Baekhyun is tired. 

 

 

It is mostly his fault because he was playing League of Legends until three a.m. yesterday and considering that today is a busy day, he still wonders why he did that. 

 

The thing is, he wasn’t going to stop playing anyway. His mother woke up and barged in to his room demanding him to stop screaming and go to sleep (“WILL YOU STOP PLAYING WITH THAT GOD FORSAKEN TOY?” “IT’S A COMPUTER MOM!”). She ended up pulling out the wifi cables in the end and hiding it god knows where. 

 

Baekhyun knows it’s in her underwear drawer but it’s too sinful in there. 

 

He regrets his decisions now though because he feels like he could vomit out the breakfast he had this morning and his head feels so dizzy. He knows his eye bags are prominent too, harshly staining the skin under his eyes making his skin look like absolute . 

 

THE BUS IS MOVING TOO ING FAST is all Baekhyun has in mind right now because he’s been trying to lean on the window next to him but every time the bus goes over a speed bump his head bangs against it and he just knows that the left side of his forehead is going to be red.  

 

A few classes are going to the zoo today (including his), something Baekhyun labelled as absolutely boring right away. He has been to the zoo before like, over a thousand times, but it’s compulsory or some like that. Even the times he did go to the zoo he dreaded it and begged his parents to never bring him again. 

 

But his parents always dragged him along anyway because it was a “fun family activity”. 

 

 

He ing hated it.

 

And still does. 

 

 

Baekhyun gives up on trying to sleep, sitting up straight with an irritated groan. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes with the palms of his hands. Just as he’s about to reach for the comic book from his bag, there is the sound of someone clearing his throat from beside him. 

 

 

It’s Lu Han of course because who else would it be? He did ask Lu Han to sit with him because he is - Baekhyun admits - rather entertaining. Lu Han is after all an exchange student so he always behaves slightly different from everyone else but that’s fine with Baekhyun, he thinks it’s a wonderful trait. 

 

He’s looking at Lu Han now who seems to be smiling at him like a creep, a good kind of creep. Baekhyun raises an eyebrow but he can only think about how unfair it is that Lu Han is so pretty. 

 

“Wanna see something cool?” Lu Han starts as he digs into his bag pack. Baekhyun shrugs and nods anyway, he’s kinda bored so why not?

 

What shocks him is that the Chinese boy takes out a box of cigarettes and starts shaking it up and down with a suggestive smile. Baekhyun acts on his instincts and smacks it out of Lu Han’s hand, making it land on the latter’s lap. 

 

“What the are you doing with those? We are too young to smoke!” Baekhyun yell-whispers although he is pretty sure everyone else isn’t listening anyway, all too busy with their headphones and music.

 

Lu Han looks offended and playfully puts a hand on his chest. 

 

“I was not going to smoke! I just bought it because I wanna do my Augustus Waters impersonation.” Lu Han looks dead-serious and Baekhyun is almost relieved because smoking is a big no no for him. 

 

But then he realises how ing lame that is and starts laughing. 

 

“Why the hell do you wanna do that for?” Baekhyun says between breaths and Lu Han huffs and opens the very new cigarette box to reveal that all the cigarettes are still intact. 

 

“Augustus Waters is a lady pleaser? Also look at this,” Lu Han pauses to put a cigarette between his lips and pushes back his hair to make it look slightly unkempt akin to Augustus Waters’ hair, “You put the killing thing between your teeth-”

 

Lu Han’s spit is flying everywhere due to the cigarette in his mouth and the obvious lack of experience. Baekhyun only stifles a laugh. 

 

“-but you don’t give it the power to do its killing.” When he finishes, he takes out the cigarette almost straight away and wipes the spit around his mouth. 

 

“You’ll most likely scare the ladies away if you keep doing that.”

 

Lu Han looks disappointed with Baekhyun’s comment as he keeps the cigarette back in it’s box.

 

The rest of the ride is filled with Lu Han’s pouts and Baekhyun’s comic book reading. 

 

 

***

 

 

“Look Baekhyun, it looks like Mr. Kim.” Lu Han points at the giant tortoises behind the glass in front of them. 

 

Baekhyun and Lu Han have been going around together for the past half an hour and both of them are already really tired and sweaty. They had the brilliant idea of going inside the reptile enclosure part of the zoo because it’s shaded and also Lu Han strangely finds reptiles cute (There should be equality in the animal world too, he says).

 

Baekhyun gives Lu Han a stern look but laughs anyway because the shelled creature does sort of have similarities with their beloved science teacher, Mr. Kim. 

 

“If he heard that he would send your to detention so quickly.” 

 

Lu Han ignores the comment and drags Baekhyun to look at the other scaly animals. They look around for about 5 minutes until they reach the snake section and Baekhyun can literally feel Lu Han’s excitement from where he’s standing.

 

It’s obvious he’s excited too because he starts having a skip in his step.

 

Baekhyun only rolls his eyes. 

 

 

Lu Han is literally pressing his face on the glass at the small tree snakes which are green in colour and very harmless (so the description says, anyway). Lu Han is so close that the cleaner actually scolds him because his face smudges aren’t exactly the nicest thing to wipe away.

 

Baekhyun starts walking away because he is literally too embarrassed of his friend but stops when he sees an interesting snake that everyone has heard of before. An anaconda. WOW IT’S HUGE. 

 

He faintly remembers what his brother told him a few months ago, something about how his had to look like an anaconda or else it just wasn’t normal. Of course Baekhyun didn’t believe him but it did sting a bit that his wasn’t THAT long, it was just you know, normal? 

 

He unconsciously runs a hand down the crotch area of his pants and sighs. How does one get anaconda sized?

 

“It’s big isn’t it?”

 

Baekhyun knows this voice, it’s deep and smooth and runs shivers down his back. He knows this voice too well because he’s been eavesdropping on him for the past year and he’s been savouring every glimpse he can get of him. The voice makes his heart beat so fast and his eyes widen to the size of golfballs. 

 

Park Chanyeol.

 

Baekhyun doesn’t look at him though, instead he looks straight ahead to the big snakes and gulps hoping that he doesn’t look like too much of an idiot.

 

“Yea, big, right uh- huge!” Baekhyun stutters out, feeling his cheeks get slightly red from embarrassment. Baekhyun misses the amused smile Chanyeol shoots him.

 

Park Chanyeol is his friend in the grade above his, and Baekhyun has heard so many cool stories about him. Like the time he won in an international sudoku competition and Baekhyun oddly finds that so hot. 

 

What’s worse is that Chanyeol is a really smooth cool guy in real life albeit his wide smile and twitchy eyes. 

 

“Why are you touching your crotch though? Wild thoughts already?” Chanyeol says in a teasing tone and Baekhyun should know that but he’s already muttering curses under his breath, taking the hand off of his crotch and in to the pocket of his pants where it can’t touch any other inappropriate areas.

 

He reckons his face is tomato red but he looks at Chanyeol anyway, with a grin on his face, “Oops?” Baekhyun is clenching his jaw just incase anything else he can say can make him sound like a complete idiot. 

 

Chanyeol lets out a friendly laugh and links his arm with Baekhyun’s. He knows he’s staring at Chanyeol’s arm and he knows it seems weird but he goes along with it anyway because Chanyeol doesn’t seem to mind.

 

“Wanna follow me around the zoo today Baekhyun?”

 

Baekhyun feels his breath hitch and his heart pumps so fast-

 

“ACTUALLY HE WAS GOING AROUND WITH ME!” Lu Han comes in to view and raises an eyebrow at their linked arms. Baekhyun is so annoyed and the only thing he can think of right now is how much of a block Lu Han is.

 

“Hey how about we all go together?” Baekhyun wants to save this thing he’s having with Chanyeol any way he can. Lu Han pouts and opens his mouth to protest only to shut up when he sees Baekhyun glaring a hole into his soul. 

 

“Yea sure great idea!” Lu Han sounds sarcastic but Baekhyun thinks it’s convincing enough. 

 

“Okay then.” 

 

Chanyeol lets go of Baekhyun’s arm and starts walking next to the latter. Well, the both of them were split up by a jealous Lu Han taking the space between them but Baekhyun feels blessed that they are officially “hanging out” together. 

 

He takes note to go home and thank the gods above for letting this day happen.

 

 

***

 

 

They are standing in front of the lions now and Lu Han is probably making the poor animals super annoyed by how he was roaring at them (it sounded really fake) but Chanyeol seems to find the boy funny, laughing at him. 

 

Baekhyun is probably smiling too but more because of how cute Chanyeol looks with his teeth exposed and how his laughter sounds like a very cute dying goose. 

 

But that’s all cute to him, maybe he’s just whipped. 

 

He is whipped, he is. 

 

“Hey, you okay?” Chanyeol leans forward and Baekhyun feels so small compared to him and he has to take a step back. 

 

“Yea, I’m just peachy!” 

 

Chanyeol mouths a “peachy” under his breath and suddenly takes a deep breath before letting out a loud chuckle. You can tell Baekhyun is confused because he scratches the nape of his neck, head tilted to the side. 

 

“You are so awkward and small, much like a puppy. I wonder how Lu Han goes around with you not ever tempted to pinch your cheeks.” Chanyeol says when he stops laughing and Baekhyun is having a hard time trying to stay balanced because Chanyeol just called him cute and 

 

holy - I’m cute.

 

 

“Actually he’s never like that around me, only with you actually.” Lu Han intrudes. 

 

Baekhyun has no choice but to laugh awkwardly and mouth a “why did you ing say that” to Lu Han when he was sure Chanyeol wasn’t looking.

 

Lu Han just shrugs with a mischievous grin, “I wanna go see the giraffes now!” 

 

And they do. If Baekhyun thinks he’s short next to Chanyeol he feels extra short now and he can’t help but pout to himself because of that. He doesn’t realise that Chanyeol sees him doing that and it looks like he’s trying to hold in a squeal or something.

 

 

“Will you stop pouting if I carry you?” Chanyeol looks so sincere Baekhyun is having such a hard time trying to think of what may happen if he did say yes. He ends up just smiling in the end, shaking his head no and he does realise how Chanyeol’s shoulders drop slightly, his smile fading. 

 

Basically, Baekhyun feels his heart break into a million pieces. Maybe he’s exaggerating but it does prick a tiny hole in his soul, or maybe it’s because he’s really gay for Chanyeol. The world will never know. 

 

“Did you know that new born giraffes can run 10 hours after birth?” Chanyeol says to Lu Han and Baekhyun. Lu Han’s eyes widen and he turns back to the giraffes and cups two hands around his mouth. 

 

“WHY ARE YOU GUYS SO ING COOL?!” 

 

Baekhyun puts a hand over his face and shakes his head trying to get rid of the embarrassment because people are now glaring at them, except for the giraffes, they’re pretty chill. 

 

“Sir, please don’t scream you are causing people to become irritated.” One of the staff came to them briefly and left almost straight away. Lu Han looks really pissed because this is the second time he got scolded in the whole day.

 

Chanyeol pats Lu Han’s back with a smirk on his face, “It’s okay Lu Han, people don’t understand humour boo to them.” 

 

This makes Lu Han look at Chanyeol and then to Baekhyun with a wide smile on his face. “I like this guy Baekhyun, you get my blessing.”

 

“Who do you think you are? My fath-” Baekhyun doesn’t get to finish though, because he realises Lu Han has suddenly blanked out of this world, staring straight ahead. 

 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol look at each other with confused faces and suddenly  Lu Han starts walking towards the direction he was staring at. 

 

They watch him and finally realise what he is doing. He’s heading towards some stranger who doesn’t look a year above 20. And what he does next makes Baekhyun wanna roll on the floor crying. 

 

He takes out those goddamn cigarettes. 

 

The thing is, he doesn’t understand how the guy is listening to Lu Han with that cigarette between his teeth and his spit flying everywhere. He doesn’t know what possesses the guy to nod at whatever Lu Han says and he definitely doesn’t know why the stranger is smiling like that.

 

Man, he needs Lu Han’s confidence. 

 

“Hey,” Chanyeol leans in next to him, breath fanning on his ear, “You wanna go somewhere since he’s obviously distracted?”

 

Baekhyun doesn’t remember how but all he knows is that he nods and Chanyeol entwines their fingers together.

 

He swears his heart is doing funny things to him.

 

 

***

 

 

The both of them find a small doughnut stand and Baekhyun is literally trying to keep in a squirming fit at how Chanyeol straight away offers to buy him a doughnut and is not even taking no for an answer. His heart makes his chest feel so uncomfortable. 

 

Why does he have to be so cute all the time?

 

 

“Here you go,” Chanyeol is giving the doughnut which is wrapped up in some white paper to Baekhyun, “Be careful though, it’s hot.”

 

Baekhyun nods and takes the doughnut with both of his hands, feeling the warmth seeping through the paper. It’s a nice feeling, or maybe it’s nicer because Chanyeol is the one who bought it for him. 

 

“Thank you for this diabetes booster.” Baekhyun says playfully and Chanyeol rolls his eyes just as playfully back at him. 

 

“We are young, live a little.” Chanyeol takes a small bite from his doughnut and Baekhyun can only stare at how those pink lips move, tongue the sugar on them. 

 

He realises that what he is doing is really creepy and he faces his own doughnut and takes a bite, the sugar almost immediately melting in his mouth. 

 

They eat in silence, it’s a comfortable silence. Baekhyun feels so happy that Chanyeol is right beside him, eating sugar and more things that will kill you with him. He decides that it feels really nice when there are sudden moments of skin contact because it makes him feel warm and gooey and his heart races so fast. 

 

He wipes the sugar off of his lips and crumples up the white paper in his hands when he is done. He tries looking around for a dustbin only to see that Chanyeol is staring at him with a weird grin. 

 

“Why are you staring like that?”

 

“Can’t I stare at such a beautiful person?” 

 

Baekhyun looks down at his lap and he can’t help the blush forming on his cheeks and the shy smile forming on his lips. 

 

“Baekhyun, can I kiss you? Are you okay with that?” Chanyeol takes Baekhyun’s face in one hand making him look up from his lap. Baekhyun’s chest suddenly feels so heavy. 

 

“Yea, yea- sure” Baekhyun stutters out, he’s so red right now. 

 

Chanyeol leans in and suddenly Baekhyun feels the soft lips on his. Chanyeol has already brought up another hand to cup Baekhyun’s cheeks. Baekhyun’s mind is completely blank because Chanyeol’s lips feel so warm and he feels like this warmth travels all the way to his chest and heats him up on the inside. 

 

Chanyeol pulls back only to lean forward and start peppering kisses along his jawline all the way up to the apples of his cheeks. Baekhyun’s stomach feels so weird and fluffy, he never wants Chanyeol to stop doing whatever he’s doing. 

 

“Was that okay?” Chanyeol asks as he pulls back completely and Baekhyun whines which answers Chanyeol’s question. 

 

Chanyeol lets out a low chuckle and he cups Baekhyun’s face again and pulls him back in for a kiss on the forehead. 

 

Baekhyun’s lips are pink and his cheeks are red and Chanyeol has never seen Baekhyun so beautiful before. 

 

 

***

 

 

“So Lu Han, how did your flirting go? What’s the guy’s name?” Baekhyun asks, sitting next to Lu Han on the bus. It is time to leave but this time he doesn’t really want to because Chanyeol is on a different bus and he’s going to have to sit through a ride on the bus without him. 

 

He knows that sounds clingy but he really likes the feeling Chanyeol gives him. 

 

“Yea, I got his number, his name is Junmyeon. He’s nineteen and he’s in town visiting his parents,” Lu Han looks really happy that his little Augustus Waters stunt worked out, “Yea, so what happened between you and Chanyeol?”

 

Baekhyun thinks about this question and smiles knowingly at Lu Han. Lu Han catches on almost immediately and scrunches up his face. 

 

“You guys are ing disgusting.”