Byun Baekhyun met Park Chanyeol when he was 22, fresh graduate, with no work experience whatsoever, only a professional work license he worked his cute off for under his name. His first day at work was nerve-wracking but he really only spent his day doing some online learning courses that never seemed to work due to crappy internet connection. Their fateful encounter happened on his second day at work, all nervousness he felt the first day gone which was a huge relief as he finally managed to give a genuine smile that day. There were no electrifying sparks of love at first sight (though Baekhyun will admit that he found those bug eyes cute) nor that feeling as if your soul is awakening as they have found its destined mate. The handshake was warm, friendly even, making Baekhyun glad that at least he could maybe be friends with the guy. Don't get him wrong. Park Chanyeol wasn't bad looking, the guy did meet the instant cute factor for his bug eyes, but really, Baekhyun thought he could find someone cuter from another department or something.

 

"So..Chanyeol will be teaching you some of the basics. Don't worry. He's actually good at what he's doing," his manager said with a reassuring smile. He must've seen the suprised look at Baekhyun's face. (How can Elf Ears teach me anything?)

 

Baekhyun gave a meek smile, so different from the full ones that soon enough will be showered directly to the tall guy. "Oh..okay. Are we starting now?"

 

Chanyeol gave him a borderline psycho grin, showing off his pearly set of teeth. "Give me a few minutes, I'll be right back," he said leaving Baekhyun praying to the gods that the man would change his mind about chopping his body and leaving it in the woods for wild animals to eat.

 

Luck was not on Baekhyun's side and the man came back a few minutes later to show the ropes. The man actually knows the stuff and can easily answer every question Baekhyun throws at him, even the seemingly stupid ones. He doesn't even laugh at Baekhyun when these type of questions were asked, he answers them patiently with a small smile on his face.

 

The first few days were still awkward as hell though. With Chanyeol trying to reach for the computer mouse or keyboard in front of Baekhyun and the other desperately trying to move away in what he can only hope to be a discreet manner when the other becomes too close for comfort. But then, Chanyeol never showed lack of professionalism and Baekhyun considers the thought that maybe he was being extremely stupid for reading too much articles about office . Kyungsoo would have argued that it is never a bad thing to be prepared for the working jungle, (There are wild animals out there Baek! You have to protect yourself!) but Baekhyun felt that he should tone down his paranoid instincts down a bit when it comes to Chanyeol.

 

To PCY041

Hey Chanyeol..I'm confused with this order thing.

What should I do???

 

Baekhyun typed the message in Lync. It was weird, like a personalized Yahoo Messenger or something. It comes out as a great help though. It helped him discreetly ask stupid questions about work without actually looking stupid. His colleagues need not know how he can be a handful when learning new stuff.

 

It was actually Chanyeol who told him to use it to his advantage. He guessed the guy also got fed up when he called out his name in what he can only hope as appropriate volume in the office to get his attention. It also saved him the effort to stand up and actually go to his desk to answer his questions.

 

To BBH172

lol. Just do the thing I taught you a few days ago.

 

Baekhyun huffed out in frustration and grabbed a handful of hair. This was topnotch embarrassing .

 

To PCY041

That's the thing!

I sort of forgot what you taught me.

Sorry :'(

 

Baekhyun heard a bark of laughter from a distance and he desperately wanted to look for a shovel to dig a hole for his grave.

 

To BBH172

No probs

Just remember next time! :)

Just a sec

I'll go to your desk.

 

"So?" Chanyeol asked him as he parked his on Baekhyun's desk, an infuriating smile on his lips. "Anything I can help you with?" he asked.

 

Baekhyun looked up at the giant with a frown and almost wished he didn't have to ask him about this new stuff he needed to learn to keep his job. Chanyeol was not a bad mentor by any means. He kept his instructions simple and easy to understand. But god, something about him just affects Baekhyun in ways he can't understand.

 

"I was asking for approval on this order and Suho gave it back to me. He's asking me to check it. I went through everything you told me and I cant seem to find what's wrong with it," Baekhyun asked, or more like complained really.

 

"Well, did you check your notes?" Chanyeol asked calmly as he moved to seat closer to Baekhyun. He enlarged one of the small black screen so he can see the order screen better.

 

"I already did," Baekhyun confirmed and grabbed the spiral notebook lying next to the keyboard. "I checked my notes on issuing the order but can't seem to find an issue with it," he said as he goes over his messy scrawls once again of everything the other has taught him the past few weeks. He scanned for anything he might have missed before. The notes were messy and his writing barely readable, but it worked for him. He survived college that way. It's not like he's going to gain any extra grades when he passes a neat lecture notebook or anything to his manager.

 

"Well, did you check the delivery date screen?" Chanyeol askex making him look up from his desperate attempt at finding answers in his notes.

 

"The what?" he asks, confused as hell because why would he need to check that screen when..

 

"Oh," Baekhyun could only say when the said screen is now occupying the whole of his second monitor and the supposed delivery date on board is a date behind. He checked his browser and confirmed that the date he did input was late. May the gods have mercy on his soul. How stupid could he be?

 

"Don't stress yourself too much over it," Chanyeol consoled him as he minimized the black screens on Baekhyun's monitor. "Rookie mistake and after this, I'm pretty sure you won't make the same mistake again," he finished with a tap on the smaller's shoulder and quickly returned back to his seat. Baekhyun thought the tall elf didn't even manage to hear his small thanks

 

To PCY041

Thanks!!!

You're a savior

 

He quickly typed on his screen. The other just saved his sorry again. He hated owing others a huge favor. But as he looked up and saw the messy black hair, he smiled because he's grateful that at least he can trust someone for now to have his back.

 

To BBH172

Lol.

Go back to work Baek. :)

 

It's almost his third week with the group when his manager set him aside.

 

"Hey Baekhyun, didn't you say you enjoyed doing artsy stuff in college?" Luhan asked.

 

"Uh..yeah? I was part of the student org in college," he answered apprehensively, not entirely sure how arts and crafts go together with his line of work.

 

"Great!" Luhan told him, his gummy smile showing. "Well, you see we will be having this Halloween contest and we have to decorate our workstations as per theme assigned to us," he explained and this piques Baekhyun's interest. Decorating was Baekhyun's love, not enough to consider a profession doing that, but enough that he puts his heart and soul to every one of his projects.

 

"Oh cool! What's the theme?" he asked.

 

"Harry Potter?" Luhan answered him, almost unsure.

 

Baekhyun grinned. "Awesome."

 

Being the geeky Harry Potter fan that he is, it really was no surprise on how excited he was for the contest. He complained how no one seems to be interested in helping him, but it didn't really matter. He's used to working on projects alone anyway.

 

"Hey Baekhyun," Luhan called for him in the middle of his cutting some paper owl.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Can you prepare a short presentation as well for Halloween? 3-5 minutes would do," Luhan asked him. It was a nightmare to be honest. It was a week before the great reveal of the decors and now they needed a presentation? Baekhyun was artistic, not a choreographer.

 

"Uhm..yeah. Sure?" he said apprehensively, because he knew if he won't step up, then no one else will. The rest of the team were practically useless pieces of . Not that he would say that out loud. But these people are too caught up in work and making a 3-5 mins presentation will not be their priority. If they won't do it, then Baekhyun would have to do it.

 

“Hey Baekhyun? I still don't understand why I have to be Harry Potter," Chanyeol asked him the following day. They were on their way to an available meeting room with other people from the team Suho have chosen to help him with the presentation. He barely said a word to these people before so it was best to stick with Chanyeol for now. It was going to be hella awkward when he starts to teach them for the presentation for sure. He's just glad Chanyeol was there, someone he's already comfortable with, to make the atmosphere easier to breathe in.

 

“Me neither," Baekhyun answered while trying to hide his -eating grin.  “You're more like an overgrown Dobby to me," he said and cackled as soon as he saw the indignant face the other had when he heard the comparison with the dead elf.

 

“I've only met you for a few weeks now but I've grown to really hate you sometimes Baek. Would you mind if I castrate you?” Chanyeol asked as he watched the other wipe away the tears he had from laughing.

 

“Oh, I do mind. Because Park Chanyeol, I still have to teach you how to Oppa Gangnam Style!” Baekhyun said as he tried to put his arm around the fuming tall elf's shoulder. Tried being the keyword as the height difference really won't allow him to do so.

 

“Go die runt." Chanyeol shot back when he noticed Baekhyun's fail attempt to put his arm around his shoulder.

 

Needless to say, Baekhyun's shocked reaction brought the score to an even.

 

Somehow, Baekhyun found himself dancing to Gangnam Style in wizard robes on the 30th of October much to a tall elf's delight. Baekhyun grumbled how he already decorated the place and can see no reason why he should still perform as well. To his great annoyance, Chanyeol argued that he was the only one who can dance decently among the team so it's actually a no brainer that he had to join the performance. Baekhyun wanted to cry blood and strangle the elf when everyone else agreed that he has to be the center of the presentation.

 

The place was dimly lit with paper owls and candles hanging from the ceiling representing the Great Hall of Hogwarts. House Banners hang proudly above 4 rows of workstations, a Slytherin flag specifically located above Baekhyun's desk. It was fun, though losing wasn't really a sweet experience.

 

Cheesecake. Blueberry Cheesecake to be exact. This was what fate brought to bring Baekhyun and Chanyeol closer together. A delectable dessert that a colleague brought to work.

 

"Are any of you going to eat that?" Chanyeol asked, fork resting on his lips, eyes focused on the dessert. Baekhyun's attention quickly diverted to the Elf prince he thought he got a whiplash.

 

"Because if nobody wants it, I can finish it up for you guys," Chanyeol said as he finally moved towards the last slice of the dessert, fork now inches away of claiming it.

 

"Ah ah. Nope. Not so fast," Baekhyun smirks, pulling the cake tray closer to him.

 

"What the hell Baek. Give me the cake," Chanyeol complained. The tangy sweet taste of the cheesecake was addicting and he wanted more.

 

"Uh...No?" Baekhyun said as he watched the giant grumble how small people should not have an appetite of a dinosaur for dessert. He heard their other team mates laugh at their bickering before leaving them alone at their stare down. He vaguely heard one of them commenting he would rather not see a massacre happening for something so trivial as cheesecake. Baekhyun got offended at the thought. This was not an on ordinary cheesecake. It was ing blueberry cheesecake, it was a dessert for the gods! (The last part he could only assume because food for the gods tasted blah compared to this sinful treat)

 

“And why the hell not?” Chanyeol asked as he tried to pull the cake tray closer to him and farther away from the selfish boy.

 

“Because I want it too," Baekhyun said as he stared down Chanyeol, or up as he was sitting down and Chanyeol was towering over him like the usual case even if they were standing anyway.

 

“Fine. Whatever,” Chanyeol grumbled as he sliced the cake in half.

 

“Thanks,” Baekhyun said as he cut off Chanyeol's advances towards the cake and got himself the slightly bigger half only to eat it in one mouthful.

 

Chanyeol could only gape at the brunet like he sprouted another head. “Cheesecake huh? Didn't exactly think you were a desserts kind of person."

 

“Are you kidding me? I live for this calorie loaded treat!” Baekhyun grinned as he patted his stomach.

 

“So tell me Byun what else is there to know more about you?” Chanyeol asked as he sat down on the seat across Baekhyun. “I mean aside from that snarky attitude of yours.”

 

“Excuse me?" Baekhyun asked indignantly, one eyebrow raised. "I am not snarky. At least not to everyone.” he huffed out, arms crossed in front of his chest much like a pouting child.

 

“We've known each other for only how many weeks now? And I don't know what kind of impression I gave you to think it's okay for you to be this comfortable and informal around me already," Chanyeol argued his point.

 

Baekhyun almost felt bad at that point. Almost. “Well you did say that I should be comfortable around you while you were training me right? I'm only following instructions! Besides, 'we're the same age right? No need to be so stuffy around each other'” Baekhyun air quoted the last part which Chanyeol said to him a few weeks prior.

 

“Fine. But really Baek, what's your story?” Chanyeol asked him once he finishes his smaller slice of cake. He dropped the fork in the tray and gave the other his full attention.

 

“There's not really much to tell. My life is not that interesting," Baekhyun answered as he too placed the fork he'd been playing with in the cake tray.

 

Chanyeol laughed at that. “Well, I highly doubt that," he said as he propped his chin on top of his hand as he leaned closer. “You're too…lively to just sit still during college.”

 

Baekhyun scoffed. “I'm only telling the truth. I very rarely went out with friends as I live too far away. I'm too lazy to stay at the dorms because I was also afraid of starving myself. Also my ex stayed at the nearest dorm to the school so obviously that was a big no-no to the parents.”

 

“Ex? Meaning you aren't together anymore?” Chanyeol asked, his head tilted to the side like a puppy.

 

“Ex meaning we are still together,” Baekyun deadpanned. “Of course we are not seeing each other," he continued.

 

“I meant it in a way that are you saying you are single right now,” Chanyeol clarified his question which indeed sounded stupid once he thought about it.

 

“Well then, yes," Baekhyun answered. "I'm perfectly happy being single right now. I'm better off without that anyway," he said, tone displeased at the topic.

 

“Oohh..bad break up?” Chanyeol asked happily. He was excited to learn something he might be able to use as leverage over the snarky boy.

 

“Long story," Baekhyun cut off his advances on his prying. The past should remain in the past and really, it's a part of his life he would rather not reminisce.

 

“I'm ready to listen," Chanyeol insisted. If he were really a pup, you would be able to see both ears perked up and excited.

 

“It's just your typical love story, you know?" Baekhyun finally said. The excited look on the other's face was kind of hard to resist. He kind of felt bad to see that face fall in disappointment if he decided not to give in to his request. Damn his adoration for puppies and the uncanny ability of the tall elf to act like one. "We fell in love. We had our fights that never seemed to stop. Lying came a normal thing. And then I got fed up with all the bull and ended everything," he recounted his love story the shortest way possible. It does not hurt anymore, but he dislikes telling other people his failed relationship with the he devoted half of his college life to.

 

“Wow. Long story huh?” Chanyeol asked him.

 

“Shut up. What about you? Anything interesting to share?” Baekhyun quickly changed the topic.

 

“Unfair. You didn't even share anything!” the taller complained because he didn't even get any juicy details from the story. It was like the abridged version of the abridged version of the story.

 

“Enough about me. Tell me about you. Why are you using Park but I heard you're technically Chinese?” Baekhyun asked.

 

“Well now, that is a long story," Chanyeol answered him. He never gave the full story of his background to his other colleagues but with Baekhyun, everything seemed to be fine. He wanted to tell it to him.

 

"My Mom is a full Chinese and my grandparents arranged her marriage to my stepdad. But then, she was seeing another guy that time who was Korean and is my biological Dad. You know about the Great Wall of China right?” Chanyeol asked.

 

“Oh..that long wall that you can apparently see from outer space?” Baekhyun asked, confused at how a tourist attraction would relate to Chanyeol's family history. Did his ancestors build the damn wall?

 

“Well yeah, but do you know why they built it?" Chanyeol asked.

 

“Didn't they built it to protect China back then from those who would like to invade the country?” Baekhyun tried to come up with a fairly logical answer, not entirely sure why it was built in the first place. History was not one of his strongest points.

 

“Bingo. But it also stands for one more thing. The great wall of china is sort of a symbol of the rule that a Chinese must only marry another Chinese," Chanyeol told him.

 

“No other nationality can go through or pass over the wall. Makes sense.” Baekhyun said as he remembered that traditional Chinese would have arranged marriage with another honorable Chinese family of their community. Mixed marriages are not unheard of, but are frowned upon.

 

“So my Mom got scared of being married away to a complete stranger she does not even love and ran away with my biological Dad. My grandparents were furious when they found out that my Mom married in Korea and disowned her. A year later, they had me. But my biological Dad got involved in a case and left my Mom alone in Korea when I was still a baby. My step dad heard about it and asked my Mom if she would give him a chance for a relationship. My Mom was still young back then, scared with a small baby with no family to support her. So she agreed to marry my step dad. Don't get me wrong. My step dad is awesome. They did fall in love along the way. My family decided to let me keep my name Park as a reminder of what happened to my Mom. I'm sort of like the black sheep in my family," Chanyeol finished.

 

“Wow. What a story,” Baekhyun could only say in response.

 

“It's kind of weird because the rest of my family uses Wu. I have an older brother by the way. He was the result of my stepdad's first marriage as well. His wife died and was left with Kris. And then I have my youngest brother Tao, I guess you could day he's really technically the only legitimate child?” Chanyeol ponders.

 

“Wait. Hold up. Does that mean your parents are arranging your marriage too? You know given what happened to your Mom.” Baekhyun suddenly asked. Intrigued if the other would have to go through the same thing.

 

“No, to be honest, all that sort of pressure falls on the eldest of the family. I think they're arranging the wedding soon for Kris, he is of marrying age already," Chanyeol answered. "As for me, they won't do that sort of thing, but I am expected to marry someone from a nice Chinese family background. You know, not to repeat the same mistake my Mom did back then,” the taller shrugs the topic off.

 

“But I bet your Mom does not think of you that way," Baekhyun said simply.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean your Mom doesn't think of you as a mistake," Baekhyun clarified and he flushed at how caring that sounded.

 

“Well that's sweet of you to think that way Baek," Chanyeol smiled at him. "But, I know there are times when she thinks that maybe she shouldn't have ran away with my Dad back then. Maybe it would be easier for the both of us as our family does not allow her to forget what happened.”

 

“Whoa. Family drama," Baekhyun could only say in response.

 

“Yeah..family drama.”

 

“Well then, have you met her yet?” Baekhyun asked.

 

“Met who?” Chanyeol asked back.

 

“The perfect Chinese girl for you to marry!” the smaller answered as if the answer was so obvious.

 

“Oh..well that is a bit complicated," Chanyeol said, the tip of his ears reddening. "The one I met is a he," he confessed and refused to meet the other's eyes for fear of being judged. The silence stretched out though and it started to make the other worry a little bit more.

 

“Are you freaked out?” Chanyeol finally asked, unable to bear the quiet gaze that he knew and could feel that Baekhyun was giving him.

 

“No. I'm more curious about your family's reaction to the news that you puke rainbows,” Baekhyun finally said and he laughed at his own statement. The laughter effectively breaks the tension in the room, finally allowing Chanyeol to breathe freely.

 

“Wow Baek, after all of that revelation, that's your only question?” Chanyeol asked, a small smile on his face.

 

“Pretty much. Remember the story about my Ex?" Baekhyun asked.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Well that ex was a guy. So surprise, you're not the only one who likes rainbows and unicorns.”

 

“Oh..well yeah," Chanyeol shrugged the confession. "I kind of figured that out already. I mean you're too pretty to be straight," he explained and received a smack on the arm in return.

 

“I ing hate you Park Chanyeol. I am not pretty!” Baekhyun shouts out.

 

“Yes, you are " Chanyeol countered, totally amused at the fuming boy in front of him. "But my family didn't find it disturbing. The only thing they care about is the family background. Weird right?" he asked.

 

“Well, as long as he makes you happy right?” Baekhyun mused out loud.

 

“hn.”

 

The next few months passed by quickly. Baekhyun had a blast with his first Christmas Party with the company. He brought all his party gear essentials to the CR looking like the plain Byun Baekhyun and emerged looking like the Party God everyone knew in college. He wore his best fitting white pants that accentuated his best asset, which literally being was his . He popped in his favorite gray contacts with hints of green, applied just the tiniest amount of shimmer shadow on his lids and smoked out his most black and best waterproof eyeliner (Makeup Forever thank you very much) which completed the look. The final touch was his tousled hair, arranged to perfection giving him the "woke up like this look" or what he prefers to call as his "just had bed look".

 

He looked mighty fine and he knew it. Everybody knew it as soon as they laid their eyes on him. Some complimented his looks and girls envied the damn eyeliner skills he perfected. He basked in those compliments and he was in his element. Everyone loved his look. All except for one. That one stupid giant still so focused on his work he didn't even look up from his monitor to look at Baekhyun. Not that he really cared. He just wanted to see if he approved of his look tonight.

 

Stupid stupid. He does not need Park Chanyeol's appreciation of how he looks. Nope. He does not definitely need that..

 

But just at that exact moment Chanyeol does finally look up from his monitor and turned ihis chair around to look at the commotion. His gaze eventually landed on Baekhyun who was in the center of the attention. He gave the other a quick once over and then looked away.

 

Baekhyun would rather not think about the way the tall elf's ear reddened momentarily. Or the fact the other offered them a ride to the hotel the party would be held. He'd rather not think about the way his heart sped up when the other finally complimented his look for the night.

 

"You look nice."

 

Baekhyun swore those simple words should not affect him as much as he denied it to be.

"Thank you," he shyly said in return and when did it become so warm, he asked himself when Chanyeol flashed him another one of his borderline psycho grins.

 

Maybe he needed to check his vision with a doctor because he just found that creepy smile so utterly mesmerizing.

 

To PCY041

I'm pissed off at you.

 

To BBH172

Good afternoon to you too.

Normally, people who are pissed off do not talk to the person they are angry with.

But do tell me why

 

It was late in the afternoon of January. The team meeting just finished and the shorter was fuming about the announcement that was just made.

 

To PCY041

Why didn't you even tell me you were leaving???

 

He typed furiously on his keyboard. It was more like keyboard smashing to be honest, with the way he had to delete most of what he typed due to numerous typographical errors.

 

To BBH172

I'm not leaving Baek.

I'm just moving to a better schedule!

 

To PCY041

Same difference

You're abandoning ship!

You're leaving me alone in this cold hearted night schedule

 

To BBH172

Don't be so overdramatic Baek.

I'll be around.

 

To PCY041

But who will I talk to when I get sleepy at night?

You know how hard it is to stay awake without talking to someone here!

 

To BBH172

You know my phone number Baek.

Text me.

 

Baekhyun had to blink once, twice before he reread the message only to peer up from his computer, checking Chanyeol for any signs that he might be joking. He slumped back on his seat when he only observed the usual Chanyeol, laid back as though he has all the time in the world.

 

Yes, he did have Elf Ear's number saved in his phone. Yes, he can text him anytime he feels sleepy. But texting someone is different, it feels intrusive, too personal, it feels like you are friends and not just work colleagues. It feels like breaking barriers. Not to mention that as far as he could remember, Chanyeol is in a happy relationship and he doesn't know if they were already in that level of friendliness that it's okay to text the guy when he's bored out of his wits on a late night.

 

In the end, Chanyeol does move to the 9-5 schedule while Baekhyun was stuck in the 2-10pm schedule. Life was dull after that. No more busy typing of weird questions about work to keep himself awake. His interactions with the giant elf was limited to early afternoons.

 

To PCY041

So...like...does your boyfriend know you go both ways???

 

Baekhyun typed in the messenger once again. It was Friday, February 14th to be exact. The engagement committee decided it was a good idea for them to categorize them according to their dating status. Whoever suggested the idea, Baekhyun would very much like to meet them and bash their head against a wall. How the hell does blatantly telling the world that you're single make Valentine's day more fun? So he decided to do the next best thing to distract him from another miserable day of being alone. He decided to tease the tall elf for  his chosen color for the day.

 

To BBH172

WTF Byun Baek.

 

To PCY041

I'm asking a legit question.

Aren't guys supposed to wear red today if they would like to date a girl for valentines day?

You're wearing red today.

 

To BBH041

I forgot about it.

I didnt know we had to wear this color coding thing.

 

To PCY041

Lol.

Relax Park.

I'm just curious if you were born embracing your rainbow or do you still fish on 2 seas.

 

To BBH172

I can't even deal with your stupid anymore.

 

To PCY041

Whatever Park.

Why is it so hard to admit that you still have a thing for s?

 

To BBH172

Because I don't have a thing for those.

I'm more appreciative of what's behind.

 

To PCY041

Oh..you mean like their intellect and stuff?   

 

To BBH172

I meant Byun Baek.

I like to look at the .

 

Baekhyun choked on air.

 

To BBH172

But someone worth talking to wouldn't hurt either.

 

Maybe teasing the other was not one of his brightest ideas.

 

It's 8 in the evening and Baekhyun struggled to keep himself awake. He tried slapping his face lightly but it never worked. He can only feel the slight tingle on his face for a few seconds and then he'd be back to looking at his computer screen like a mindless zombie. The party music from his playlist doesn't help either.

 

He looked at his surroundings, everything is quiet. You can only hear the furious typing on the keyboard and occasional slips of '!' Or any swear words his colleagues may prefer to use when their hard work do not go as planned.

 

He sighed. This was all Park Chanyeol's fault for leaving him in this dreadful working hours. It's not like he's left alone in the office, there were a few other people left in the office too. But, telling that you're sleepy and would like to go home soon probably wasn't the best conversation starter with your supervisor.

 

Screw Park Chanyeol and his evil idea that he planted in Baekhyun's head. He opened the message icon on his phone and typed a short text.

 

To Park Chanyeol

I'm sleepy and bored as fck in this office

 

The response came only a few minutes late.

 

To Baekhyun

Yeah? Well it's only an hour more and you can go home.

 

To Park Chanyeol

That's the problem. It's an hour more and I feel like face planting on my keyboard

 

To Baekhyun

That would be hilarious. Send me a photo if you do!

 

To Park Chanyeol

Stupid. How can I take a photo of myself face planting?

 

To Baekhyun

You're resourceful. You can think of something!

 

So maybe Baekhyun texted Chanyeol first. And maybe they started to text each other everyday except on weekends. Definitely not in the morning. It always started in the evening when Baekhyun was feeling sleepy and needed someone to talk to until he falls asleep late at night.

 

“Smile :)”

 

What the ? Baekhyun thought as he inspected the yellow sticky note stuck on the daily reports on his desk. The handwriting looked awfully familiar so he looked around trying to look for a guilty face amongst the crowd. His gaze was met instead by Park Chanyeol's mischievous smile.

 

That er.

 

“So what's up with that sticky note?” Baekhyun asked as he emptied the contents of a milk tea sachet in his mug. Caffeine makes him jittery. He doesn't like that feeling. But a decaffeinated Starbucks coffee is another matter altogether.

 

“Think of it as a way to cheer you up," Chanyeol answered as he filled up his cup with brewed coffee. The rich aroma permeated the air and it smelled too good. Too bad the thing had its bad effects on Baekhyun.

 

“Okay?” Baekhyun said. “But why?” he asked as he scrunched his nose.

 

“I don't know? I just want to see you smile.”

 

Baekhyun's cheeks flushed and he didn't really want to know why.

 

“You're doing that thing again Baek.”

 

“What thing?”

 

“That thing you do when you want to smile but you somehow prevent yourself from doing it. You're biting your lip,” Chanyeol said and it made Baekhyun's breath hitch. Whatever the hell happening was not fair.

 

“I told you to smile. So why are you stopping yourself?” Chanyeol continued as he leaned against the marble counter of the pantry room.

 

“Because you're stupid, ” Baekhyun retorted and brought the cup of hot milk tea closer to his lips. An attempt to hide the furious blush on his cheeks.

 

“Stupid enough to make you smile at least," Chanyeol teased.

 

Oh how much Baekhyun wanted to wipe that smug grin off his stupidly handsome face. Wait. Scratch that. He did not just say Park Chanyeol was handsome. Nope. Definitely not.

 

“Oh shut it Park. I still can't forget about your fascination of the opposite . Do you still like them soft and curvy?” Baekhyun tried to retort though it lacked bite. He's still flustered by his idiotic brain that decided to think of weird thoughts.

 

“Oh I do. But I prefer my partner to still be tough enough to take some rough loving from me.”

 

Baekhyun choked on his drink.

 

“What the hell Park. Is it a requirement for the girl to know Hapkido to be with you? Exactly how rough can you get?” he asked as he tried to regain control over his breathing. The milk tea definitely went down the wrong pipe. It's probably the worst way to go down in the entire history of mankind. A man to die so young because he choked on his milk tea.

 

“Wouldn't you like to know? Maybe I should kiss you to prove it to you?” Chanyeol asked him as he leaned closer to the blonde. Baekhyun immediately pushing his face away.

 

“Ew Park. Why would I like to kiss you?”

 

“Then stop teasing me about going both ways. I like short guys who can get a little bit rough with me,” Chanyeol whispered to Baekhyun's ear, voice even lower than normal, like thunder rumbling making Baekhyun's knees go weak.

 

Well….

 

To BBH172

Any plans for Saturday?

 

It's been a week since the incident in pantry and Baekhyun is getting confused at the signals he's been getting from Chanyeol. One day he found a bar of white Kitkat on his desk with the same smiley sticky note he has grown to expect everyday.

 

It's starting to get weird.

 

To PCY041

Nothing much.

I'll spend my saturday here in the office

 

To BBH172

Wtf Baek

You already spend more than 8hrs a day in the office

At 5 days a week

And you want to be here on a saturday???

 

To PCY041

I have loads of paperwork to do.

Our manager will bite my head off if he discovers my mess.

 

It's really not like Baekhyun would love to spend his weekend in the office. He'd rather lay in bed and sleep all day. Maybe spend a couple of hours watching youtube. But then, the pile of things he has to do does not look like a pile anymore, it was starting to look like a ing mountain.

 

To BBB172

Well that is one sight to see.

Fine, I guess I do have some paperworks myself to finish.

I'll go on saturday too.

 

To PCY041

Cool.

At least I won't be alone in misery this saturday

 

When Baekhyun woke up that Saturday morning, nothing felt like it was off. His alarm went off at the time expected and his room still cool from the aircon. He snuggled closer to his pillow, unwilling to move for a few more minutes.

 

The second alarm woke him up and he grumbled how work was such a buzzkill and should not keep him from sleeping in on a Saturday. A notification caught his attention though and he fumbled around for his phone. It was a text from Chanyeol asking him if he's still planning to go to the office.

 

Right. Chanyeol. Work. Saturday.

 

He buried his face once more against his pillows and yells out a muffled scream, something akin to a dying whale noise. Once satisfied with his tantrum, he typed a quick response to the tall elf that yes, he will be there in the office that saturday morning. With one last longing look on his bed, he grabs his towel off the end of his bed and headed for a shower.

 

Around 9-ish in the morning, Baekhyun stood in front of a McDonald's restaurant alongside Chanyeol. The taller was there first to no surprise. Baekhyun had a notorious reputation of being late to every event since college. His first excuse was being fashionably late because he had to make sure his eyeliner game was strong. But then after the first few events he came in late for that does not even need him to look great, people just assumed he really liked being late.

 

"One Egg McMuffin and one coke float please," Chanyeol ordered.

 

"Can you make that two please?" Baekhyun interrupted, giving the girl at the cashier a charming smile. Chanyeol snorted at his attempt at flirting.

 

The coke float Baekhyun ordered proved to be useful on keeping him awake for only a few minutes. The number of emails he had to go through was enough for him to go insane. ing order confirmations with ing discrepnacies just had to be sorted and he ing hated it.

 

To BBH172

Are you still alive there?

 

Baekhyun sighed.

 

To PCY041

Barely.

 

To BBH172

That much huh?

Anything I can help you with?

 

To PCY041

I'd be eternally grateful of you can help in sorting out my unreleased orders?

 

To BBH172

Lol

No problem

Anything else princess?

 

Baekhyun flushed at the pet name. Thank God the monitors were blocking him from Chanyeol's view. Why the hell is this giant calling him pet names now?

 

To PCY041

Cutting down the number of my invoices would be nice too

 

He finally said, lower lip caught between his teeth, hoping he was not asking for too much. If Chanyeol managed to lower down those numbers for him, he wouldn't have to stay until the afternoon in the office. Meaning, he can still go stroll in the mall later and look at those jackets he'd been eyeing for a while now. Maybe today will be the day he would be bringing one of those to be part of his family.

 

To BBH172

Got it. :)

 

The rest of the day flew by quietly, quite understandably as only Baekhyun and Chanyeol were the only present living things on the floor. Well, that is if you exclude the occasional maintenance people popping in to do their job to clean. Baekhyun realized it's much better to work on a day like this. Everything is peaceful with no interruptions to your work.

 

To BBH172

Done with your orders and invoices.

 

To PCY041

You serious?

Are you some sort of wizard?

That was quick!

 

To BBH172

I've done this more times than you have

It comes with practice

You'll get used to it

How about you?

 

To PCY041

I'm almost done as well

 

To BBH172

Good

Let's grab some late lunch later?

 

To PCY041

Sure :)

 

To BBH172

I'm bored tho

Why don't you tell me about your love life?

 

To PCY041

You mean the non existent one?

Or the fictional one I have with Chris Pine?

 

Baekhyun heard a small laugh at a distance and he smiled as well.

 

To BBH172

Well then maybe you can just tell me about the past ones?

 

To PCY041

Correction

Past ONE.

 

To BBH172

Okay. Fine.

The past one.

 

To PCY041

There's not much I can tell you except he was an .

 

To BBH172

You still sound bitter.

You still like him?

 

Baekhyun scoffed at the implication. Never in a million years would he dream to be with that again. Ever.

 

To PCY041

No.

You will sound bitter if you were with that kind of .

That douche likes to put all the blame on me for everything in our relationship.

Do you know why we finally broke up?

 

To BBH172

Nope.

Why?

 

To PCY041

Well we fought that day and he was supposed to come over the following day for my brother's birthday.

So he tried to makeup with me but I was pissed off at him and told him not to come.

But he tried and tried again to convince me that he wanted to come and spend the day with me until I finally agreed.

You know, figured we could talk since all we seemed to do the past few weeks was fight about the smallest of things.

And then after a few minutes do you know what that motherer told me?

He asked me why am I telling him to come to my brother's birthday party when I knew he has a tight budget for that week and he can't buy a gift.

Like WTF!

 

To BBH172

Lol.

Sounds like a lunatic to me.

 

To PCY041

Well, can't say I was the perfect partner either.

I have my faults.

Not the kindest person out there.

Told the he wasn't good in bed anyway

So that kind of evened out the score.

 

To BBH172

You did what?

 

To PCY041

Never had an when we did it.

And I was so pissed off at him that I just had to bruise his ego big time.

 

To BBH172

More like deprive the guy of a ever in his entire life

That was cruel!

 

To PCY041

I was mad at him okay?

And aren't you supposed to be my friend?

Why are you siding with him?

 

To BBH172

Not siding with him.

I'm just saying that if you told me that, I don't think I could get it up ever.

 

To PCY041

Stop exaggerating.

 

To BBH172

Am not.

And are you finished yet?

I want to eat.

 

To PCY041

Just finished.

Let's go?

 

With one last look at his emails, Baekhyun got up and collected his bag. He hoped he didn't miss anything important.

 

"Anything you'd like to eat for today?" Chanyeol asked him interrupting his thoughts of what he needed to do for Monday.

 

"I don't really know yet," Baekhyun answered while entering the elevator that just opened. "We can just look downstairs I guess?" he suggested.

 

"Do you mind walking further? I parked my car in the mall," Chanyeol asked. "We'll have better choices there as well. I'm sick of all the fastfood we eat almost everyday," he complained.

 

Baekhyun laughed at that because he couldn't agree more. "Anything you'd recommend from that place then?" he asked while they walked towards the nearest mall to their office.

 

"Do you like pasta?" Chanyeol asked.

 

"I love it."

 

So they ended up in a simple restaurant by Chanyeol's recommendation and sat near the window. Unsurprisingly, they also ended up ordering the same thing too. Baekhyun had come to realize he had more things in common with Chanyeol than their mutual like for cheesecakes. They both prefer the swimming pool than the beach. Both agreed that the beach was nice to go to for the beauty of the sight. But swimming in actual sea water? No thank you, they'd pass if a pool is available. Opinion on current events? They can discuss that for hours. They might differ on some of their views, but their love for an intellectual discussion make it fun for them to talk for hours. The biggest connection for them would probably their passion for food. Both foodies, they loved to give each other recommendations for a food place complete with their must-try food and which they could pass. Maybe those were the reason they get along so well.

 

After their lunch eating a sumptuous seafood marinara, Baekhyun's stomach was screaming for a dessert. Their rule? No matter how full you are, dessert was a must, they have a separate compartment in their stomach for that.

 

Nevertheless, Chanyeol laughed at him when he declared he needed something sweet after eating his lunch. "They usually have a weekend food trade here in the upper levels. We can try that but I need to take my bag to my car first. Do you want to wait here or…?" he asked.

 

"Oh, that should be okay. I'll just come with you," Baekhyun said. He didn't actually wanted to be left alone in the mall. Besides, walking off what he ate might be a good idea before he stuffed himself with more food.

 

"You should really try to hide your bag more," Baekhyun commented when they finally got to where Chanyeol's car was parked. The guy just tossed his backpack carelessly on top of the back seat, in plain sight if you try to look inside, through the tinted windows.

 

"What?" Chanyeol asked in confusion, eyebrow raised at the random comment.

 

"I lost my bag once back in highschool," Baekhyun said. "I left it in the back of the car but only realized it was gone when I was at home already. So you should really not tempt the robbers by putting that in plain sight and try to hide that," he explained, the memory still giving him a sense of regret that he just left his things so carelessly. The event was a total nightmare with his notes gone and the end of the year coming. He had to ask his parents to write an excuse letter that he couldn't pass his notebooks for final grades since he lost all of them. They took pity on him when they realized the boy couldn't possibly rewrite 4 quarters worth of notes in one weekend for 5 subjects. Until that day Baekhyun wondered what the thieves did with his schoolbag. What could they possibly gain from 10 spiral notebook, a few test papers, old text books and a very empty wallet? The s must've been angry when they discovered they had to lug around a very heavy bag only to find useless stuff inside.

 

Chanyeol gave a quick shake of his head in disbelief but moved follow the other's suggestion and shoved his backpack at the bottom of the passenger seat. From a quick look outside, you can't see that there was actually a bag lying in there. "There, are you happy now?" Chanyeol asked the smaller and showed the bag almost concealed completely under the seat.

 

"Perfect," Baekhyun smiled when he saw the other listen to his suggestion. "You know I actually got a trauma from that experience? Everytime I leave a bag in the car now I make sure to shove them down there too and cover with a black jacket or something. It makes it even harder for them to see the bag," he mindlessly kept on talking out loud until he noticed the other was silently watching him.

 

"Uh…is there something wrong with my face? Why are staring at me like that?" he asked while he tried to wipe away whatever dirt the other might have found on him.

 

Chanyeol just smiled at him mysteriously before shaking his head no. "It's nothing. So, ice cream?" he asked Baekhyun before locking his car.

 

"Yeah," Baekhyun answered but continued to look at warily. The other just acted weird and he doesn't know why. He discreetly checked his face in the mirrored walls of the elevator just in case the other was being an and decided not to tell him he looked stupid with marinara sauce on his face. He found none.

 

True enough to Chanyeol's words though, there were some food stalls at the upper floor of the mall. Baekhyun, excited as ever, practically skipped from one food display to the other. Each stall offered yummy snacks different from the previous ones he just checked. The fact made it difficult for the smaller to decide on what he wanted for dessert.

 

"Hey Pup! I thought we're eating ice cream?" Chanyeol amusedly asked him while trailing behind the excited human. If Baekhyun really was a puppy, Chanyeol would definitely see his tail wagging in excitement.

 

"But Chanyeol, there are so many options right now!" Baekhyun explained as he peered on what a stall was selling. "I can't just decide on eating icecream without checking what everyone has to offer," he said while he made a mental note that yes, salted caramel cupcakes were a definite win and he needed to bring home some of those to consume whenever he's home from work.

 

In the end, the two of them did end up eating ice cream because it was the easiest to snack on while standing. The food stalls unfortunately had no tables or chairs so they couldn't pick anything that would require them to sit down to eat.

 

"So Baek, anything interesting in life right now?" Chanyeol asked him when they finally decided to hang out near the escalators. He was holding a chocolate truffle ice cream while Baekhyun was happily eating chocomint icecream.

 

"Nothing much," Baekhyun shrugged. "Same old stuff," he said while savoring the minty flavor of the cold treat in his mouth. He really needed to thank the man or woman who invented the choco mint combo. It was a match made in heaven although it was sinfully good.

 

"Why do you always sound like you're bored with life?" Chanyeol asked next. Sometimes it was hard to strike up conversations with the smaller when it comes to personal life. He understood the other does not go out very much due to living far from his friends and not really having much interest in commuting for how many hours just to see them. But he thought that focusing on just work and staying cooped up at home wasn't very healthy for one's sanity.

 

"Because nothing special is happening," Baekhyun only stated. Life was simple for him. Work, eat good food, shop some clothes and sleep. He's not against going out to party, but he preferred to do it only once in a while, meaning probably once a year during Christmas parties.

 

"You're young, you shouldn't be staying at home as much as you do," Chanyeol commented. "You should go out more you know? Have a shot at life," he said because the other was such a ball of energy at work he thought it was a disappointment the other does not go out very often.

 

"I am doing what I like Chanyeol," Baekhyun countered. "I like stay in weekends with movie marathons or bundled up in my blanket reading a good book. Call me boring but I enjoy quiet moments like those," he said. He grew up spending weekends that way, but mostly just having fun with his family. He's used to weekend movies with them at the mall or at home. When he moved out, he found himself doing just the same. He hated the traffic and preferred to stay home.

 

"Ow. Why are you so hot?" Baekhyun suddenly asked when Chanyeol's arm came in contact with his skin. It felt warmer than what he thought should be normal.

 

"Oh? You think I'm hot right now?" Chanyeol , infuriating grin plastered on his face.

 

". You feel hot, there's a difference," Baekhyun said. "Are you sick?" he asked before he pressed the back of his right hand against the other's forehead, checking his temperature. It was warm as well, but then again Baekhyun gets cold very easily and his hand may just be cold once again from the exposure to the mall's aircon.

 

"No. Just my normal body temperature I guess," Chanyeol assured him, a wide smile still on his face. He was totally amused with this concerned side of the small blonde in front of him.

 

"You did not just pull off the Jacob Black on me!" Baekhyun gasped at the answer.

 

"What?" Chanyeol asked, perplexed at the mention of the fictional shapeshifter. "Ew. Twilight? Why are you such a loser Baek? Nobody likes that ," he said, totally judging the other's preferences for movies and books.

 

"I know what you're thinking Chanyeol, but no. I don't like the series," Baekhyun said. "But I'd choose Jacob Black over Edward anyday," he said as an afterthought. He will admit that he did watch all the movies just because of Taylor Lautner. Don't judge him, he liked the boy ever since he laid his eyes on him during his awkward movie stint as Shark Boy.

 

"You have a thing for hairy guys now?" Chanyeol asked him.

 

"I have a thing for hot guys. What can I say?" Baekhyun answered him and laughed at the roll of eyes Chanyeol gave him.

 

"I better go home," Baekhyun finally said. It was not late by any means, but he would like to take a long night sleep that night.

 

"Okay, I'll drop you off the bus stop," Chanyeol offered as he threw the paper cup in the trashbin.

 

The drive towards the bus stop was relatively silent. Baekhyun now sleepy from all the food he ate, just stared out the window. The traffic was not so bad. It was a short travel in the first place. He could've walked the short distance, but being too lazy, he chose to accept the free ride.

 

"So I guess I'll see you on Monday?" Chanyeol asked him when he stopped his car just a few steps away from the bus stop.

 

"If I don't sleep through the whole of Sunday and Monday then you will," Baekhyun joked and opened the door. "Take care on driving!" he lively said and jumped out. He saw Chanyeol waving a final goodbye when he slammed the door close. Just a second later, the other was driving away from him.

 

It took a few minutes before the bus arrived and Baekhyun was already seated comfortably when he remembered that his manners went out the window and forgot to say thank you to the guy who drove him to the stop. He whipped out his phone quickly to type a new message.

 

To Park Chanyeol

Hey Yeol..thanks for today :)

 

To Byun Baekhyun

No problem Baek. Anytime.

 

The response was almost instantaneous that Baekhyun got worried on how the taller could be texting and driving at the same time. He does not want to be responsible for the death of his colleague due to irresponsible driving.

 

To Park Chanyeol

Please dont text while driving. You might die and I dont want to explain to your team leader why his buyer died.

 

To Byun Baekhyun

You worry too much Baek. Hahaha i'm with my friend right now so I'm not actually driving.

 

To Park Chanyeol

Well that's good. I won't be held liable for your death anymore :P

 

To Byun Baekhyun

I have a confession to make though

 

To Park Chanyeol

Yeah?

 

Baekhyun texted, nervous on what the other would like to say. He's not actually a spy arranged by the management to keep an eye on him right? He could only imagine the horror of being called on Monday to discuss why he was asking other people to do his work. Chanyeol asked if he could help. That's not asking people to do your work for you. His phone vibrated signalling a new text and he took deep calming breaths before he found the courage to open the message.

 

The text message managed to take his breath away.

 

To Byun Baekhyun

I really really wanted to kiss you. I still do.

 

Baekhyun bit his lower lip and thought hard. What the was wrong with this guy? He's committed to another man and he's telling Baekhyun  that he wanted to kiss him? Is he even sane?

 

But then again, this was Chanyeol. The too tall elf looking (read Elf Prince) he was talking about. Tall, handsome with a sense of humor and mega watt smile he really liked. He did not want to admit it but he already found him cute from day 1. But he quickly squashed down whatever admiration he had for the guy because he knew he was committed. He was happy whenever he talked to they guy, as what he could only vaguely call as a friend.

 

Why was this giant elf making things so difficult?

 

To Park Chanyeol

Would it be weird if I said I wanted to kiss you too?

 

Baekhyun stared at his phone's screen so hard the words he typed started to blur together. He wanted to deny the fact so bad and pretend he was not attracted to the tall male. He's smitten and he knew the single text could very well send him down to the fiery depths of hell. He shouldn't be messing around with a guy with a boyfriend and maybe he should just say he was joking about it. He was just about to type that it was a bad joke when his phone vibrated again.

 

To Byun Baekhyun

Baek. You shouldn't say things like that. I want to go back and get that kiss.

 

To Park Chanyeol

Haha too bad. I'm in the bus right now.

 

Baekhyun quickly typed on his phone. That shouldn't be too bad isn't it? He just admitted he wanted to kiss the guy. It was not like he would actually do it. It would be bad if he actually kissed the guy, but this was nothing. It was just like admitting a crush on someone. So, really, he was still innocent right? Sort of?

 

To Byun Baekhyun

I'll get it some other time then.

 

Baekhyun groaned in frustration at the response. Handsome people like Park Chanyeol should not exist because they're attractive as hell and they absolutely knew they were hard to resist. He was like his Achilles' heel. No, he was Icarus' Sun, too beautiful and too warm that he wanted more of it only to cause his downfall.

 

To Park Chanyeol

This is bad Yeol. You have a boyfriend.

 

To Byun Baekhyun

Aww come on Baek. This is harmless fun. This is just two friends giving each other some benefits. It's just a kiss anyway.

 

To Park Chanyeol

You know very well where kisses can lead to.

 

To Byun Baekhyun

Yeah, well that wouldn't be so bad too. I can give you what your no good ex boyfriend can never give you. Would you like that Baek?

 

By that time, Baekhyun was lying on his bed without having changed his clothes. Texting Chanyeol that he wanted to kiss him too was a big mistake, he realized that now. The guy was persistent and he just became painfully aware of how attracted he was to the other guy he was starting to consider his offer.

 

To Park Chanyeol

Chanyeol…this is not even funny anymore.

 

To Byun Baekhyun

Who says I'm kidding Baek? I'm serious about this. Give me a chance to prove how I can show you what a good time could be.

 

To Park Chanyeol

We can't. It's wrong. I don't want to be one of those in the news that was found dead because the jealous boyfriend found out that he was being cheated on and decided to get some revenge.

 

To Byun Baekhyun

Lol Baek. You have a wild imagination there. My boyfriend is as gentle as a lamb. He won't even find out about us. I can put aside what is our relationship and what could be ours. Besides, I told you. Harmless fun.

 

Harmless fun, Baekhyun wanted to believe that. But relationships as they were already, come with a pain in loving the other person already. No relationship would ever be complete without arguments and those moments that everything would start to hurt and made you doubt why you were in the relationship in the first place. The poor boyfriend did not need an extra factor of hurting just because of him.

 

To Park Chanyeol

Yeah…harmless until your boyfriend finds out about it and be wrecked.

 

To Byun Baekhyun

Okay fine..I won't try to force you into it. But just think about it okay? My previous partners did say I give a sinful .

 

Baekhyun felt his whole face burn up at the text. They were just talking about a kiss. Why did the guy suddenly mention s?

 

To Park Chanyeol

WTF. I don't even want to deal with you anymore.

 

To Byun Baekhyun

And yet you're still texting me Baek. I'm just telling you what you could be missing out on.

 

To Park Chanyeol

We should stop teasing each other you know? That would be easier for us both.

 

To Byun Baekhyun

It's hard enough already Baek. I don't think you can do anything to make this easier.

 

Baekhyun sighed after reading the text from Chanyeol and decided to put it down for the night. The guy was right, with the feeling of want just out there, it would be hard to treat each other like normal in the office. He burrowed his head under his pillows and wished the bed would just swallow him whole so he wouldn't have to deal with this mistake he did. Feelings were difficult. He knew about it enough that he did not want to deal with it for a few more years. Being an adult was difficult but there was nothing he could do about that. Dealing with confusing feelings as a responsible adult was the worst. Why can't he just stay as a kid and just worry about his broken pencils?

 

Because life was a , he remembered when he finally resurfaces from underneath the covers for much needed air. She was a for making him meet Park Chanyeol and his twitchy smiles and long long legs.

 

Baekhyun knew there was a reason why he did not like women. Life's iness was definitely one of it.

 

"So..how was your weekend?" Chanyeol asked Baekhyun on a Monday afternoon. The blonde refused to meet his eye when he entered through the office doors. His new seating arrangement gave him an advantage of seeing everyone coming in to the office. Part of his favorite things to do everyday was to smile at the small blonde who comes in almost late everyday, out of breath from speed walking to the office and a little bit red from the heat of the sun outside. 9 times out of 10, the male would smile back sheepishly at him and before proceeding to plop himself on his seat to start working.

 

Today, he saw Baekhyun time in and enter through the door at the other side of the office. That would mean he had to go the long way before he can reach his desk. He was avoiding him. He did not expect less, but there was a twinge of hurt there.

 

So when the blonde stood up from his desk holding a mug to go to the pantry, he immediately followed him to the other's dismay.

 

"Are you ting on me Park?" Baekhyun asked, frustrated because he wanted to have a drink of his favorite tea first before he had to deal with the tall elf.

 

"I don't think that's the most sanitary thing to do Baek," Chanyeol commented and laughed at how the other's eye just turned into slits and started to judge his whole being.

 

"You know what? I've decided that I hate you," Baekhyun said and passed the giant blocking his way to the hot water dispenser.

 

"How about that promotion though? Any news yet?" Chanyeol asked then, happy that the other was not completely ignoring him anymore. That was a start. He did not exactly want to piss the other off with what happened during the weekend. He was just really attracted to the small guy and spending that much time with him sort of overwhelmed him that he just said the words out.

 

"I don't know yet. I'm supposed to hear something about it this week though," Baekhyun said, relaxed that the other had decided not to talk about their weekend conversation.

 

"Excited?" Chanyeol asked, relieved that the other was talking to him normally now.

 

"A bit," the smaller confessed. His manager spoke to him about his promotion as an official buyer and not just an associate after he gave his 5th month presentation a few weeks back. He's supposed to graduate as soon as he got his regularization.

 

"Hey, don't worry. I trained you didn't I? You're more than ready for that promotion," Chanyeol assured him.

 

"You're not just saying that to make feel better are you?" Baekhyun asked, still doubting if he would actually make the cut.

 

"Nope," Chanyeol immediately answered. "I really think you're amazing," he complimented making the other blush.

 

"Thanks Yeol," Baekhyun answered, cheeks burning because he knew the other guy complimented him on something more than just his job skills. He drank his tea once again to try to cover his cheeks.

 

"Any plans this weekend then?" Chanyeol asked while they walked together back to their workstations.

 

"Probably be back in the office to clean up more stuff," the other stated simply.

 

"Invoices again?" he asked and was answered with a small nod. "Can I come then? I'll keep you company," he offered, hoping the other would accept.

 

"I thought you hated this job?" Baekhyun asked him when they stopped at his desk. "Why are you spending another weekend in the office?" he asked because it just doesn't make any sense. Chanyeol was a huge advocate for leaving work on the dot and believed he should not spend extra hours for work as they were meant to be spent with friends and family.

 

"Well, it doesn't seem so bad anymore when you arrived," he answered with a ruffle of the other's blonde hair and left the other speechless.

 

To PCY041

I'm cancelling plans tomorrow

 

Baekhyun typed furiously at his desk and shaked so bad he had to grip something for a few seconds to calm himself down.

 

To BBH172

Whoa calm down. What happened?

 

It was a friday afternoon and Baekhyun was called by his new team leader to an empty meeting room. He was surprised to see the team manager already waiting for them. He smiled nervously at the manager and prayed for good news. It was about time they discussed that promotion along with his regularization.

 

To PCY041

Just spoke to the manager and ing told me that I won't get the promotion just yet.

 

To BBH172

What? Why?

 

To PCY041

Something about the number of employees that can only be promoted in a quarter

You know?

If they don't want to give out that promotion

They should just tell it straight to my face instead of making up some bull excuse.

 

Baekhyun was still fuming because that has got to be the lamest excuse for not giving your employee a promotion. If he did not perform well, then why can't they just tell him that so he can do better?

 

To BBH172

Awwww come on Baek

Cheer up :)

Let's go out and eat some cake?

 

To PCY041

You're trying to make me fat.

 

Baekhyun typed but he does smile because the guy knew just what to do to make him happy.

 

To BBH172

Oh come on

You love it <3

Cheer up okay?

This job is NOT worth getting any wrinkles for

 

To PCY041

Hey Yeol?

Want to hang out with me this weekend?

 

Baekhyun quickly typed before he chickened out. He had a lot of arguments on why hanging out again on a weekend was a bad idea. But he was mad at everything and Chanyeol just manages to make everything better again. He needed a friend. He needed someone who can understand his frustrations and would still be able to make him laugh. He needed Chanyeol's company.

 

To BBH172

Of course

Would love to

 

To PCY041

Same time same place?

 

To BBH172

Expect me there :)

 

When the two did meet up the following day, the taller guy practically dragged him to a coffee shop that sold the best blueberry cheesecake in town. The display of cakes had the blonde salivating and he could already feel his mood getting better from what happened the day before. He had a hard time choosing what to eat but chose his favorite in the end. When he was about to pay for his cake and coffee, Chanyeol handed the cashier his card and paid everything. He quietly said a small thank you and smiled at the giant for bringing his mood up.

 

"So what do you want to do today except binge eating?" Chanyeol asked, eyeing how Baekhyun looked like he was focused on wolfing the whole slice of cake down in one go.

 

"I really don't know to be honest," Baekhyun confessed. "I just wanted to get out of the house," he said and stared out the coffee shop's window. "I'm sorry for asking you to come with me. I'm really boring to be with," he said to Chanyeol who was just looking and observing his every move since they got there. He knew he could be boring to be with sometimes. The guy must had better plans with his friends to hang out than to be stuck in a coffee shop with him.

 

"No problem Baek, I just want to make sure you're happy. But, do you want to get out of here? Let's go someplace else?" Chanyeol asked when Baekhyun finished the cake faster than they have lined up and waited for it.

 

"Sure," Baekhyun agreed and grabbed his decaf coffee to go. Anything would be better than being stuck at home alone and wallow in self pity.

 

"Hey Baek?" Chanyeol softly called out his attention when Baekhyun got into the passenger's side of his car.

 

"Yeah?" Baekhyun asked almost breathless, his heart momentarily stopping because Chanyeol just swooped his head in the passenger side. He moved even closer Baekhyun's personal bubble and was oh so close and his perfume was beginning to be an addiction for the blonde trapped in a heady need for whatever action to take place. Chanyeol was just looking at him, lips just a few inches away teasing him. He can't remember how many times he looked down at those temping lips before looking at the other's eyes again, begging for him to do something.

 

It was a small peck on Baekhyun's lips at first. Baekhyun's brain short circuited at the feel of Chanyeol's soft and full lips against his. The second one given was longer, with an intent to know Baekhyun's lips better, to taste more. All logic came flying out the window and Baekhyun grabs a few of Chanyeol's dark locks at his nape and pulled him closer. It was intense and Baekhyun found himself wanting more. Chanyeol tasted like something he knew would crave for a very long time.

 

"Let's take this somewhere private," Chanyeol purrs against his lips when he pulled away before planting another one on him. He pulled away completely and shut the passenger door before crossing to the other side. Baekhyun was still in a daze of what just happened when Chanyeol grabbed his hand and pulled out of the parking space.

 

Well, .

 

 

 

********** Author's Notes **********************

I hope I have made it clear which part was messenger and which was text messaging?

This is not supposed to be as angsty as the description says. but whatevs.

 

More editing to come!