pairing: BaekChen
length: 873 words
Part Two: My Muse

“Don’t cry.”

A small hand shoved a slightly crumpled tissue towards him. He hiccupped as fresh tears rolled down his face once he moved his hands from his watery eyes and looked at the young boy who was smiling with the light of a thousand suns. With a shaking hand, he took the tissue and blew his snot-filled nose into it, clumsily wiping away the icky mucus. “Th-thank y-you.”

“Why are you sad?”

His lower lip quivered as he lifted a trembling hand and pointed to several older boys who were grouped together several yards away. “Th-they’ve been b-bullying me. My m-mom… S-she left m-me so…” He couldn’t continue. More wails escaped his mouth as he crouched down and cried even louder into his crossed arms.

Suddenly, he felt the presence of the other boy disappear. Fearfully looking up, he spotted the young boy marching with his head held high to the group of older boys. And that young boy was soon surrounded by the leering bullies, who all smirked as they stared down at their new prey.

“What do you want, kid?”

The young boy didn’t flinch away and said simply, “Apologize to the boy you hurt earlier.”

“Why should I?”

“Bullying is mean. Don’t ever pick on people again.”

“Seems like this pipsqueak needs to be taught a lesson as well. Get him.”

He gasped as he helplessly watched the nice young boy get attacked by the group of bullies. All he could do was stare with his mouth wide open. Even though his mind shouted at him to move, the commands weren’t registering and his limbs stayed frozen in place.

But then, to his surprise, one by one, each bully fell to the ground while howling in pain. That scrawny kid was actually beating up the older boys all by himself! He wasn’t without injury, but despite being ganged up on, the kid was holding up well on his own as he punched and kicked without abandon.

Now, he was staring in awe instead of worry. Because wow, this kid was a fighter. He was confident, courageous, and cool-headed. And once he finished beating up the last of the bullies, he skipped over and said cheerfully, “Let’s go to the playground! We’ll have lots of fun there!”

No words came out of his mouth as he dumbly nodded his head, allowing the other boy to take his hand and pull him towards the large playground nearby.

Before they began climbing up the steps to the main body of the playground, the young boy asked with a dazzling smile, “What’s your name?”

“K-kim Jongdae. B-but my mom calls me Chen.”

“Chen…”

The way the young boy spoke that name sounded like the purest form of music. Even though it was a special name only to be used by his mother, Chen couldn’t help but wish for his name to be uttered solely by this young brave boy. “W-what’s your name?” he stuttered as his face turned red.

And there was that brilliant smile again. Chen didn’t think he could ever get tired of seeing it in this lifetime. “I’m Byun Baekhyun.”

--

Chen never forgot the heroic boy who had come to his aid when he was a sniveling, weak five-year-old boy. He seared that smile into his memory, letting it brighten up his day when the dark seemed to be more oppressive than usual. He fantasized and dreamed of his savior, who valiantly drove away his horrid nightmares.

That boy was the single best thing that had ever happened to Chen.

The ends of Chen’s thin lips curved up as his fingers lightly traced over a picture. There was no one else quite like this person. No one with the same fiery gaze, the same blinding smile, or the same overwhelming poise that oozed from him at every moment.

And the world knew it as well. The world knew what a gem Byun Baekhyun was.

A ding sounded from his phone, so Chen shifted his gaze from the photo to read the text message he had received.

Lu Han
The concert is about to start. Where are you? Hurry back so you don’t miss anything!

Chen stuffed his phone back into his jeans pocket before gently caressing the photo once more. He tucked it safely into his wallet, which he also slipped into his pocket, and entered the building where the concert was being held. He raced to the auditorium, his heartbeat accelerating as thoughts of that boy flooded his mind once more. And just as he reached his seat, ignoring the nagging words of Lu Han, the concert venue’s ceiling lights dimmed.

A single spotlight shone on the enormous stage.

A voice began to sing.

The heavy velvet curtains parted.

And there stood his savior, his inspiration, his everything as he began to dance while he sang.

There stood the man Chen would fly across the globe for in order to support all of his endeavors. Even if he didn’t remember that little boy who had cried noisily near the playground because of mean bullies who had hurt him any chance they got. It didn’t matter. Because he had changed Chen’s life irrevocably.

Byun Baekhyun was Kim Jongdae’s hero.

♈♈♈