Chanyeol was nervous. Very, very nervous.
He was talking even more, laughing even louder, flailing even wider, already guilty of knocking over one jug of soy sauce and two glasses. It might not be obvious to outsiders but to Kyungsoo, it was clear as day. Chanyeol was uncomfortable. He silently sighed to himself, letting the wet rag drop into the sink with a soggy sound before quickly washing his hands with soap.
This was so not going good. He didn't want the other to be this on edge, hence the informal date at home and casual, but homemade dinner consisting of mostly chicken followed by a simple pudding dessert. He hadn't even tried to dress up, not going beyond his usual routine (which consisted of showering, tending to stubbles -if needed- and wearing some clean clothes), though he did put in the effort to go for an outfit that wasn't entirely black, instead choosing an emerald-colored sweater. Everything about their meeting screamed 'casual hang out', at least in Kyungsoo's book, but it was no use. Chanyeol was talking, merrily so, but the atmosphere was definitely different from usual, giving it a slightly forced feeling.
He inhaled deeply, giving himself a much needed pep talk, both hands holding onto the counter.
Alright. I got this.
At least one of us ought to stay calm.
Which is slightly ridiculous, considering it's clearly me who has every right to be nervous, but okay.
With this thoughts in mind, he reached for a clean glass and returned to the living room where Chanyeol sat on his sofa, hands sheepishly placed in his lap.
"Sorry about the glass."
Kyungsoo only shook his head, keeping his voice mild.
"Don't worry about it."
The glass clicked audibly as he placed it on the glass table and Chanyeol naturally reached for the bottle of sparkling water to refill it, but Kyungsoo was quicker. He should be allowed that much of courtesy, refilling the glass of someone who'd never been to his home before, right? Chanyeol's hand still halted midway awkwardly and his whole body shifted away from Kyungsoo, avoiding their sides to touch on his small sofa; not in an exaggerated manner but again, Kyungsoo was attentive enough to notice. And again, it pricked him - to think that the distance between them had only grown in comparison to before.
"Happens to me all the time, to be honest," Chanyeol rambled, accepting his newly filled glass with a grateful nod, "that's why I tend to drink from bottles when there's a risk of me ruining something important. You know, so I can close them after every sip."
Kyungsoo nodded and this time, Chanyeol didn't seem to find another mindless thing to fill the silence, grinning tightly before occupying himself with his glass, as if it was immensely interesting. Alright, so maybe Kyungsoo wasn't half as outgoing as Chanyeol (who could really say that about themselves, anyway?), and while he wasn't averse to Chanyeol talking about everything and nothing per sé, he was very much capable of adding his own two cents. The problem was simply that Kyungsoo felt Chanyeol's uncomfortableness. No matter how interesting or engaging their possible conversation could be, it was of no use if Chanyeol was distracted and nervous. It frustrated Kyungsoo. He wasn't good with people, and the mere fact that Chanyeol was, made it twice as difficult to deal with him. After all, he went way past the ordinary social games, and quite frankly, Kyungsoo was a little at a loss. Sure, he could flat-out tell him not to be nervous, but that's just adding pressure, right?
Maybe he could distract him a little?
"So... you wanna watch a movie?" he asked, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible.
"Sure!"
Chanyeol agreed quicker than his brain could process the statement and it was almost comically obvious in the way a wide smile made way for caution, as if he was belatedly freaking out over the possible implications of 'watching a movie together on a date'.
Kyungsoo tried not to sigh.
"I got a streaming service. What type of movies do you like?" he continued, already reaching for the remote control to close the music player displayed on the screen and open said streaming service instead.
"Uh... I don't know, I like just about anything?" Chanyeol claimed, recoiling when Kyungsoo actually shot him an unimpressed look over the vague reply. People who claimed to like all the movies were on the exact same ranking as people answering the question 'what music do you listen to?' with 'everything', at least regarding to Kyungsoo.
Still, if there was one positive character trait worth mentioning about Kyungsoo, it would be his patience. Sure, he was always ready to raise hell in order to get things done, but if he was convinced patience was afforded... he could be very, very patient.
"Fine, " he hummed, not completely unkindly, "let's see what we can find."

In the end Kyungsoo chose the most harmless, inconspicuous and non-suggestive movie he could possibly find. The result currently hobbled over the screen in the animated form of a tiny, but terribly determined rabbit who aimed to become a police officer.
A part of him had chosen this movie to spite his own, pitiful self with the ironic little cherry to top the cake that was this failure of a date. To his pleasant surprise, the movie wasn't all that bad and it had Chanyeol genuinely engaged. Kyungsoo couldn't help reminiscing about the time he'd gone to the cinema with Jongin. Whereas the surprisingly moody Easterner had complained over about anything, Chanyeol loved everything. From the jokes, over the world-building, to the apparent softness of the animated fur. Whenever some little detail would catch his eye, he'd point it out excitedly and throughout the movie, even his posture relaxed a bit, though he was still careful not to touch Kyungsoo. The tough little rabbit had to fight all sorts of prejudices for being, well, a rabbit, but she kept pushing forward, using her wit and perseverance to outdo all the other animals and reach her goals.
Kyungsoo actually really liked that rabbit.
Chanyeol, too, liked the rabbit, but he adored her male counterpart, a sly fox who worked as a con artist.
"He's so smooth! Look at him, ugh, he's the most gorgeous fox I've ever seen, and he's smart, too!" the tall Southener fawned(there was no better way to put it), the bag of potato chips in his hands just as forgotten as the fingers holding chips half-way to his mouth. Kyungsoo couldn't help smiling at the sight.
"Are you crushing on a digital fox?" he asked, mildly bemused.
"Are you not?!"
"He is pretty cool."
"Just pretty cool?" Chanyeol asked in rightful exasperation, turning to see Kyungsoo glancing at him. Instead of freaking out, he nudged him with the hand holding the bag of chips, nodding towards the screen.
"Then stop looking at me and look at him instead!"
That was definitely more like it, Kyungsoo thought, and while Chanyeol did shut up after that, dully realizing that he'd slipped into very informal talk, only one smooth line of the fox was enough to paint the smile back on his face.

"So, are you crushing on the digital fox now?" Chanyeol asked almost smugly, as he gracelessly the grease off his fingers during the credits. Pretending not to to have an affinity with his fingers or mouth at all, Kyungsoo shrugged.
"He's still cool. I don't know, I guess I'm more of a fan of the rabbit."
This statement was met with a serious nod.
"Hah, I see. Well, then I suppose the fox is all mine!"
His enthusiasm had Kyungsoo smiling. He did that a lot, when he was around Chanyeol.
"I mean, I could see how you prefer the rabbit." Chanyeol continued, reaching for his half-empty can of beer.
Because it's like you, Kyungsoo thought.
"Because it kinda like you!" Chanyeol claimed with perfect certainty. Kyungsoo knew he must be looking honestly baffled.
"What?"
"What what?" Chanyeol retorted cluelessly.
"Like me? She's like you. Look how she's full of energy and always striving forwards... that's totally you." Kyungsoo argued, shifting in his seat to face the other, credits rolling in the back forgotten.
"Huh? Nooo, no, no," Chanyeol dismissed with enough hand gestures to have the beer sloshing around noisily, "you see the vigor she practices daily? I'm too much of a chicken to push people like she does. Only you have the guts to do that. I mean. I sometimes wish I had those, but unfortunately, I don't."
Huh. So Chanyeol thought he was... brave?
"But the way she made friends with everyone and how she lied to her parents..." Kyungsoo began, coaxing a dramatic fake pout onto Chanyeol's face.
"So you're saying I'm a liar? Ouch. That hurts."
It sparked something in Kyungsoo, and he tilted his head, as if he could see the answer in the other's eyes.
"So you're saying you're like the fox?"
Smoothly guiding conversations around with an easy smile.
Said easy smile died into a small, dim one, as Chanyeol shook his head deprecatingly, averting his gaze to the can in his hand.
"Nah. I'm not like that." he mumbled. Kyungsoo waited, curiosity making way for patience. It was rewarded when Chanyeol spoke up, voice tentative and somber, as if he was merely thinking out loud.
"The whole story of the fox is about him experiencing rejection early on, making him bitter, and he sorts of bottles this negative feelings up and found a way to live rather comfortably, even though he carries them with him all the time. Right?"
Kyungsoo nodded. Chanyeol hesitated.
"I just... I'm not like that. No one ever told me that what I'm doing , you know? No one put me down. Oh, but no one really pressured me, either." he added as an afterthought and Kyungsoo wondered whether he'd ever seen Chanyeol this miserable, including the time he'd gotten secretly blackmailed. Was it silly, to get all sentimental over an animated fox? Kyungsoo was a practical person and that meant he felt that whatever got people thinking acquired a certain worth, simply for doing so.
"I always had it pretty easy, I guess." Chanyeol shrugged.
If Kyungsoo had been good with feelings, words, and people in general, he would've picked up on the different nuances, interpreted his expressions and whatnot. He wasn't, but for some reason, he'd always had a very good intuition regarding Chanyeol, and so he simply said:
"Still sounds like the fox, if you ask me."
This had the other looking up and wow, he really looked rather vulnerable. Was he tipsy already? Blinking the annoying flutter of affection away, Kyungsoo reached for his own can, just to keep his hands busy.
"You just said it yourself. The fox stores his negative feelings away and even if they're there, he sort of lives comfortably. It means that even if you're down, you're facing life with a smile and it's not even faked. I don't know. Sounds like you. Not that I'd know." he ended somewhat lamely, realizing how preposterous he must be sounding.
Chanyeol looked vaguely touched, but still tried to brush him off.
"No, but it's different. See, I never had a hard life."
"Well, what does it even matter where the negative feelings come from? At the end of the day, no one can tell whether any feeling has a right to exist, so none is more important than the other." Kyungsoo calmly countered and it actually silenced Chanyeol. This was definitely a type of discussion Kyungsoo could see himself having - rather than the superficial emotions, he liked to think of the constructs below. And he knew Chanyeol was telling him something by the way he was acting, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He needed more time.
"That's actually... kinda deep." Chanyeol began, chugging the last bit of his beer.
"I feel bad for underestimating you before."
Kyungsoo only chuckled, leaning in and there it was again, the flicker of nervousness in Chanyeol's eyes. But instead of making a move on him, Kyungsoo simply reached for a new can of beer on the floor, opened it and offered it to him. The other relaxed visibly and shot him a grateful smile. It would be a lie to say Kyungsoo wasn't tempted rest on his shoulder, to touch his hand or even kiss him again. But this simply wasn't the time and if only Chanyeol continued to look this comfortable, Kyungsoo was very content with the way it was.


Kyungsoo was still pondering the hidden meaning of his words when he strode down the hallway to their office two days later. Golden sunlight was casting long shadows and illuminated the dust swirling through the air. It was getting late and while there were still people milling around the building, Kyungsoo and the others had called it a day ages ago. Yet here he was, returning after hours, on a whim. It wasn't like he was that crazy for his work (there was no immediate deadline or anything; they were mostly in the planning phase currently), but he felt like doing something for Chanyeol. After all, their date really had been nothing but a hang out and at work, the Southener seemed determined to act like it hadn't occurred in the first place. Kyungsoo had been serious about courting Chanyeol. Alright, maybe 'courting' was an old-fashioned term, but it was certainly closer to the truth than 'seducing'. Not that he wasn't willing to do that, just... step by step. He shouldn't get his hopes up too quickly, so for the time being, he'd take it easy. Still, that didn't mean there was nothing to do, and after hearing Chanyeol whine about how slow his computer had become, Kyungsoo had gotten the idea to check up on it. He could probably run a few routinary checks and clean ups and the machine would be up and running again in no time. Maybe he'd change his desktop background to a pretty wallpaper of that fox he adored so much. The thought made him smile, but as quick as it had come, it vanished as dull sounds reached him. Was there someone in their office? Kyungsoo slowed his steps down.
It was unmistakable - their office was the last door on the narrow floor and most surrounding rooms weren't even occupied.
"Come on... you can tell me."
Was that Chanyeol's voice? Kyungsoo crept closer, carefully peeking inside the opened room. The first person he saw was Jongin, head buried in his own arms on the table, hiding his face.
Jongin, too? What was going on?
An arm on the corner of his sight told him that Chanyeol really was there as well, presumably sitting next to him.
"Will you off?" Jongin hostily replied, though his voice came out muffled. He rarely witnessed it, but the crudity in which Jongin interacted with Chanyeol remained off-putting for Kyungsoo.
"Jongin, come on," Chanyeol continued, prodding gently, "this has been going on for days... seeing you like this hurts, so if there's anything I can-"
"I said off!"
All of a sudden, Jongin lashed out with his arm and Kyungsoo flinched out of his sight, back pressing into the wall in order not to be seen. Was he going to hurt him? Because he was very much ready to interfere in this case. But after a surprised yelp by Chanyeol, no sounds followed. No wrestling, no punches, just nothing but slightly ragged breathing.
What... was going on?
His mind had already begun to paint the most ridiculous scenarios, when he heard it. A faint sniffing sound, the staccato breath. Kyungsoo peeked into the room again, seeing Jongin's back and a pair of bigger hands splayed across his back, nothing but a tuft of silver hair behind Jongin's curls telling him that yes, this was Chanyeol, and they were hugging. He couldn't see any of their faces, but the sounds didn't leave any doubt - Jongin was crying.
This fact puzzled Kyungsoo, and it also sent a prick of worry through him. Sure, he might not be a fan of the odd Eastener, but he also wasn't a complete ; and after that incident with people demonstrating against Jongin, Kyungsoo had learned that he very much did not want to see him suffer, unlike he may have originally thought.
The sounds were heart-wrenching and Jongin sounded much more hurt than during that time he'd lashed out at Kyungsoo. Back then, he'd been at a loss - now he just sounded... broken.
"I hate you." Kyungsoo heard the youngest mumble. Chanyeol hummed, and his hands moved to draw soothing circles on his back.
"I really, really hate you."
"I know." Chanyeol replied softly and neither of them moved away.
Kyungsoo stopped craning his neck and instead leaned against the wall, staring at the old, gray carpet. Maybe he was an , after all, because there was an underlying feeling of jealousy he couldn't deny. Jealousy and anger.
Jealousy over their intimacy. Over them sharing something Chanyeol hadn't spoken up about. All of this was an impending, obvious reminder that Chanyeol preferred Jongin over him. But he was also angry at Jongin, for standing between them like that. The whole reason Chanyeol was so hesitant to show even the slightest bit of affection during their job was obviously Jongin. And now he demanded even more of Chanyeol's attention, even though he claimed to not even like him. Still, Kyungsoo wasn't completely blinded. The Eastener didn't do it on purpose. Kyungsoo was being unreasonable, but most feelings were.
No one can tell whether feelings have a right to exist.
His didn't, and yet they were there.
Kyungsoo bit his lip, feeling terribly conflicted and kind of empty at the same time.
And so he stood there for what felt like an eternity, listening silently.


Kyungsoo stared at the green progress bar over his data bank, mind completely wiped. He was feeling down. He hadn't spoken up about the scene he'd witnessed. Certainly not to Jongin, but neither to Chanyeol. He'd decided to be patient.
I just gotta have faith, he'd told himself. Faith in Chanyeol.
Still, the Southener had neither bothered mentioning it, nor had he approached Kyungsoo at all during the last three days. Sure, they'd greet each other in the morning and say goodbye when either of them left, but otherwise, nothing had changed, really. They were still working together, half-bickering, half-actually-getting-stuff-done, and nothing pointed towards Kyungsoo and Chanyeol dating. It was discouraging, to say the least. Kyungsoo had his pride, too. It looked like Chanyeol felt ashamed of him, but he knew that wasn't the case. After all, he got Chanyeol more than anyone.
He was trying not to make Jongin uncomfortable, at all costs. Kyungsoo sighed. That was nice and all, but wasn't he worth something as well?
"Earth to Kyungsoo?"
"What?" he snapped, realizing it had been Chanyeol talking to him and proceeding to shield his face with one hand, unable to keep in a tired sigh. He felt so pitiful. Pride, who was he kidding? The hurt look on Chanyeol's face just now was enough to make him realize the other could lead him on for quite some time before he'd snap.
"I'm sorry. I was just surprised. What is it?" he asked, trying not to sound as exhausted as he felt.
"I... I was gonna go on break now." Chanyeol hesitantly began and Kyungsoo looked up at him.
"That's nice." he replied, not unkindly, and Chanyeol took it as a sign to carry on.
"I don't know how busy you are, but if you want to..."
Kyungsoo clearly noticed the way Chanyeol looked towards the door and now that he'd snapped out of it, he noticed that Jongin wasn't present.
"...we could hang out. I just know this pretty good restaurant down the street. I usually go there; they serve mostly soups."
This was the first time Chanyeol approached him like this, and he did felt slightly bitter over the fact that he only dared to do so when Jongin wasn't around, but alright.
"Yeah. Sure."
The smile on the others face was grateful, but also hesitant. Kyungsoo wondered whether this would be his final rejection. Willing away the sting, he got to his feet, hiding his narrow frame in a bulky jacket.
I gotta have faith.
Even though the restaurant actually was close to their headquarters, Chanyeol had purposefully chosen a rather late time for their break, meaning that he saw no other familiar face in there. It was warm, cozy, and the soups did smell enticing indeed. Kyungsoo flipped through the menu, deciding on a slightly spicy one with tofu and vegetables, while Chanyeol ordered a mild one with thick wheat noodles. Their waiting time was spent in peace, with the occasional little remark here and there, but half-way through his coke and before their dishes arrived, Chanyeol dropped the facade.
"So, Kyungsoo." he began, and while Kyungsoo knew his poker face was perfect, the nauseous feeling in his stomach was all-too clear.
"Can I... talk to you about something?"
"Yeah?" he replied easily, hoping his voice didn't sound breathy.
Chanyeol looked fidgety, fingers tapping on his own arm relentlessly.
"Could you maybe... be a little nicer to Jongin?"
What.
His thoughts must have shown on his face, since Chanyeol proceeded in an almost placating way.
"I'm not accusing you or anything, just. I think he feels a little left out, so..."
He looked into Kyungsoo's blank eyes and stopped mid sentence, lowering his eyes to the table.
Kyungsoo still stared at him.
Why is this about Jongin again? Why is it always about Jongin?
He turned away to look out of the window, rapidly blinking, trying to suppress those initial thoughts.
"I'm sorry." Chanyeol all but whispered, not even daring to look at him anymore and his wary posture stirred something in Kyungsoo. He had every right to be angry. Heck, Chanyeol had agreed to go on a few dates, see where things are going, but instead he pointedly ignored him in favor for their co-worker Kyungsoo didn't even particularly like. Only to dare and ask him to be nicer to said co-worker. Yes, Kyungsoo technically had a right to be mad. And really, all patience aside, he was. So he quirked a brow at him, softly rapping on the table until Chanyeol raised his gaze, looking utterly miserable.
"You really want that? You're so keen on including him?" he asked seriously and he saw the tension running through the others muscles, saw it in the way his posture slightly straightened. He didn't even deny it.
"I'm sorry." he repeated instead and what had been an inkling before, turned into an actual realization at last. Kyungsoo got it. He really did.
"Fine." Kyungsoo stated, in an almost challenging tone, getting to his feet. Chanyeol attempted to follow, but Kyungsoo stopped him with nothing but a poignant look. He was good at giving those.
"I'll be right back." he simply said, his heels and left the table. Instead of ducking into the bathroom, as the Southener had probably assumed, he left the restaurant, stepping into cool air. Autumn was close. Soon, the leaves would turn colorful. These thoughts absently occupied Kyungsoo's mind as he walked until he'd taken the first corner, and broke into a jog afterwards. It wasn't necessary, but the excess energy had to be relieved somehow. He only stopped when he'd entered the main quarters, walking as fast as he could without drawing attention. His breathing was still slightly heavy when he burst into their office, to find Jongin listlessly poking around a container of fast food, eyes trained on his phone. The Eastener jumped at this, and looked more like a startled rabbit than the animated police officer had when Kyungsoo approached him directly.
"We're out eating. Soups and stuff. Come join us." he almost demanded, the last bit of anger curling around his words clipping them.
"I- I already bought dinner-" Jongin began, looking almost panicked at the prospect, but Kyungsoo nonchalantly moved the container of fried noodles away from him, not missing a beat.
"I'll treat you."

The Eastener gave in, if only because Kyungsoo could be very convincing in his own right, and their walk to the restaurant was spent in absolute silence. Jongin didn't apologize for interfering between him and Chanyeol, because of course he wouldn't. Still, Kyungsoo didn't really do this for him, so it was fine. The moment they entered, Chanyeol almost tumbled off his chair in shock. His whole expression was incredibly apologetic and Kyungsoo could hear him thinking 'I didn't mean it like that, you didn't have to get him right now' - maybe he also feared Kyungsoo would cause a scene. A ridiculous thought. Kyungsoo wasn't a drama queen. Instead, he simply sank into the bench across him and Jongin followed along hesitantly, not quite sure what was going on. They certainly hadn't ever met for dinner during their breaks.
"Here. I have no idea about this place, but Chanyeol said those three are really good." Kyungsoo casually said, pointing on a few small pictures on the menu. Jongin seemed a little startled by his proximity, but Kyungsoo pretended not to notice. The remark pulled Chanyeol out of his stupor and he gushed over different dishes on the menu, not unlike before, when Kyungsoo had first inspected the menu. Oddly enough, Jongin didn't seem in the mood to snap at him, not even passive aggressively. Maybe he was trying to behave, now that the other two had invited him, maybe he really wasn't feeling very well. Now that Kyungsoo thought about it, Jongin had been quiet lately. Well, he always was, but apparently there was more to it, judging by the incident he'd witnessed. The memory of the two hugging was chased from his mind when his eyes met Chanyeol's, who made a vague gesture telling him that their dishes were ready and he'd just held them back. He still looked overly anxious, eyes searching Kyungsoo's for a trace of anger. In response, Kyungsoo broke eye contact and turned towards Jongin.
"So, when's your next dance performance?"
Again, the boy looked startled for even being approached like that by Kyungsoo, but he replied regardless, his voice all quiet and soft.
"Uh. Next month, probably."
Kyungsoo nodded and wished the Eastener would drop the reserved act around him.
"Same style?"
He shook his head, sending the brown curls flopping softly.
"It's freestyle. Everyone prepares something differently."
"Really?" Chanyeol piped up, a bit of his usually liveliness slowly seeping back into him, "so last time wasn't your own choreography? I mean, it was still awesome, but I'm wondering what your own style is."
If Jongin was ticked off at Chanyeol butting in with way too much dedication already, he didn't show it.
"It wasn't. It was alright, but... it's not my first choice."
It went on like that, with Chanyeol coaxing a few things out of a reluctant and reserved Jongin, with Kyungsoo metaphorically watching from the sidelines. Still, he made sure to participate once in awhile. Made sure he was being patient with Jongin as well. It was hard to believe this quiet boy was the one who'd yelled at Chanyeol to off, but there were tiny traces of it, shining through whenever Chanyeol was prodding too much, pushing Jongin a little too far.
Kyungsoo mostly watched their exchange, listened to them bicker over who ate their soup the messiest and who'd been responsible for the latest mishap at work. Once in a while, Chanyeol would search his gaze and then the nervousness would flicker across his expressive orbs, but Kyungsoo only subtly dismissed him. He wasn't mad anymore.
Jongin was actually the first one to leave, stating that he was expecting a call and though he still wore a distinct look of sadness, he was actually smiling gratefully at both of them. Kyungsoo looked after him, wondering whether they were doing the right thing. If Jongin really felt left out, there was nothing to do. Maybe he was feeling even worse now, rightfully assuming that Chanyeol had simply pushed Kyungsoo to be nice. Not that Kyungsoo had faked his interest. Having a civilized conversation with the youngest wasn't appalling or anything. Kyungsoo had simply never considered it.
Jongin had barely left when Chanyeol asked for the bill, paying for both himself and Jongin (obviously not noticing how tactless this action was), and they made their way back to the office. After Jongin had left, Chanyeol had turned awfully quiet again but still, Kyungsoo had faith. The moment they stepped into fresh air, he was pulled into a firm hug from behind with a cut-off, surprised gasp.
"I'm so sorry!" Chanyeol exclaimed, face buried in Kyungsoo's neck. It prickled, in a very good way. Pitifully enough, this was the closest they had ever been and wow, it had been way too long since anyone had touched Kyungsoo, even in a platonic way like this.
"I ruined everything, didn't I?" he continued, deep voice laced with remorse so thick, Kyungsoo could almost taste it.
"Now you think I just want to be with Jongin and you went along with it because you're so nice and . I swear that's not it-"
"I know." Kyungsoo simply said, tilting his head until his cheek was pressed into the other's silver hair, closing his eyes. For a moment he relaxed, let himself get carried away by the moment, enjoyed the simple display of affection.
"I know..." he hummed again and meant it. The thing that was bothering Chanyeol, one of the main driving forces he had actually bared to Kyungsoo - he had finally understood it.
I always had it pretty easy, I guess.
I never had a hard life.
Chanyeol felt like he had no right to complain. Like he ought to function, to play his part and never ask favors from anyone, because he didn't deserve them. It was a little difficult to wrap his head around it, but Kyungsoo had had plenty of time during their little dinner. Sure, Chanyeol would ask for help here and there, but it was all in regards to his job, never on a personal level.
And yet he had stepped forward and asked something of Kyungsoo. Something big even, something he knew Kyungsoo wouldn't like.
It should be insulting. Just like Chanyeol had said, it should make Kyungsoo feel like he meant nothing to him, when it was the exact opposite. He had dared to step out of his comfort zone, to actually ask Kyungsoo for help, even if it had taken him quite some time. It was a sign of trust. Chanyeol was willing to let him in, the same Chanyeol who had silently endured the disappearance of his best friend and secret blackmailing.
"I'm really sorry. I'll make up for it. Thank you." Chanyeol mumbled and it had Kyungsoo chuckling. Bittersweet pain, that's probably what it was called, he thought as his gaze roamed the sky, head still resting against the other's.
Chanyeol preferred Jongin over him.
Chanyeol was holding back for Jongin.
Jongin didn't even like him though.
Was that the only reason Chanyeol was giving them a try?
What a mess, Kyungsoo thought, silently hoping he could just keep standing on the deserted sidewalk, nuzzling into the backhug for the rest of the day.
Some shuffling followed and then the sun was blocked. Kyungsoo opened his eyes to see Chanyeol waving something in front of his face.
"Here." he stated unusually reserved, and Kyungsoo took what looked like a cut out from a children's sticker collection.
"I meant to give it to you earlier, but then all of this happened. I was thinking of you when I saw it, though if you don't want it anymore, I'd understand..."
It was a small, but devastatingly cute sticker of a gray bunny.
Kyungsoo smiled, mindfully clasping the sticker and turning to daringly nose through the silver hair, leaving a fleeting kiss on it.
"Park Chanyeol. You really don't get me." he sighed, but the faint smile remained.
What a mess indeed.
But every mess could be sorted out somehow.

*cue hysterical laughter*
Guess who should be VERY occupied with something else at this very moment?

Anyway, this chapter was inspired by NCT 127's "Paradise", cause it's so soothing and melancholic, in a pretty way.
I know, I know, you probably all wanna read Jongin's point of view, but since I favored him in the past, he had to sit out this time. The next chapter will be from his pov, promise~

Love,
Sugar-and-Salt ♥

P.S.: I'm clumsy and currently paste from a different program - I feel like my font keeps changing a lot in this fic, sorry for that... I'll fix it.... one day. Probably.