Sehun barged into Chanyeol’s studio the next day to find said male staring intently at his computer screen. Chanyeol jumped at his abrupt entrance and turned towards him with a perplexed look.

“What’s going on-“

“You really are a complete idiot.” Sehun cut in.

Chanyeol looked amused for a moment before realising that Sehun was serious and narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Why?”

The slightly shorter male sighed and moved to sit on one of Chanyeol’s many tables as the other male had yet to get another chair for the studio.

“Baekhyun.” He said simply, as if that singular word would explain everything. Which it should, had Chanyeol not been in denial or whatever it is he’s going through. The name did grab the rapper’s full attention, though.

“What about him?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t pretend you don’t know. Don’t pretend you didn’t see how upset he was last night.” He spat, but with no real malice to his words.

Chanyeol felt guilt course through him at Sehun’s words. Of course, he’d seen how upset he was. He just didn’t know what to think of it.

Seeing Chanyeol’s look change from curiosity to guilt, Sehun decided to take it one step further.

“You know, he came to me last night,” He began nonchalantly, and Chanyeol’s attention was back on him in an instant. “He was super upset. He wasn’t crying when he came in, but I could tell from the way he was acting that something was wrong. So, as a nice friend, I asked him what was up, and he bawled, Chanyeol-hyung. He cried so hard I thought someone had died.”

Chanyeol bit his lip.

“Did someone die?” He asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible but he knew he failed when Sehun simply glared at him.

Chanyeol sighed. “Okay, I get it. I’ll talk to him later.”

At that, Sehun smiled his usual smile and left with a small wave.

The rest of the day was full of tension between the members who were aware of what happened, and awkwardness between the ones that didn’t.

He avoided Baekhyun for most of the day and noticed that the other was doing the same thing. He also noticed the glares he was receiving from quite a few of s and panicked, thinking that they all knew and all hated him now.

“Don’t worry, they don’t know exactly what happened. They just know that something happened between you two and now you’re both upset. You guys aren’t exactly subtle about it,” Jongin reassured him.

Chanyeol sighed, then looked at the other sceptically.

“How do you know what happened?”

Jongin smirked at him.

“I know everything that goes on around here.”

Chanyeol simply raised an eyebrow and Jongin pouted.

“Kyungsoo-hyung told me,” he relented.

“Ah. Wait, how does he know?”

“Kyungsoo-hyung really knows everything that goes on around here. Honestly, he tells me stuff that I really don’t need to know, sometimes. Like Junmyeon-hyung’s ‘morning escapades,’ as he likes to call it.” Jongin shudders and Chanyeol decides that he doesn’t need to know what he meant by ‘morning escapades’.

“Right…” He trailed off.

“Anyway, make sure you guys figure it out soon enough. If we can feel the tension then the fans will, too. We don’t need any more drama at the moment.”

Chanyeol sighed as he watched Jongin walk away, not knowing what to do from there.

‘Soon enough’ turned into a day, which turned into three days, until he was cornered by the person he least wanted to face.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kyungsoo’s eyes were narrowed and he took a very dominating posture for someone so short.

“What do you mean?” The rapper decided that feigning innocence would be his best option at the moment. It would lessen the pain he knew Kyungsoo was about to inflict on him.

“What do you mean? You told Sehun you’d – and I quote – “talk to him later,” what the hell happened to talking to him later? It’s been three days! You both look miserable and none of us can stand it anymore so I swear, Chanyeol, if you don’t go walk in there and work this out right now, you won’t be able to walk at all.”

Chanyeol felt a shiver run through him at the sincerity in the shorter male’s eyes and gulped as he nodded his head frantically. He awkwardly stepped away from the other until he was far enough away to make a run for it. He reached Baekhyun’s door at lightning speed and checked behind him in case someone – namely, Kyungsoo – was stalking him or something.

Upon seeing the coast was clear, he gently knocked on the door.

“Yes?” Came a small, soft voice from behind the door and Chanyeol took in a deep breath before slowly pushing the door open.

Baekhyun didn’t look up from where he was hunched over at his desk, presumably working on compositions. Chanyeol let a goofy grin take over his face as he watched the other work with such concentration that his tongue stuck out. He sat down quietly on the bed on the opposite side of the room, making sure that he was angled just enough to be able to see the smaller male’s face illuminated by the yellow lamp that gave the room a wintery feeling.

He sat there for a while, simply watching the other with a smile and a warm feeling coursing through his body.

It took a while for Baekhyun to notice that it wasn’t Sehun who’d entered the room to take a nap and he turned around, letting out a small surprised sound when he saw that it was Chanyeol – the person he’d simultaneously been avoiding and avoided by for the past three days.

“Hey.” Was all Chanyeol said, not doing anything to soothe the suddenly tense atmosphere.

“Hi,” Baekhyun replied meekly, turning back to focus on his work and doing his best to try and ignore Chanyeol’s presence.

“Baekhyunnie,” Chanyeol called out after a while, immediately gaining the attention of the smaller male. Baekhyun smiled to himself at the sound of Chanyeol calling his name. He hadn’t heard the other say it in a while and he was beginning to miss it. He missed Chanyeol. His voice, his hugs, everything about him, really.

“Baekhyunnie, come here. I want to talk to you.” Chanyeol asked sweetly but left no room for objection.

Baekhyun slowly put his pen down and made his way over to Chanyeol hesitantly.

“Yes?” He asked as he sat down on the bed, further away than was needed. Baekhyun loved Chanyeol, he really did, but being with him when the other loved someone else hurt and Baekhyun doesn’t like being hurt.

The taller male smiled gently at him and Baekhyun felt his heart hurt even more.

“What are you sitting so far away for?”

Baekhyun didn’t reply, he only scooted slightly closer to Chanyeol and avoided eye contact. Chanyeol sighed at this and moved closer to Baekhyun himself.

The pink-haired male flinched slightly and Chanyeol was taken aback.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, trying to get Baekhyun to look at him.

The small male still refused to say anything and Chanyeol was beginning to get frustrated.

“Baek, just tell me what’s wrong.” He realised how commanding he sounded when he saw Baekhyun tense ever-so-slightly at his tone. “It hurts when you ignore me like this,” he added softly and Baekhyun turned towards him at his words.

Baekhyun still didn’t look him in the eye, but he was at least facing him now.

“It really does hurt, you know,” He repeated, eyes scanning the other’s face for a reaction.

Baekhyun bit his lip and his gaze left him once again.

“It hurts me, too.” He whispered, voice barely audible.

“Then why are you doing it?”

“Because it hurts less.”

Chanyeol looked at him, confused.

“Hurts less than what?"

Baekhyun didn’t reply to him and Chanyeol was almost at his limit.

“Baekhyun,” He spoke, his tone one of authority and Baekhyun’s head shot up, eyes wide with surprise and fear. He moved his hand to put it on the smaller male’s shoulder in hopes that physical contact would make him more inclined to actually speak to him but froze when Baekhyun let out a small whimper.

He looked up at the vocalist’s face and was met with a look Chanyeol swore he never wanted to see on the other’s face again. It was the same look he’d given basically anyone who raised a hand at him prior to joining the group, it was the same look he’d given Jongdae that time when he’d shouted at him. The look where he thought he was going to be hit.

“I’m s-sorry…” Baekhyun whimpered again and broke Chanyeol out of his shock.

“No. No, no, no.” He mumbled softly as he fidgeted around, trying to think of some way to fix what he’d done. “Oh my God, Baek. I’m sorry. ,” He tried soothing the other by rubbing his back but it wasn’t working, and so Chanyeol pulled the other into a hug, moving him onto his lap so he could easily wrap his arms around him. “It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

The smaller male had begun to calm down at that point and wrapped his arms tightly around Chanyeol, making tight fists in the other’s shirt and hiding his face in his chest.

They sat like that for a while, neither knowing what to say or wanting to break the moment.

Chanyeol bent his head down a bit until his mouth was next to Baekhyun’s ear. It’s now or never, I guess…

“I love you, Baekhyun.” He whispered, and he felt Baekhyun tense in his arms.

“I don’t really know if I can explain it in words, you know?” Chanyeol smiled sheepishly even though Baekhyun couldn’t see him. “I want to hold you. I want to kiss you, run my fingers through your hair and sing to you. I want to make you your favourite food every day just to see your face light up when you take the first bite. I want to rub your back and take care of you when you’re tired or sad. I want to do these things but I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Chanyeol pulled back immediately and Baekhyun’s almost desperate look surprised him.

“Why can’t you do those things? Is it because I’m a boy and you’re a boy? Kyungsoo said that people don’t like it when boys like each other.”

Nice one, Soo. Chanyeol grimaced.

“That’s… Not the whole reason.”

It took a moment before Chanyeol actually realised the implications of what Baekhyun had said.

“Wait, you like me?”

Baekhyun shook his head and Chanyeol felt his heart drop to the floor. Pain surged through his chest and he tried to fight off the tears by smiling, but the fake smile pushed his cheeks up to his eyes and the tears fell anyway.

The pink-haired male began to panic when he saw the tears freely flowing down the other’s face.

“C-crying… Are you sad, Chanyeollie? Did I say something wrong?” Endless apologies followed and Chanyeol would be lying if he didn’t feel the slightest bit frustrated.

“Yeah, I am sad,” he said, and Baekhyun began to panic more.

“Why? Why, why? Please tell me!” The smaller male urged, his own eyes beginning to tear up in both frustration and sadness at seeing Chanyeol upset.

“It’s okay, Baek. Don’t mind me. I just thought you liked me back when you asked me why I couldn’t do those things to you, but don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t like you, Chanyeollie!” Baekhyun began, and Chanyeol flinched at the second stab through his heart. “I love you. Not like; love.”

Chanyeol stared at Baekhyun’s beaming face for a few moments before letting out an extremely loud and unmanly sob.

Baekhyun was too shocked at the sight of Chanyeol sobbing that he didn’t even process that the other had wrapped his arms around him again until he felt wetness where Chanyeol’s head was situated in on his neck.

“Chanyeol?”

“Jesus, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol mumbled after he finally calmed down enough to speak. His voice was small, but in the silence of the room Baekhyun heard him loud and clear.

Chanyeol removed his head from Baekhyun’s neck and stared at the smaller male intensely. “I can’t believe you. You made me think you didn’t like me at all and then – and then you just come out and say something like that.”

Baekhyun looked somewhat confused, but he had a small smile that made his face look incredibly soft as he stared back at Chanyeol, directly in the eyes. That’s how the taller knew he trusted him. Baekhyun almost never looked at people in the eyes, something the other members supposed was a result of having been forced to be completely submissive practically since birth. So, if Baekhyun is voluntarily making direct eye contact and isn’t shaking or crying, he trusts him fully.

“I love you, Chanyeollie.” He repeated with an eye-smile and Chanyeol’s heart lifted itself completely from the floor and further.

Chanyeol reached his hand up to rest it on the smaller male’s cheek and smiled.

“How long?”

Baekhyun tilted his head.

“How long have you loved me for?” He reiterated.

“I’m not sure. I asked Kyungsoo if I was sick because I felt warm around you and he told me I was in love with you.”

Chanyeol couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed at his words.

“Is that the only reason? You love me just because Kyungsoo said you do?”

Baekhyun had never thought of it that way. Sure, he initially started believing he loved Chanyeol simply because Kyungsoo told him he did, but now it felt different. Now, there was something telling him that this was right. Baekhyun would know, because he doesn’t get that feeling very often.

He shook his head after thinking for a few moments and looked back into Chanyeol’s eyes, for once in his life he was one-hundred percent sure of something.

“No. It just feels right.”

Chanyeol grinned at Baekhyun and the pink-haired vocalist felt that same warmth once again that he told Kyungsoo about that one day. He leaned in and pecked the taller male on the lips, softly and swiftly. Chanyeol, however, seemed to want more than just that as he pulled Baekhyun back in, hands resting on his cheeks and lips resting on his.

It was more than just a kiss, though. It was way more than that. It meant so much more. It wasn’t just an “I love you,” it was an “I’m sorry,” and an “I’ll protect you.”

They had to break the kiss when Baekhyun started giggling in happiness, and Chanyeol couldn’t help but laugh along with him.

Baekhyun was glad that he went to Kyungsoo that day, and that Junmyeon and Jongdae found him that all those days ago, otherwise he wouldn’t be here right now. He wouldn’t be here with Chanyeol, giggling like they’re five-years-old and just had their first kiss under the slide.

Chanyeol’s cheeks were hurting from smiling too much, but being in pain from being in love is something that’s inevitable, whether it’s physical or emotional pain. He left a gentle kiss on Baekhyun’s forehead and felt his heart warm for what felt like the thousandth time that day when Baekhyun pulled his head down to give him one in return.

The others found the pair somewhat of a miracle.

Because really, what were the odds?

The two were made for each other. That’s how it seems, at least, as they lose track of how many times they’d done something in sync, or seemingly been able to read each other’s minds. The way they fit together so perfectly. The feeling the members got after finding out the two had gotten together was almost like the feeling when you finally find the last puzzle piece. Only, this puzzle simply had two middle pieces, and seven edge pieces.

Their next album was a hit, too. Chanyeol had written the lyrics to one of the songs Baekhyun had composed for the album and it was kind of funny, honestly. The way everyone knew who he wrote the lyrics for, but no one actually brought it up.

He smiled as the song started, the fans were screaming and cheering and Chanyeol thinks he’d never felt happier with the way his life was going than he did now.

“Hello Angel~”

His grin grew when his favourite person sang his lines, and when he looked over to said person he found him beaming towards the crowd. Even though his Baekhyun was facing the crowd with such a loving smile, he knew it was directed at him.

After the song ended and the cheering of the fans took over the stadium, Chanyeol felt Baekhyun gently grab his hand and looked at the smaller in surprise. He was greeted with his precious eye-smile and happily returned the gesture. Neither of them minded that their hands were a little sweaty.