Maybe it was a bit strange, because they‘ve known each other for just a few weeks, but Chanyeol couldn‘t deny one thing. In his own special way, Baekhyun was giving Chanyeol calmth.

At first, when all of this happened, and the plagiarism scandal just fell out of the sky and onto the young general manager‘s shoulders, all Chanyeol could think of was how he would take care of it all alone. What could he do, how could he do things to make everything okay again by himself, without asking for any help. He didn't even let himself consider pulling others into solving this issue, because he thought he had to and could fix it all by himself. It was his duty, Chanyeol was sure.

And, although no one but his father said so, Chanyeol was also certain that it was his fault.

But Baekhyun, Baekhyun didn‘t think so. He was doing everything to show Chanyeol he didn‘t think so. To be honest, Chanyeol thought that something between them would change, become more uncomfortable and awkward after the unfortunate encounter with CEO Park, when his father mistreated Baekhyun like that, and said such mean things to him.

But on the contrary, Baekhyun seemed to try to get even closer to Chanyeol after that. He was working hard beside him, and always giving a supportive, sweet smile whenever Chanyeol lifted his eyes from the papers to rest. He was trying so hard to make Chanyeol feel better, that the latter started to feel thankful and sorry everytime he saw the smaller male. And also, he could feel unexplainable warmth seep into his chest tenderly everytime he saw Baekhyun, but that was too strange of a feeling for Chanyeol to understand. So he just let it be for now, and didn‘t think too much about it. All the answers come with time, he told himself then.

But that "strange feeling" haunted him quite oftenly nowadays. Everytime Chanyeol turned to take a new pen, or find some other document he needed, his eyes unconsciously lingered on the smaller male in the same room, sitting by the further standing desk. His eyes would unconsciously get caught up in the beauty of his friend. Mesmerized, Chanyeol would let his eyes wonder on the other's uniquelly  beautiful and delicate fingers, thin wrists, and then up his chest, to the sharp chin and rose coloured, soft looking lips. His subconsciousness would admire the view for a few seconds, and then move onto Baekhyun's smooth cheeks, cute button nose and almond shaped, warmly brown eyes. And all of that happened with neither of them knowing it did.

Usually, when Chanyeol would secretly stare at him like that, Baekhyun would be in the middle of reading, or noting something important in his notebook. He wouldn‘t notice anything around. Also, without knowing it, concentrated Baekhyun would unconsciously bite the tip of his pen, his eyes running through the text in front hastily, and his lips moving slightly in silent murmurs of what he was reading at that moment.

Chanyeol found all those little things utterly adorable and eye catching of Baekhyun, and once his eyes got caught up into such a view, there was no way he was going to look away. Period.

“Hey, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun suddenly lifted his eyes up from the papers in the middle of one of such unconscious-staring moments, and Chanyeol flinched away immediately. “I found something here.”

“W-What did you find?”  Chanyeol asked, trying to pretend to be indifferent. He prayed Baekhyun didn’t see him staring, or at least thought they just looked at each other at the same time. In coincidence. Not that he, Chanyeol, was creeping on him and watching him like some weirdo or anything.

Baekhyun stood up from his chair, looking absolutely calm and clueless of the other’s worries, and walked towards his boss. Chanyeol tensed a bit, when he stopped just beside him, and for God’s sake, why did he absolutely have to bend over Chanyeol’s shoulder?! Couldn’t he… like… just… put the papers down in front of him, from his side or something?..

 Chanyeol’s face immediately lit up in dark red when Baekhyun’s arm gently brushed against his shoulder, and the other’s pleasant scent all of a sudden invaded his nostrils. Baekhyun’s fragrance smelt slightly of vanilla, cinnamon and something else Chanyeol couldn’t quite name. Unconsciously, he took in a deep breath to determine what it was.

Deep, familiar scent. And a slightly musky one at that.

Patchouli, he realized, and nodded to himself.

And immediately felt embarassed of himself and his act.

Now Park Chanyeol was going down to new depths of creepiness, really. Not to mention that he just stared at Baekhyun like some dreadful stalker, now he was also smelling him like one.

Could he get any weirder?!

“General manager?” Baekhyun tilted his head at Chanyeol, completely oblivious.

Chanyeol took the newspaper Baekhyun had placed in front of him, pretending that no, there wasn’t an evident blush on his cheeks, and looked through the headlines.

“What did you find in here, though?” he asked, trying to sound normal. “It’s just the daily newspaper.”

“Here.” Baekhyun pointed at the article on the side of the first page. “This one, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol turned his look to the pointed article, and raised his eyebrows in question.

“It’s an article about a new park in Seoul, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol stated, looking up at the other weirdly. “I can’t really see how it’s related to PKO.”

“It’s not related to PKO, that’s true.” Baekhyun nodded at him and sighed. “But it’s related to you, Chanyeol. You’re tired, and we haven’t left the office for two days now, have we. Everybody is working on this problem, and it will get solved eventually, so we shouldn’t we take a bit of rest? Even if it’s a quick one, like, for example, a walk in the park.”

He smiled at the taller a bit shyly, brown eyes looking hesitant, but hopeful, and Chanyeol just bit his lip.

Damn that perfect smile of Byun Baekhyun.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.” Chanyeol quickly answered, turning away from Baekhyun and his smiling face. He had blushed enough for today, so now he should stop.

 Now.

Chanyeol knew that his father would murder him, if he knew his son left the office even for a second, when such a situation unfolded so suddenly. But Baekhyun was right. Chanyeol really needed a rest. Maybe once the exhaustion was gone, he could work out some better plan, too.

And, also, maybe he would stop being so strange and doing such incomprehensible things around Byun Baekhyun.

And clueless Byun Baekhyun, for that matter, was now smiling victoriously in success of getting Chanyeol out once again. He was starting to think that sometimes, luck was on his side after all. He actually expected the taller to object more, to say that he has work to do, and that there’s no way he will move away from his seat, but when he didn’t, Baekhyun felt more than glad.

Here the taller of the two was, already putting on his coat and wrap