, taking a hold of Baekhyun’s arm.

“Where are we going?”

“My place.”

“Why?”

“Because you have so much to learn, Baekkie.”

“Jongdae, I’m home,” Junmyeon called, noticing an extra pair of shoes in the entryway as he was slipping off his own. “Jongdae? We have company?” he asked, making his way down the hall to the kitchen, freezing at the sight.

“Believe it or not if you’re patient enough both this and Chanyeol can probably fit inside of you,” Jongdae said, holding up one of the s from his stash, attention focused on the line up of toys in front of him. He was sitting on the floor in front of a very flustered and mildly uncomfortable looking Baekhyun. Junmyeon had a moment to wonder why the other was enduring this when he realized that Baekhyun was literally tied to one of the kitchen chairs, Junmyeon shaking his head. Somehow he wasn’t entirely surprised.

“Jongdae, if I take something, will you promise to never tie me up again?” Baekhyun begged, Jongdae finally looking up at him.

“I knew you would see it my way eventually~”

~

Minseok heard the opening and closing of a door, sitting up in bed, staring out the open bedroom door. ZiTao hadn’t come back the night before after their fight… The entire time any instance where Minseok heard a door opening his attention was directed to their own front door- he was becoming aware of just of often their neighbors came and left their apartments. This time there was the jingle of Candy’s collar, and he heard a soft voice that caused Minseok to perk up, getting up from the bed and exiting the room.

“Welcome home,” he said, starting to smile as the blond looked over at him. His smile fell though as the other turned away, wandering over to sit on the couch with Candy, petting her as he played on his mobile. “I take it you’re still upset with me,” Minseok added, receiving no response from the younger and he sighed. “ZiTao, are you really going to play the cold shoulder game?”

“Depends, are you going to apologize?” ZiTao asked, Minseok’s shoulders drooping.

“What do you want me to apologize for? For keeping a secret? I thought I already had, because I am sorry. I didn’t think that things would turn out the way that they did, and I’m sorry that I hurt you,” the copper haired male said, ZiTao looking up at him.

“Am I the person you should be apologizing to?” he asked, Minseok’s eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so stupid sometimes,” ZiTao stated, the coldness to his tone foreign, adding to the discomfort that the tension in the room was causing. “If you’re truly sorry, then tell Sehun.”

“Tell him what, that I’m sorry?”

“No. Tell him about LuHan-Ge, and the little deal you two made, and maybe I’ll think about trying to forgive you.” Minseok stared at the younger, failing at several attempts to speak.

“I…” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Alright. I’ll tell him.”

“Minseok-Hyung?” The copper haired male fidgeted a little as he stood in the doorway of Kyungsoo and Jongin’s apartment, trying to offer a smile to the blond that had hobbled over to answer. “What’s going on?” he asked, glancing at ZiTao before his attention fell back onto Minseok.

“We need to talk… it’s about LuHan.” The look that flickered through Sehun’s eyes made Minseok’s heart sting, and the blond stepped back to let Minseok and ZiTao into the apartment, closing the door behind them, trailing slowly behind them. Once they were all settled, Sehun on one of the couches while the other too sat on the one across from it. They had all been sitting in several moments of silence before ZiTao nudged him to speak.

“You know I went to try and get LuHan to come back a month ago, right?” he started, Sehun nodding.

“ZiTao-Hyung said that he thought LuHan turned you away, or that you two fought… and that was why you weren’t able to bring him ho… back,” Sehun replied, and Minseok looked down at his lap.

“We… we did fight a little. He tried to convince me that he couldn’t come back, no matter what I said in response he wouldn’t listen… I couldn’t get him to agree to come home. But he… He told me that he and I could still talk to each other… but that I had to keep it a secret if I wanted to be able to.” Minseok forced himself to look up at Sehun, though it did nothing to help him read the younger’s emotions.

“You’ve… been talking to him? All this time?” Sehun asked, Minseok nodding before the blond looked to ZiTao. “Did you-”

“He didn’t know. Not until recently. I admitted everything to him, and I tried to make excuses for why I didn’t tell you… but that’s all that they were. Excuses. I was selfish, and I kept something important from you, when I knew I shouldn’t have. And I’m sorry for that.” The room was filled with a long silence before Sehun took a deep breath and gave a small nod.

“Alright.” Minseok frowned.

“Alright? Alright what?”

“I want nothing to do with you.” Minseok froze, mouth going dry. “I know we’re not soul mates, but I was sure you thought higher of me than to keep something as important as this from me.” Minseok opened his mouth, Sehun looking away. “Leave. You’re no longer welcome here.”