Nope. Nope. Nope. I don't know what happened. This was supposed to be a good piece of writing. And now it's crap.... Oops? I feel ashamed because I have been working on this for months. And it's not good. Maybe I'll edit it in the future....

Again, this represents Chanyeol's thoughts. Italics are mainly used for emphasis, but at some point I kind of gave up. 

This is unbeta-ed by the way (what am I saying I don't have a beta) , so if you guys see any mistakes please tell me so I can fix them! Thanks and Enjoy!

---

 Chanyeol feels cold. His hands are freezing, and he's shivering. But he kind of likes it.

Looking around, he notices that the empty park he's been sitting in isn't as empty anymore. The obnoxious sounds of high-pitched laughter reaches his ears, and he watches as a group of kids chase one another, presumably playing tag.

Sighing, he shuffles his feet, his eyes following the children. I wonder who takes care of them? Glancing around once more, he confirms his own suspiscions. There are no adults. 

Except...

Wait.

Scratch that, there is one adult. If you could even call him an adult. He looks like he's in college, maybe a few years younger than Chanyeol himself. 

Huh. A college student? The boy/man looks up and locks eyes with Chanyeol, throwing him a smile. Chanyeol just stares back blankly, ignoring the lack of feeling in his fingers.

The stranger gets up from the bench he's sitting on, watching the kids, and moves to sit next to Chanyeol on his bench instead. He turns to the taller male, flashing him another smile before introducing himself.

"Hello. My name's Baekhyun. And you are....?"

Chanyeol turns to look at the strang - Baekhyun who has just plopped himself down on his bench. Rude. "Annoyed, and slightly stressed. And a bit sad, as well."

The other man laughs, and it sounds too loud to Chanyeol, who has been basking in his personal bubble of silence. It's then that he notices Baekhyun's appearance. He's all squinty, charming eyes, above a cute button nose, and plump, overly red lips, all plastered onto pale, pasty, white skin, with a mop of chestnut brown hair on top. He dyed his hair? 

He doesn't fail to notice the tiny mole just above the man's upper lip, or the way he his lips quickly every few sentences. Chanyeol can already tell it's a habit.

"I was asking for your name, but I guess your mood is fine as well."

Chanyeol blinks. Why are you still talking.

"Let's start over. Hello. My name's Byun Baekhyun. What's yours?"

“Park Chanyeol." Chanyeol furrows his brows. Why did I tell him my name?

"Awesome. So, Chanyeol, is there a reason why you're so depressed?"

And then the other man is smiling at him again, and Chanyeol doesn't want to answer his question, and he doesn't smile back. In the end, he chooses to ignore the question and turns back to face the kids.

Baekhyun, realizing that Chanyeol is ignoring him, raises an eyebrow. The other male notices, but doesn't comment, choosing to ignore him again. 

And now he will leave, just like everyone else.

But Baekhyun doesn't leave. He leans closer, waving his hand in front of his face. When Chanyeol still doesn't react to this, Baekhyun decides to stick his face right in front of his. Chanyeol tries not to notice the nice warmth radiating from Baekhyun's body.

"Is it because you're lonely?"

Chanyeol's eyebrows scrunch together once more, and he leans back, putting distance between him and Baekhyun. "Why do you need to know?"

At this, the shorter male shrugs his shoulders. "No particular reason, really. Just curious."

He leans a bit closer to Chanyeol's face, smirking. "Was I right?"

Chanyeol decides that he's had enough social interaction for one day and pushes him away. "No," he replies harshly, as he stands up to leave. He doesn't miss the way Baekhyun watches him as he departs. Just like a lost puppy.

******

He doesn't really expect to see Baekhyun in the park again the next day, but lo and behold, there he is, sitting at the same bench with the same stupid grin on his face. 

"Hey," he greets as Chanyeol sits down on the bench. Please leave. Please get off my bench.

When Chanyeol doesn't respond, he shrugs, rubbing his mitten-clad hands together and blowing into them. He glances over at Chanyeol's hands and realizes he isn't wearing any mittens. In fact, he isn't wearing any winter-appropriate clothes.

"Aren't you cold?" Baekhyun tilts his head as he asks this question.

"Yes." Chanyeol's reply is short, but he spares a glance at Baekhyun this time. Cute. Wait. No.

"So why aren't you wearing a coat? Or mittens? Or boots?" Baekhyun's eyebrows are the ones that bunch together this time, and he looks genuinely concerned for Chanyeol. "Won't you get sick?"

Chanyeol simply shrugs and replies, "I like the cold."

"Okay."

******

Chanyeol doesn't expect to see Baekhyun every day that he goes to the park that week, and he certainly doesn't expect to let him know anything about him. But he ends up doing exactly that anyway.

It's the sixth day since they first met that Baekhyun asks again, "So why are you depressed? You said it wasn't loneliness."

Chanyeol doesn't answer. He still doesn't know Baekhyun very well. 

At this point in their whatever-you-call-it, the smaller male knows when Chanyeol isn't planning to answer a question. This is one of those times. 

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. We're practically strangers."

For some reason, hearing this makes Chanyeol's stomach sink a little, and he starts talking.

"I had a rough time coming out to my parents, and then I was dumped by my boyfriend."

Baekhyun nods. “I’m sorry."

Chanyeol quirks an eyebrow at the other man, but says nothing. Then he remembers. "How old are you anyway?"

Baekhyun looks up. "I'm 26, born in May." Chanyeol's eyes widen a little in surprise. "You're older than me.” Granted, we’re only a few months apart.

"I get that reaction a lot," Baekhyun says, as he shrugs. Suddenly, he stands, and he runs over to one of the kids, who has fallen down while playing. 

Chanyeol realizes that he has grown accustomed to the noise the kids make, and he forgets they're there sometimes. Like now. I wonder why they're here.

He plans to ask Baekhyun later, but gets distracted by the sight of Baekhyun comforting the kid who now has a bloody knee. 

He stands up to leave, and this time, he doesn't notice Baekhyun watching him sadly.

******

"You talk more now," Jongin remarks, as he makes himself comfortable on Chanyeol's couch. 

Chanyeol only grunts, shifting his position on the couch so that the younger man's foot is not in his face. 

"Are you meeting someone?"

This question makes Chanyeol turn around to stare at Jongin (albeit blankly), who now has a smirk on his face. Say no.

"Maybe." Why did I do that.

Jongin's smirk widens, and he leaps onto Chanyeol, crushing him in a hug. "Really? You're not ting me are you?"

Chanyeol rolls his eyes. "Jongin, language."

"I'm taking that as a yes. So? Tell me about him." Why did I say maybe.

"His name's Baekhyun. A friend. If you can even call him that." The smirk on Jongin's face fades, and he pushes Chanyeol so hard that the taller man falls off the couch. "Yah! You know what I meant by meeting someone! Don't trick me like that!"

Chanyeol manages a small smile. 

******

"What do you do for a living?" Baekhyun asks one day, as he and Chanyeol sit at their ususal bench, watching the kids.

"I write music."

Baekhyun's eyes widen in surprise. "Really? Never pegged you for the creative type."

Chanyeol shrugs. "What do you do?"

At this, the smaller male smiles softly, "I help run a recreational center for kids. It's recess right now."

Ah, so that explains the screaming children.

They sit in silence for a while, before Baekhyun turns to Chanyeol once more. "So what was his name?"

"Whose?"

"Your ex." Oh. 

Chanyeol debates whether he should tell Baekhyun or not, then decides that it wouldn't really matter either way. "Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo."

******

It's a Tuesday morning when Chanyeol wakes up and sees a flower growing through the snow in front of his apartment building. He finds himself smiling a little at the struggling plant, and thinks to himself that maybe things will get better. 

Following his usual routine, he walks across the street to the park, and goes to his bench. He finds Baekhyun there again, rubbing his hands together and his lips. He's looking around as if he's waiting for someone, and Chanyeol thinks he feels something in his stomach flip.

When Baekhyun finally notices Chanyeol standing a few feet away, he waves, a smile crawling it's way up his face. Chanyeol stands still for a moment, unsure of what to do. 

He doesn’t have to decide for long though, because suddenly Baekhyun is standing and walking towards him, a teasing glint in his eyes and a bright smile gracing his lips.

“Hey! Are you just going to stand there, or….?” 

And Chanyeol, for the second time that day, allows himself to smile.

******

Apparently, Jongin isn't the only person that’s noticed a change in his attitude. Jongdae and Junmyeon - Why do all my friends’ names begin with J? - drop by his house on Friday for their weekly movie marathon. Except this time, Chanyeol actually watches with them. 

“So why are you so happy?” Jondae inquires from the other side of the couch, legs propped up on Junmyeon’s lap and leaned as far back as possible.

Chanyeol doesn’t turn to look at him, and instead answers with a flat, “I’m not.”

“Bull!” Jongdae flops up excitedly after saying this, and manages to accidentally kick Junmyeon off the sofa. 

Junmyeon pops his head up from his position on the floor and glares at Jongdae. “Although Jongdae is an who doesn’t know proper language, I have to agree with him. You are definitely happy.”

Chanyeol raises an eyebrow at this, but his face remains emotionless otherwise. “And how do you figure that?”

Junmyeon gets up, and moves to sit on the couch (a.k.a. Jongdae’s outstretched legs), and effectively ignores the younger male’s cries of pain. 

“First of all, it’s surprising you even responded to Jongdae and I. Second, you’re making slight facial expressions, whereas in the past, you would have remained completely blank. Lastly, you’re actually participating in our weekly movie marathon, which you haven’t done since -”

Junmyeon doesn’t get to finish his statement, as Jongdae manages to weasel his legs out from under him and shove his face into the couch. He throws a sheepish smile at Chanyeol. “What he means is you’re showing signs of life again, which you don’t normally do. So in conclusion, you’re happier.”

Junmyeon tries to push his face up from the seat of the sofa, but is only shoved further into the cushions by Jongdae, who whispers to him, “Shhhhhh. Don’t cause any more harm.”

What is my life.

******

Chanyeol arrives in the park the Monday after the movie marathon, and doesn’t see Baekhyun at their usual bench. He immediately turns on his heel and goes home.

******

Chanyeol finds himself at the park again on Tuesday, and, to his relief (he was confused at first to what he was feeling, but has identified it as relief), he sees Baekhyun.

Chanyeol sits beside the older male, and says nothing. There are no children today.

“My grandmother died.”

Chanyeol says nothing, but turns to wrap Baekhyun in a hug. The brunette rests his head on the taller man’s chest, silently crying. 

They stay like that until it starts to become too late for any normal person to be outside, but neither one moves. I’m sorry.

******

The next time Chanyeol doesn’t see Baekhyun at the park is the Thursday after the movie marathon, when one of the little kids runs up to Chanyeol and hands him a bright, red balloon. 

“Hello, Ahjussi! Baekhyun ahjussi told me to give this to you,” the kid proclaims, smiling widely.

Chanyeol looks up at the balloon in his hand. He notices writing on the surface and lowers it, reading the text:

Hello, Chanyeol! I thought we could mix it up, so I came up with a game for you to play! Follow the balloons!

Chanyeol smiles to himself, and looks around to see if he can spot any more balloons. The next one ends up halfway across the park, and he gets up, taking the child into his arms, carrying him to the next destination.

When the duo reach the next bright-red marker, the kid reaches out to pull it down, reading aloud:

I knew you’d find the next one. Maybe I’ll tell you something about me on every one of these balloons. Keep going to learn more about me!

And so, Chanyeol follows the trail, bringing the child with him everywhere. Together, they discover Baekhyun’s quirks, like the fact that he really likes singing, but only in the shower, and that he absolutely adores puppies with really floppy ears. When they reach the last balloon (he knows because it says so), the facts stop, and Chanyeol looks around confusedly. 

Carefully putting the child down,  he cups his hands over his mouth and yells at the top of his lungs.

“Baekhyun! Where are you?”

A little rustling is heard, and suddenly, out of nowhere, Baekhyun leaps out of the bushes, shocking the pair, Chanyeol especially. 

“Boo!”

Chanyeol moves to stand in front of the kid, shielding him with his tall stature.

“Oh my god, Baekhyun! Don’t do that!”

He quickly turns around to make sure the toddler is okay, while Baekhyun laughs loudly. 

“You should have seen your face, Chanyeol! That was amazing!”

Chanyeol mutters under his breath, cursing out the older male. 

“At least you tried to protect Taehyung. That was cute.”

The taller male lowers his head so that “Taehyung” can’t see his blush, trying to calm down the panicked child.

“Baekhyun ahjussi, you’re so mean! That was scary!” the child cries, his eyes watery and his lips quivering. 

Baekhyun smiles warmly in response, his tone softening, “I’m sorry Taehyung, ahjussi didn’t mean it, okay? Can I have a hug?” 

He opens his arms wide, waiting for the toddler to approach him. The child approaches hesitantly, shrieking in laughter when Baekhyun runs forward to hug him tightly, spinning around in circles. 

Chanyeol stands, fondly watching over the brunette and the child. Cute.

******

Chanyeol pauses for a moment, thinking over his plan. What am I doing.

Slowly, he picks up the slip of paper again, and, reading off the numbers, he dials them into his phone. 

One ring.

Two rings.

Three. And then there’s a click.

“Hello? Chanyeol?”

Chanyeol smiles to himself, and whispers, “Hello, Baekhyun.”

******

Chanyeol notices that after that Thursday with the balloons, his heart seems to speed up a little more every time he sees Baekhyun.

He gets inexplicably excited when he introduces him to Junmyeon, Jongin, and Jongdae, and they welcome him into their group like they’ve been friends forever.

He’s even happier, when he meets all of Baekhyun’s other friends: Luhan, Minseok, Yifan, and Zitao. 

Life is absolutely wonderful.

******

Chanyeol unlocks the door to his apartment, and steps out. He walks down the hallway to the elevator, where he pushes the down button and waits. 

He runs over everything that has happened in the last few weeks since he met Baekhyun. 

He’s been meeting up with his friends more, and he talks more, smiles more, laughs more. He just does more. 

He chuckles silently to himself as he steps into the newly arrived elevator. Pressing the first floor button, he watches as the doors close and smiles a little, anticipating his daily meet-up with Baekhyun in the park.

******

When Chanyeol reaches the park across the street, he pauses, because Baekhyun is there, on the bench, but so is someone else. Someone Chanyeol hasn’t seen in two years. 

And they’re laughing like they’ve known each other for years.

His feet are stuck to the ground, and he’s frozen in fear, in panic. His body refuses to move.

Baekhyun notices him then, and waves him over, a smile on his face.

For some unknown reason, Chanyeol steps closer to the duo.

“Hello, Chanyeol. It’s been a while,” Kyungsoo says, a sad smile on his face.

******

Chanyeol feels like he’s dead. He must be. 

Baekyun is talking to Kyungsoo like he doesn’t know that Kyungsoo is his ex.

Kyungsoo is laughing and talking to Chanyeol like he didn’t break his heart two years ago.

Chanyeol is talking like he didn’t have his heart broken into pieces two years ago. He’s talking to Kyungsoo without a care in the world; no sadness, no fear, no anxiety, just words. 

He’s looking at Kyungsoo like he didn’t kiss those lips everyday, like he didn’t caress those cheeks or nuzzle that nose. Like he didn’t love him before. 

Like he’s forgotten.

But he hasn’t, not really.

He hasn’t forgotten those arguments, those worries. He hasn’t forgotten his desperation, his dread of the next silent, cheerless day. He hasn’t forgotten long nights of crying himself to sleep, or the inescapable cold of the park and freezing of his fingers, hoping he’ll freeze up and fade away like the flowers. He hasn’t forgotten what it was like after Kyungsoo and before Baekhyun.

But he doesn’t feel any of it. He feels happy.

******

Chanyeol instroduces Kyungsoo to the group, and he soon becomes an additon. He isn’t welcomed at first, by any of Chanyeol’s friends, but they soon come to realize that Chanyeol has forgiven him.

******

The Wednesday after his reunion with Kyungsoo, Chanyeol walks out of his apartment building to reach the park across the street once more. 

There are more flowers this time, and a few tufts of grass, too. The snow is fading, and Chanyeol smiles for the nth time that week.

Spring is approaching.

******

Chanyeol is happy with his life. He can feel warmth in his fingers, and air in his lungs. He feels alive.

He’s sitting next to Baekhyun, on their bench. The kids are running around, screaming as usual. 

“Hey, Baek?”

Baekhyun turns around, wide-eyed and mouth gaping. Chanyeoll feels his stare, and turns around to meet his eyes. 

“What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Ohmygod,youtalked.”

“… What?” I’m confused.

“You’ve finally initiated the conversation. You never start, it’s always me.”

Chanyeol hesitates, letting the information sink in. As he looks back on his short friendship with Baekhyun, he realizes that what the brunette said was true. 

“You’re right.”

Suddenly, the shorter male jumps up and down, squealing. “I’ve done it! I’ve done it! I made you talk!”

Chuckling, Chanyeol watches as the brunette jumps and runs around the bench, talking boasting his charisma and wit. He’s so cute.

******

Chanyeol sighs, wondering how he got into this situation. He looks around, spotting Baekhyun sitting on the floor in front of the television. Gingerly, he picks Jongdae’s arm off of his shoulder, and kicks Luhan as he tries to tackle Minseok.

Our group has expanded again. Chanyeol notes the presences of Sehun, his cousin, and Yixing, Yifan’s friend. 

Moving away from the overly crowded couch, Chanyeol plops himself down next to Baekhyun. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

They sit in silence, watching the group with matching grins and amused faces.

“Hey, Baek? I didn’t get to tell you in the park yesterday, but thanks.”

Baekhyun turns around, tilting his head to look at Chanyeol curiously. “For?”

“For making me happy again.”

Baekhyun turns back to look at their friends, face red. “You’re welcome, I guess.”

******

The following Wednesday, Chanyeol walks across the street to the park to see Baekhyun.

He sees the brunette already sitting on the bench, watching the kids play in the mud and dirt. The snow has finally cleared up.

He sees the light, shining on Baekhyun, and the way the male is sitting with his eyes closed, humming softly under his breath.

As he walks over to the bench, Chanyeol’s breath hitches. He’s so beautiful.

He stops in front of Baekhyun and leans down. Noticing the absence of light, Baekhyun’s eyes flutter open. 

He smiles, lips quirking up at the corners, “Hey.”

Chanyeol smiles back, eyes crinkled and teeth showing, “Hey.”

“So what-”

Baekhyun is cut off as Chanyeol leans down further to kiss him. As they part, Chanyeol smiles, handing him a bright red balloon.

I like you.

---

I'm really really sorry. Please don't hate me too much.... I promise I'll never put you throught that again.... Thanks for reading!

Please subscribe, and feel free to leave a comment!  Please don't hate me... I know I'm not that good at writing...

BTW... if you wanted to know on what days everything happened in the story... it's down below. 

 

 

YES THEY MET ON VALENTINE'S DAY AND YES THIS HASN'T TECHNICALLY HAPPENED YET