Chanyeol may look composed and relaxed around Baekhyun, but behind all the confidence he seems to have, he's nervous. Being with Baekhyun feels good and all, but Chanyeol always has to remind himself that he needs to keep his distance. The times when he forgot about the just-friends border, they ended up in a rather uncomfortable situations, violating each others' personal space and sharing long eye-contacts while feeling the others' breath on their own skin - that is not a friend thing, especially given the tension in the air that is present at these moments.

Maybe that's why Chanyeol decided to lie to Baekhyun, telling him that he didn't do anything stupid on Saturday night, afraid that if Baekhyun found out from the CEO that he practically jumped Chanyeol in his drunk state, it'd only make things awkward for them. Chanyeol doesn't want to lose Baekhyun right after they somehow became friends, no matter how cheesy it sounds. It's a good thing that Baekhyun doesn't remember, that way they can continue in being friends without any tension that would surely keep them company if what happened on Baekhyun's bed that night was revealed. 

Friends, the word tastes bad on Chanyeol's tongue, the same feeling as if he was eating his least favorite food on the planet. Chanyeol feels horrible for calling himself a friend of Baekhyun when he can't stop thinking about how good the brunet's mouth felt on his neck on Saturday, Baekhyun's tongue caressing the sensitive skin while sitting on the top of the CEO. There are tons of what ifs in Chanyeol's head, but there is one question that stands out the most, and that one being What if I didn't stop him? Chanyeol has been thinking about it a lot. After all, he could have had Baekhyun that night, for real. Baekhyun was offering himself to Chanyeol, and god, the way he said that he wants Chanyeol to take him is still hunting him, even now. But it would be wrong to have with Baekhyun even though the brunet was the one who initiated it all. Chanyeol knows that Baekhyun would never do something like that if he was sober and not on the brink of getting an alcohol poisoning, and he pushed Baekhyun off with that thought too. 

Chanyeol did a lot of thinking, but he came to the conclusion that he doesn't regret not sleeping with Baekhyun, not matter how much he wanted to have him - wants to have him. For one, he knows that Baekhyun would never speak to him again after being taken advantage of by Chanyeol in his drunk state. And secondly, from what the brunet said to him - isn't this what you wanted? - Chanyeol has a feeling that Baekhyun wasn't doing it because he actually wanted to sleep with Chanyeol, not really. The whole situation just gives Chanyeol a weird vibe, and he thinks there is a possibility that Baekhyun might have jumped him that night because he thought he had to do it. Maybe what he thinks is completely wrong, but from all Baekhyun has said up until this moment, Chanyeol knows that Baekhyun doesn't see his self-worth, for some reason, and it wouldn't come as surprise if Chanyeol found out that Baekhyun thinks that is all he's good for. From what Jongdae uttered during their arguments, Chanyeol knows that something happened to Baekhyun that made him like this, left him thinking that he isn't interesting or not worthy. Chanyeol doesn't need to know what happened to know that if he took Baekhyun that night, Baekhyun would consider all his worries to be true in the end. 

And that's why he doesn't regret not having with Baekhyun when he was given a chance. Because Baekhyun deserves more than just a drunk which he wouldn't even remember in the morning if the soreness he would feel didn't give away what was done the other night. This is what Chanyeol thinks, and Baekhyun should realize it too. 

"When do you have to go back to work?" Baekhyun's voice makes all of his thoughts disappear, and Chanyeol is back to reality within one second. They are already in Baekhyun's apartment, safely hidden from the heavy rain and wind that slowly started to pick up on their way home. Chanyeol is still in shock that Baekhyun invited him over, not expecting that to happen at all. Somehow, Baekhyun always does something that manages to surprise Chanyeol. 

Raising his hand and taking a short look at his watch, Chanyeol answers, "In an hour, or so. But there are no meetings scheduled for today, and nothing extremely important is going on, so if there aren't any complications nobody is probably going to notice my absence if I won't be back on time."

"Hmm," is all Baekhyun says as he takes off his shoes and hangs his jacket. Chanyeol does the same, following Baekhyun further into his flat. "You could notice the last time, but my flat isn't exactly as spacious as yours, so sorry about that."

"I don't mind," Chanyeol assures Baekhyun who gives him a somewhat embarrassed smile, like he feels ashamed of having Chanyeol here. Yes, the whole apartment may be smaller than Chanyeol's bedroom alone, but that doesn't mean there is a reason to feel embarrassed about it. Truth be told, even if Baekhyun's place is tiny, it is still giving off a strong vibe of Byun Baekhyun and that's all that matters to Chanyeol because it feels more home-y than the entire Park mansion that feels so cold. "I like it."

"Have you eaten lunch?" Baekhyun asks as he walks over to his bed in his bedroom while Chanyeol is following one step behind him. When Baekhyun flops himself on the bed, he gestures for Chanyeol to do the same because there isn't anywhere else to sit beside comfortably, Baekhyun tells him. 

"No, but I'm-"

"Should we order something, then?" Baekhyun interrupts him mid-sentence and pulls his phone out, asking what Chanyeol wants, ready to google a number for a good restaurant that does delivery. 

"Really, I'm good," Chanyeol tries again. 

"Okey, then choosing is up to me... Hmm, I'm actually in the mood for pizza - not the Hawaiian one, mind you," Baekhyun closes the internet in his mobile, having a number for his favorite pizza place saved in contacts. How come Baekhyun is straight up ignoring him like that? 

"Baekhyun-"

"Hello? Oh, I would like to order two large pizzas," Baekhyun totally ignores him and Chanyeol just sighs and shakes his head in disapproval. Looks like Baekhyun just isn't used to listen to others, and Chanyeol won't change that. How come Baekhyun isn't listening when it's needed, but will listen when people tell him horrible things? Why can't it be just the opposite?

Baekhyun's words get muted as seconds pass, and Chanyeol just stares at the male lying on the bed next to him, talking to the pizzeria. And it's here again, the feeling Chanyeol gets every single time he looks at Baekhyun, the feeling that makes him unable to tear his gaze away from the brunet. It's like every time Chanyeol looks at the other male, he just keeps on staring, Baekhyun's beauty capturing him immediately. 

And Chanyeol hates himself for feeling like this because his thoughts are way past just-friends border. He hates himself because he wants to try and make a move on Baekhyun so badly, being crazy about the guy, but Chanyeol isn't the type for relationships. As much as he can imagine having mind-blowing with Baekhyun, he can't imagine dating him because he simply doesn't do relationships. It's too complicated. Being buddies and friends at the same time isn't, Chanyeol thinks. Too bad Baekhyun isn't up for that.

Thinking about the possibilities of him and Baekhyun being in a relationship in the first place is ridiculous, and it's all because of Sehun. When they were talking together in the club, Sehun randomly said something about Chanyeol staring at Baekhyun way too much and asked if he would like to try and date Baekhyun, completely out of blue. Chanyeol almost forgot about it, but when his mother talked about marriage this morning - again - he remembered. 

"-hey Chanyeol... Chanyeol!"

"Ouch," Chanyeol whines and touches his arm where Baekhyun has hit him with a little too much force. For someone so delicate and fragile looking, Baekhyun sure has a lot of strength. 

Baekhyun, uncaring, just starts speaking, "I asked you what kind of pizza do you want, like, three times already. You deserve that for ignoring me." 

"I want Hawaiian, of course," Chanyeol answers while frowning at Baekhyun, rubbing his still aching arm with his palm, comforting himself as he rubs circles in it. 

"Haha, no, I won't have that in my house," Baekhyun laughs sarcastically. "I told you to choose what kind of pizza you want, not what kind of trash do you want."

"Are you really doing this? Again?" Chanyeol asks, rolling his eyes. Of course Chanyeol knows about Baekhyun's hatred for pizza with pineapples, but this is getting ridiculous. Although his occasional jokes about Hawaiian pizza being trash are kind of funny, Chanyeol has to admit, this is too much. After all, the pizzeria guy is waiting on the other side of the line.

"Of course! I don't want to lose my appetite when I smell that... thing," Baekhyun crunches his nose at the image, his expression turning into a disgusted one. He looks extremely cute like that, but that doesn't stop Chanyeol from arguing back. 

"Well, it was your idea to order pizza and you could've foreseen that since Hawaiian is my favorite, I would choose it," Chanyeol spats. What is he even doing? Arguing over food like a ten year old when he knows it's pointless because Baekhyun just won't change his opinion about this. Why is Chanyeol acting like such a child around Baekhyun? Is this a Baekhyun effect or something?

"God, even thinking about it makes me want to puke- oh, I'm sorry," Baekhyun stops arguing and apologizes to the person on the other side of the line. "Yes, uhm.. One Hawa-" looking into Chanyeol's eyes with a pout and a frown, Baekhyun finishes his sentence begrudgingly, "One Hawaiian pizza too."

"Wasn't that hard..." Chanyeol mutters and rolls his eyes. Baekhyun is such a drama queen, in Chanyeol's opinion.

Baekhyun is about the hang up, already putting the device further from his ear, when suddenly his small eyes widen after hearing a voice belonging to the guy from pizzeria from the speaker. Pulling the phone closer to his ear again, Chanyeol sees Baekhyun chuckle, "I know right! I'm so glad someone understand my struggle... I will probably make him eat it in a different room... Yeah, haha... Thank you for you patience... Bye."

Baekhyun hangs up and the moment the phone call is ended, a loud, melodic laughter fills the room. Chanyeol just stares at the laughing male that is having a hard time catching his breath. "Don't tell me-"

"Even the guy from pizzeria thinks Hawaiian pizza is , and he works there," Baekhyun still can't stop laughing, and Chanyeol just scowls. Although his favorite pizza is being insulted by Baekhyun's laughter, Chanyeol can't help but stay bitter in silence while looking at Baekhyun who's already having tears in his eyes.

"It's not that funny, Baekhyun," in the end, Chanyeol says. Of course he gets that it's worth a laugh, but not this much. 

"You don't understand," Baekhyun opens his eyes fully to look at Chanyeol, his grin wide. "He sounded so outraged by the fact that you want Hawaiian. How high are the chances that a guy working at a pizza place will diss your choice, anyway?"

"It doesn't take much to make you laugh, I see," Chanyeol rolls his eyes and lies down on the bed. Baekhyun moves to make a room for his guest, bringing his sprawled limbs closer to his body. Chanyeol watches him as he breathes heavily, calming himself down with deep breaths and rubbing his eyes. 

Again, Chanyeol doesn't know how to look away. Maybe he doesn't want to.

Looking at Baekhyun like this, Chanyeol notices that the dark circles that were under Baekhyun's eyes are mostly gone, though the other male's skin still looks paler than it should. He fainted from exhaustion, Chanyeol recalls the doctor's words in his head and wonders how much Baekhyun works if he doesn't have enough time to rest. And Chanyeol being Chanyeol, can't help but want to ask, want to know. 

"Hey, Baekhyun," he starts to get Baekhyun's attention. His tone isn't serious per se, maybe to some extent, but it sure is laced with curiosity. The man beside him turns his head to Chanyeol, locking eyes with the CEO and blinking innocently, raising his eyebrows the tiniest bit to let Chanyeol know that he's indeed listening. "Why do you work so much?" 

The silence fills the room and Baekhyun's eyes darken, expression turning black and not a sign of the previous laughter present. Baekhyun doesn't hold eye-contact after the question for more than two seconds, turning away with a frown and sitting up. "None of your business," Baekhyun spats harshly, and Chanyeol knows at that moment that he shouldn't have asked, the reason probably more personal that Chanyeol expected. 

"Baek-"

"You know, some people have to work a bit more than others," Baekhyun cuts him off. Chanyeol was taught to hide his anger - or emotions as a whole - but this exact sentence ticks him off more than it should, probably because Baekhyun is aiming at him with the remark, it doesn't take a genius to guess that. 

Chanyeol ignores the rational side of his brain that is telling him that people often say untrue things when they are angry, and instead of keeping quiet, Chanyeol can't help but say something back, anger building in him as quickly as never before. "Just because I do different kind of work as you doesn't mean I don't work enough."

"Whatever," Baekhyun dismisses and walks over to his wardrobe, pulling out a towel. Without turning back to Chanyeol, he says, "Since you said you're not hungry, feel free to go. I'll pay for your pizza too and throw it in the trash where it belongs," and then the bathroom door closes and Baekhyun disappears behind them. 

Chanyeol lets out a frustrated groan and clenches his fists, his blood boiling. For the second time during this week, Chanyeol thinks about how flawed Baekhyun's personality is while his looks are on point. He changes moods way too quickly, and this is the first thing Chanyeol finds annoying about the brunet. That's why a relationship with Baekhyun would be impossible, since Chanyeol hates people who change moods so frequently, and dealing with it would be too much. Relationships are too much. 

Getting up from the bed, Chanyeol is ready to leave, frustrated not only because of Baekhyun's words but also because of how quickly everything changed. Just a minute ago Baekhyun was laughing loudly and Chanyeol was scowling at him, but the atmosphere was light. Now? Baekhyun is locked inside his bathroom and Chanyeol was practically kicked out. All because he wanted to know the reason behind Baekhyun's non-stop working, since he was concerned for his health. What a stupid idea, to be concerned about someone who doesn't care.

He's already standing in front of the bedroom door, but instead of walking out and returning back to work, Chanyeol closes the door and returns back to the bed, flopping himself on top of it. Baekhyun thinks that this is enough for Chanyeol to up and leave? Oh no, if Baekhyun wants to throw Chanyeol out he will need more than one stupid remark.

He's going to wait for his pizza, and then leave, of course.

Chanyeol knows he's being incredibly childish and stubborn, but it doesn't stop him from lying on Baekhyun's bed motionlessly while listening to the running shower. He occasionally looks out of the window to check if it's still raining, but the more Chanyeol waits for the rain to stop, it just gets more heavy with every passing second. He hates rain the most.

Without doing nothing other than breathing and sorting out his thoughts, approximately twenty minutes pass, and Chanyeol is starting to fear if Baekhyun didn't drown in that shower. Who showers that long anyway? He would call out for him to make sure he's alright, but Baekhyun probably thinks Chanyeol's long gone and Chanyeol doesn't feel the need to correct him. The pizza should be here any minute and after paying for it - and for Baekhyun's too, since he's a good person - he will go. 

The bell rings just a second later and Chanyeol smirks. This is his cue to leave. He will take his lunch and go, leaving Baekhyun time to cool down. 

Walking to the door and letting the pizza guy in the building by pushing the grey button beside the door, Chanyeol tells him the floor and the number of Baekhyun's apartment. Opening the door, Chanyeol leans against the frame after fishing out his wallet from his coat's pocket, waiting for pizzas to come. Roughly one minute later, he can see a short guy walking toward him with two large pizzas in his hands, a cap with the logo of the pizzeria on and Chanyeol straightens up, clearing his throat to make sure his voice won't sound weird. 

"Hello... One Capri and one Hawaiiwan, both large?" Chanyeol nods and when the guy says the cost of the pizzas, Chanyeol fishes out the money from his wallet and hands them to the teenage boy, telling him to keep the rest. 

The delivery guy blinks at him with wide eyes, surprised at being tipped so much. Giving the pizzas to Chanyeol, he says before walking away, "Not bad for a guy who likes pineapples on pizza." 

Chanyeol is left staring at the retreating back of the boy, his eyebrows high. Then, he huffs in annoyence and closes the door. Why is everybody hating on Hawaiian pizza? Chanyeol asks bitterly in his mind and places both of the pizzas on the table with the intention of putting his coat and shoes on, then leaving this apartment with his lunch.

But just as he's turning around to go back for his coat, Chanyeol's eyes catch a small figure standing just a few meters away from him in just a towel around his waist, wet trails glistening in the daylight on the smooth-looking skin. 

"I-I thought you left already," Baekhyun says, stuttering a little, shocked to see the tall man still in his flat. Chanyeol gulps and tries to fight the urge to look Baekhyun up and down, follow the drops of water that are falling lower and lower. Unfortunately for Chanyeol, his want wins in the end and he steals a short look at Baekhyun's exposed body, clenching his jaw as the sight engraves itself in his mind. 

He refused to look at Baekhyun before when he was undressing him, but now when the sun rays are shining on Baekhyun's body through the window, Chanyeol really can't look away. His eyes briefly falling on Baekhyun's hips, Chanyeol can remember how good those hips felt under Chanyeol's touch on Saturday, how smooth Baekhyun's skin was. But because Baekhyun was still dressed in his shirt back then, Chanyeol didn't have a chance to see Baekhyun's upper body. Even though it's just for a short while, Chanyeol lets himself enjoy the sight of Baekhyun's toned stomach, skin wet and glistening, collarbones sharp as knife. Chanyeol wants to leave hickeys on them so much. 

When Chanyeol thinks he's stared enough, he turns and starts walking toward the hanger to take his coat, praying that his face isn't all red from the dirty thoughts in his head right now. "I was just leaving," Chanyeol says.  

"No, don't!" Baekhyun's voice comes out panicked and Chanyeol turns to face Baekhyun, surprised to hear such words. Did he hear it wrong? No, he couldn't, judging by Baekhyun's urgent expression and the way the brunet takes a step closer to him, hand reached out for Chanyeol. However, the hand never reaches Chanyeol, since Baekhyun retreats it and looks down guiltily a second later, biting his lips. "I-I'm sorry for my outburst earlier, really. But please don't leave yet."

"Baekhyun..." Chanyeol sighs exasperatedly, running a hand through his hair, looking away from the other male, and not only because Baekhyun is only wearing a towel around his waist and Chanyeol didn't sign up for that. Baekhyun can't expect Chanyeol to just forget about the insulting words that were aimed at him just a while ago. He gets that Baekhyun has it a lot more harder than him, but that doesn't mean Chanyeol hasn't spent hours behind his working table, often losing his sleep to get things done. It was not fair of Baekhyun to overlook all that.

"I know you're angry at me, and I'm sorry for being a . I just don't like... talking about it. And it triggers me when someone asks about that, but I'm sorry for reacting the way I did," Baekhyun quickly says, throwing it all Chanyeol in one breath. When he looks back at Baekhyun, his expression is pained and when his gaze falls on Baekhyun's hands, he sees him playing with his fingers. Again, like before. He must really mean the apology and is probably stressing out inside. 

Jesus, Baekhyun's moods change are really fast. 

But why does it trigger Baekhyun so much? Is there something really personal behind it? Why is Baekhyun so against talking about it? Chanyeol has too many questions, again. But asking Baekhyun is impossible, since they are having this small conflict just because he decided to ask. Maybe it's too soon to ask personal questions. Not maybe, but surely. Baekhyun seems to be really conflicted and insecure and Chanyeol needs to gain his full trust before Baekhyun lets something personal slip. 

"It's fine, but I have to go anyway, my lunch break is already ending," Chanyeol decides to say in the end. For one, it's true. And secondly... Chanyeol doesn't like the tension between them that is now present.

Baekhyun is silent for a while, and Chanyeol also doesn't miss how Baekhyun's fingers stop moving and his knuckles turn white as he clenches his hands together tightly. "Yeah, I understand." 

Baekhyun might be saying that he understands, but the small smile that forms on his face looks way too forced, and Chanyeol doesn't believe a word that falls out of Baekhyun's mouth. After all this facade he has up sometimes even in front of his closest friends, the grimace Baekhyun's sporting now is a really bad attempt at hiding his true emotions. 

"Uhm, I-..." Chanyeol starts, not really sure about what he was going to say in the first place. He started talking just because he doesn't like seeing Baekhyun looking like this, but after seeing the little bit of hope in Baekhyun's eyes, Chanyeol curses himself for even opening his mouth. If he says that he really needs to go, Baekhyun will probably be sad even more now. But staying here isn't a really good choice either.

Remembering Baekhyun's face wet with tears makes Chanyeol decide, though. He doesn't want Baekhyun to be sad, and that's why he says, "I think I can stay for a while... I just have to let Jongdae know."

"For real?" Baekhyun blinks at him in surprise, not expecting this answer. Chanyeol didn't expect it either to be honest.

Truth be told, Chanyeol has a pretty big ego and pride as well. That's why he shouldn't let himself be swayed just because Baekhyun looks so pathetic and out of character when he's sad. But maybe Chanyeol isn't doing it only for Baekhyun to feel better, maybe he is doing it for his own selfish side as well. Because making Baekhyun trust him and open up to him in the future would make Chanyeol feel special, and he really wants to feel like he's important.

"Yeah.. The pizza would get cold along they way, anyway. It would be a waste," Chanyeol arguments, shrugging like it's not a big deal. 

"Aren't you angry?" Baekhyun questions. 

"A bit," it's true. Almost all of Chanyeol's anger disappeared when he saw how small Baekhyun looked in front of him a minute ago. "But since I'm gonna torture you with eating my pizza right next to you, we're even." 

A short, and - most importantly - not forced laugh escapes Baekhyun's lips when Chanyeol tries to ease the tension with a dumb joke, and Chanyeol feels somehow victorious when hearing the melodic sound of Baekhyun's laughter. 

"I'm still sorry," Baekhyun apologizes one more time, looking straight into Chanyeol's eyes instead of looking away, hoping that Chanyeol will be able to see the sorrow in his eyes. Fortunately, Chanyeol sees it clearly without even trying, the guilt in Baekhyun's brown orbs impossible to miss. 

"Go eat, I'll call Jongdae," Chanyeol says with a gentle smile so Baekhyun won't feel bad about it anymore. Is it possible for Chanyeol to have a soft spot for Baekhyun? Because he would say that it is, if the way he is able to forget his pride just to make Baekhyun smile again is anything to go by. 

"I'll wait for you," Baekhyun says immediately, and Chanyeol can see him getting embarrassed about how fast his response was. "Uhm, I mean.. it's only fair."

"If you want," Chanyeol fishes the phone out of his pocket, pressing number three on the speed dial. While waiting for Jongdae to pick up, Chanyeol watches Baekhyun as the brunet takes the pizzas in his hands and puts them both on the bed in his bedroom, checking which one is his. Chanyeol chuckles when Baekhyun opens the box and grimaces, most likely opening the box with Chanyeol's Hawaiian pizza. Following Baekhyun's movements with his eyes, occupying himself with occasionally glancing from Baekhyun's face to his body, he almost misses Jongdae's voice calling his name from the speaker.

"Chanyeol, be quick. I'm in the middle of an important argument," are Jongdae's first words, and Chanyeol furrows his eyebrows at the serious tone. Are there some troubles in the company? Is Jongdae arguing with a client, perhaps?

"Is something happening?" Chanyeol questions, voicing his worries. To give Jongdae his full attention, Chanyeol - very begrudgingly - turns his head away from Baekhyun, the half- body of the brunet making him lose focus. 

"Yes," Jongdae states firmly. "Minhyuk here thinks that the last Avengers movie was and-"

"Again?" Chanyeol lets out a heavy sigh. Jongdae and Minhyuk always have stupid arguments like this, nothing new. Chanyeol was stupid to think that Jongdae is actually having a real argument for a change. 

"This is extremely important matter, Chanyeol. So tell me what do you want so I can destroy Minhyuk with my arguments"

"I just wanted to ask you if you want to play the role of CEO again because I'll be taking... a longer lunch break," Chanyeol says, tapping his fingers against the wooden table in front of him in a no particular melody. 

"If you insist," Jongdae agrees. "Why though?" 

"I-" Chanyeol stops himself before he explains himself. Should he tell Jongdae that he's with Baekhyun? Jongdae hasn't been very supportive about Chanyeol's idea to befriend Baekhyun from the start, but on the other hand, Chanyeol doesn't want to lie to his best friend. Lying to Jongdae always makes him sick. And so he decides to tell the truth, "I'm with Baekhyun and I won't make it on time."

"With Baekhyun?" the question comes right away, and Chanyeol isn't surprised at all. He just hopes Jongdae won't make a big deal out of it. Impatiently waiting for his best friend's answer, Chanyeol bites at his lower lip, nervous. "Well, I didn't expect that."

Chanyeol stays silent, waiting for Jongdae to say more. He doesn't have to wait long.

"Are you even going to come back?" Jongdae asks and Chanyeol blinks in surprise. That wasn't what he was expecting. He was getting ready for another talk about how Chanyeol should keep his distance and all that , but he surely wasn't expecting Jongdae to act so cool about it. The guy was ready to strangle him just a couple days ago when Chanyeol as much as mentioned Baekhyun's name.

"Uh... I don't know?" 

"Okey, fine. I'll call you if you are needed," and then the line goes silent, the beeping signalizing that Jongdae hung up. Chanyeol looks at his mobile and blinks at the device in confusion. Was he really talking to Jongdae? No, it couldn't be, Jongdae wouldn't act so casual about that. Right? Maybe Jongdae's fine with Chanyeol being around Baekhyun after Saturday night, since all of them had a bonding moment or whatever.

"Do you want something to drink, too?" Baekhyun's voice pulls him out of his thoughts, and Chanyeol finally lets go of his phone, putting it on the table. Turning his head the owner of the voice, Chanyeol notices that Baekhyun has put on a loose sweater and sweatpants while Chanyeol was on the phone, and he tries to ignore a pang of disappointment after seeing Baekhyun dressed. 

"I'm fine," Chanyeol declines the offer politely, walking over to Baekhyun's bedroom. Aside from the pizzas, there is also Baekhyun's laptop on the other side of the bed.

The laptop catches Chanyeol's attention, and he looks over at Baekhyun in question, "Are we watching something?"

The brunet who stands awkwardly a few steps away from him nods, avoiding Chanyeol's eyes. Is it possible that Baekhyun still feels guilty even after Chanyeol told him it's alright? Yes, Chanyeol got angry for a while there, but it's all gone now. And he wishes that Baekhyun would stop thinking about it too. It happens to Chanyeol too, it happens to everyone. People say mean things when they are angry, and Chanyeol gets it. 

"What are we watching, then?" Chanyeol asks lightly as he sits on the bed, the box of pizza in front of him. Looking at the pineapples on the pizza, Chanyeol's mouth waters. He can't understand how someone can say that Hawaiian pizza is garbage, when it's the best thing in the world. 

Going around the bed, Baekhyun sits besides Chanyeol, but makes sure to keep distance between them, maybe even more distance then necessary. Chanyeol notices how Baekhyun is sitting on the edge of the bed even though there is space enough space on the bed, but he doesn't say anything.

"I promised Jongdae I'll watch one drama-"

"You what?"

"He beat me to it, okay?" Baekhyun chuckles, tugging at the sleeves of his sweater. The sweater is rather big on Baekhyun, and Chanyeol can only think about cute Baekhyun looks. 

"How?"

"Long story... But I have to watch it, I don't break my promises," Baekhyun says, but the pout on his lips is telling Chanyeol that he isn't too eager about fulfilling his promise he made to Jongdae, for some reason. Jongdae tried to get him to watch dramas with him in the past, but Chanyeol always declined, saying that he is never going to watch that sappy dramas with him. 

"And you want me to suffer together with you?" Chanyeol sighs and takes the first piece of pizza in his hand. He ignores the way Baekhyun scrunches his nose when Chanyeol takes a bite, savoring the taste on his tongue.

"That is the plan," Baekhyun nods, still avoiding the CEO's eyes. Instead, he looking up the drama, pushing his pizza aside for a moment. Searching the site where they can watch it, Baekhyun says, "Maybe it won't be that bad."

"Even you don't believe what you've just said," Chanyeol deadpans, a warm feeling spreading in his body when Baekhyun lets out a chuckle and finally looks at him from the corners of his eyes, his brown orbs sparkling with amusement.

"True that," Baekhyun agrees and turns his eyes back to the screen, scrolling through various pages and choosing the one that he likes the most. "Okay, let's do this." 

--

The drama isn't bad at all, but Chanyeol thinks it's because this drama is completely different from what Jongdae usually shows him or talks about to him. Jongdae brags about stupid cliché love stories, while the drama they are watching with Baekhyun is more about friendship. From the start, it's kind of boring, the school setting nothing interesting - the bullies are here, along with the smart kids and funny kids. The usual. The first episodes are pretty boring to him, but Chanyeol has his pizza, so he can deal with it. 

Then, when the second male lead appears, things starts to get interesting. It's all so confusing at the beginning, flashbacks combining with the present and making Baekhyun and Chanyeol think of many different theories about what happened between the male leads in the past. After every episode, they discuss the episode they've watched and rate it from zero to ten, talking about what they liked and disliked. It's not as bad as Chanyeol thought it would be.

In the end, all of their theories are wrong. Both are surprised to find out that the truth is completely different from what they've thought, and at that moment when they find out what happened between the male leads a few years back, Chanyeol starts enjoying the drama, wanting to see how the situation gets solved. From the looks of it, Baekhyun shares Chanyeol's enthusiasm, clicking the next episode right after the current one end, not even asking if they should watch one more. 

Episode after episode, Baekhyun starts to be more comfortable with Chanyeol again, going as far as sitting right beside him while watching the drama, their arms and legs touching slightly from time to time when they move. The pizza boxes are lying empty beside the bed and neither Chanyeol or Baekhyun moves, being too full. Time passes really fast while they are focusing on the screen, taking in all the important detail of the drama and making sure not to miss anything. While being too absorbed in the drama, the sun slowly starts setting, and soon, it's already noon. None of the two seem to be bother by it, though.

Only after nine episodes, Chanyeol notices how quiet Baekhyun has become, a contrast to the Baekhyun who was talking through the whole episode without stopping. Glancing at the brunet, Chanyeol sees how Baekhyun's eyes are already half-lidded. Chanyeol also takes a look at the time, and his eyes widen when the display of his phone lights up to show him the time. Just a few minutes, and it's gonna be midnight. 

"We should stop for today, don't you think?" Chanyeol asks Baekhyun, and the brunet looks up at him from behind his lashes, abandoning the screen where the final subtitles for the episodes are playing. 

"Probably," Baekhyun yawns. "I'll take away the boxes."

"I'll do it," Chanyeol stands up before Baekhyun can protest, grabbing the empty boxes and walking toward the trash bin in kitchen. He puts the boxes besides it, and before returning back to the bedroom, he decides to have a drink. His throat feels way too dry. Thinking that Baekhyun must probably be thirsty too, Chanyeol searches for the glasses in the cupboards. Luckily for him, it doesn't take him long to find them, and while he pours cold water for himself, he searches for the orange juice in the fridge for Baekhyun, knowing how much Baekhyun loves it.

Drinking his water, Chanyeol walks back to the bedroom with only glass of juice for Baekhyun, the brunet staring into his mobile when he returns, the light from the display falling on his face. He looks up from the screen when he hears Chanyeol's footsteps though, locking eyes with the CEO. Then, the brunet's gaze fall on the drink in Chanyeol's hand, and a gentle smile appears on his face. 

"Thought you'd be thirsty," Chanyeol says as he hands the glass to Baekhyun who accepts it with a quiet thanks, taking a large gulp of the juice and letting out a satisfied exhale. Chanyeol sits on the edge of the bed, unlocking his mobile and opening the messages. His mother must be freaking out that her son isn't home yet, but Chanyeol doesn't want to wake her up with a call if she's already sleeping, so he just sets on sending her a text message where he types that he's alive and well. 

Before he can hit the send button though, Baekhyun speaks up, "Hey, Chanyeol..." his voice trails off, and Chanyeol turns to face him, looking at the brunet with curiosity. "Do you still wanna hear why I work so much?"

The questions takes Chanyeol by surprise, and he has to blink a few times to make sure that he's not dreaming, and that this is real, that Baekhyun is actually asking him that question. When he searches for the answer in the other male's eyes, he doesn't sign a trace of joking in them, and the gears in Chanyeol's head start working right away. The flow of millions of questions comes, and Chanyeol has a hard time choosing which he wants to ask Baekhyun.

Why is he bringing it up when he said that he doesn't like talking about it earlier? Why would he even want to talk to it about Chanyeol? Why now? What is the purpose? What is Baekhyun thinking? 

Too many questions. Which should he ask? 

"Why would you bring it up?" is what Chanyeol settles for, narrowing his eyes at Baekhyun. The other man just shrugs like it's not a bid deal, but after what happened earlier, Chanyeol can't be fooled that easily. 

"You said you don't like talking about it," Chanyeol says, recalling Baekhyun's words. How can he forget about it, after Baekhyun's sudden reaction? 

Baekhyun gulps and looks down at his hands, his fingers tracing unknown pattern into the blanket under him. Chanyeol can see Baekhyun's mouth opening at least three times, but the man never says anything, probably searching for the right words and deciding the explanation isn't good enough right when he wants to say it out loud. 

"I-... I owe it you," is what Baekhyun whispers into the quietness of the room, his voice shaking the slightest bit. He doesn't look away from his hands, but that doesn't mean Chanyeol is going to the the same and avoid eye--contact at all costs. He personally thinks that the key to having a good and honest conversation is eye-contact, since you can see the other person's emotion in their eyes. 

But what? "Why would you owe it to me?" Chanyeol asks, brows furrowed. 

"Because you took care of me when I was sick, and-"

"I've already told you that I wasn't doing it just so I can hold it against you in the future," Chanyeol interrupts him. 

Baekhyun just shakes his head. "I didn't mean it like that," he says. "Just please listen to me."

Chanyeol lets out an annoyed huff, not liking where this is going in the slightest. He will listen because Baekhyun asked him to, but he's already preparing arguments that he can use. 

"You took care of me when I was sick," Baekhyun starts again, gulping nervously before continuing. "And then you took care of me when I was drunk. You've forgiven me for judging you too soon and you are too nice to me even though I don't deserve it-"

"You deserve it," Chanyeol can't help but blurt out, his immediate reaction to Baekhyun degrading himself is to correct him. Baekhyun looks at him briefly and Chanyeol isn't sure if the corners of the brunet's lips were tugged upwards just a little bit or if it was just his imagination, since Baekhyun continues talking, unfazed. 

"-And I-I think I can trust you. I don't know I'm being stupid now or whatever, but I don't have anything to lose anyway, right?" Baekhyun ends his short speech, expectantly looking at Chanyeol again to see the CEO's reaction to his confession. Chanyeol knows that Baekhyun is showing his vulnerable side to him again and it'll only take one bad choice of words from Chanyeol or a bad reaction, and Baekhyun will break again. Chanyeol doesn't want that, and so, he thinks carefully before speaking, not wanting to screw it up. 

He's looking at Baekhyun silently for a few seconds, scanning his troubled features as he thinks of what to say. When he finally creates a coherent sentence in his head, he takes a deep breath, and starts, hoping to make Baekhyun finally understand. "I've told you already, I don't want any kind of reward for taking care of you. I did because I want to. And if you think I'm still angry at you for whatever you think I can possibly be angry about, it's not true. I acted like a to you and I'm not blaming you for not trusting me," Chanyeol takes another deep breath. "If you decide to trust me, I swear I'm not going to do anything that could hurt you. And if you want to tell me about... the personal stuff, I'm listening. But don't feel obligated to tell me for whatever reason."

Staring intensely into Baekhyun's eyes, Chanyeol would swear that they are glistening with unshed tears, Baekhyun's slightly trembling lower lip telling him that he's right. It pains him more than it should to see Baekhyun on the brink of crying when all he said was that Baekhyun can trust him, that Chanyeol doesn't want anything in return for caring about Baekhyun. Why would he be so emotional about knowing that someone cares for him? 

The sadness that Chanyeol feels replaces anger when he realizes that it's because it was most likely a long time since Baekhyun's heard these words from someone other than his long-time friends. Jongdae's words about Baekhyun being hurt enough in the past come rushing to him, and while he's feeling furious about people hurting Baekhyun in the past so much that the brunet doesn't believe that he deserves to be loved, Chanyeol is angry at himself too because he too was one of the people that hurt Baekhyun. 

After a beat of silence when Chanyeol just stares at Baekhyun's features, wanting to capture every emotion, Baekhyun smiles as he rubs his eyes with the back of his hand. Baekhyun looks almost like a child when he's smiling like that, his grin splitting his face in two, white teeth showing. And Chanyeol's heart stops for a moment when Baekhyun finally looks at him, smiling at Chanyeol with such pure happiness Chanyeol hasn't witnessed up until now. 

"For how nice you really are, you sure can act like a jerk when you're pretending to be cool," Baekhyun says with a chuckle, and before Chanyeol can say something back, he is enveloped in a gentle hug, Baekhyun's arms encircling his neck as the brunet buries his head in it. Chanyeol's breath hitches in his throat, and for a while, he's too shocked to do anything more than just sit there motionlessly, processing the situation. Is Baekhyun really hugging him right now? Until now, they haven't had much physical contact, if we were to forget the drunk accident on Saturday.

When he finally comes back to his senses, Chanyeol brings his arms up and wraps them around Baekhyun's much smaller body, slightly squeezing. Breathing in Baekhyun's sweet scent that makes him slightly dizzy, Chanyeol lets himself relax and enjoy the situation, not only physically. Baekhyun hugging him at this moment means that he truly decided to put his trust in Chanyeol, and while he feels blissed with feeling Baekhyun in his arms, the feeling of knowing that Baekhyun is opening up to him is much more than the physical contact. 

The hug lasts longer than Chanyeol initially thought it would, Baekhyun reluctant to let go of Chanyeol for minutes. Chanyeol has never had a hug that lasts so long, Jongdae not being in for this kind of thing and when it comes to Chanyeol's lovers that used to come and go, Chanyeol has never felt the need to embrace them for more than ten seconds tops. But with Baekhyun's body pressed against his, the soft hair tingling his face when Baekhyun occasionally stirs, the arms wrapped around his neck loosely and just the whole feel of Baekhyun makes Chanyeol think that no matter what he's even done with his previous lovers or one night stands in bed, this hug is much more intimate than all of the dirty acts combined.

After what seems to Chanyeol like forever, Baekhyun unwraps his arms from Chanyeol's neck, and the CEO thinks Baekhyun will move away from him, feeling disappointed at the thought. He doesn't want to lose the warmness radiating off Baekhyun's body so soon. But to his surprise, Baekhyun just leans against Chanyeol's shoulder, his hands falling to his lap, but the brunet doesn't move away. During the hug, Chanyeol changes their awkward position to a more comfortable one, and while Chanyeol is now leaning his back against the back of the bed, Baekhyun's head stays put on Chanyeol's chest. 

"My parents died in a car crash when I sixteen," Baekhyun starts all of sudden, and Chanyeol's ears perks up immediately. Baekhyun voice is laced with sadness, but not too much, probably because it happened years ago, the scar on Baekhyun's heart not healed completely but also not hurting as much as at that time. "It wasn't an accident. My... My father did it on purpose."

Chanyeol's eyes widen, and if Baekhyun feels how his hands stiffen on his back, he doesn't mention it. Instead, he continues with his story, "My father was a gambler, and had a lot of debts. I mean it, he had really a lot. So much that when I think about it now, few years later, I realize that with the income of my parents, it would take forever to pay back. My mother took two jobs to help with the debts when she found out about it, but my father... he didn't stop gambling. The debt got really big and he thought that if he died, the debt would die with him. Such a bull... So he committed suicide, but my mother was still so in love with him that she decided to die by his side. They both somehow forgot about their child."

Baekhyun is leaning against his chest, right where his heart is, and Chanyeol feels embarrassed when he knows that the brunet can feel his heart beating so fast when he's listening to Baekhyun's past. But taking a short glance at Baekhyun, the man seems like the fast beats of Chanyeol's heart are keeping him calm. 

"We were are living in my grandparent's house at the time, in the country side. The house was like a family heir loom, being in the family for long years. It's really big - maybe as much as yours - and after my parents died, the men from whom my father borrowed money showed up, threatening my grandparents to take the house away if they don't pay the debt," Baekhyun pauses, and when Chanyeol cranes his neck a bit, he can see that Baekhyun is sinking his teeth in his lower lip, biting at it. He also notices that his shirt is clenched in Baekhyun's hand, the brunet holding on to it tightly. It must be hard, talking about it. And while Chanyeol doesn't want Baekhyun to suffer, he feels happy that Baekhyun is telling him this, sharing his past with Chanyeol. "My grandparents weren't that old at the time, since they had my mother at young age, so they both starting working. But the pay was and it wasn't nearly enough to pay the debt, like... ever. Though they had such a hard time, they still wanted me to go to college, so when I got into Seoul Arts and started my first year in Vocal Perfomrance department, I moved away to Seoul, even though I felt so guilty about leaving. My grandparents didn't let me throw away my chance at better life, and they practically threw me out of the house."

Baekhyun lets out a small laugh, half amused and half sad. Chanyeol can't help the chuckle that escapes his lips too, but his insides are squeezed with a painful feeling when he imagines how hard Baekhyun's grandparents - and Baekhyun too - had it at that time.

"After my first year though, my grandfather died and I couldn't just live my life at college when I know the burden on my grandmother's shoulders is so big. So I dropped out of college and started working, promised to help her as much as I can. Jongin said that he can help me with the money, but I refused. I refused to make any more debts, even though he was and still is my best friend. I didn't want to get more people involved, same with Jongdae and Kyungsoo. I want them to live their happy lives, while I make right what make father screwed up. I stayed in Seoul because the pay is better here and there are more opportunities, and bought this ty apartment with my money for college," Baekhyun vaguely gestures with his hand to point out that he's been living here since he was nineteen or twenty, if Chanyeol's math is good. "The first jobs I worked were ty and didn't pay good, but after two years I finally got the job where the pay is enough. I started working at the restaurant, and then I got an offer to work in Twenty too, because of Jongin. I want to pay the debts as soon as possible, so my grandmother won't be afraid that the house will be taken away. After all, she lived here all her life, made her memories there, lived with my grandfather there... I don't want this taken away from her just because my father was stupid."

At the mention of his father, Baekhyun's voice turns angry, and Chanyeol senses it right away, his large hand that is on Baekhyun's back starts to move up and down, hoping the gentle touch will calm Baekhyun down. 

"So, yeah... hope that answered your question," Baekhyun ends his story telling with a light chuckle, but Chanyeol knows that the brunet is tense, nervously waiting for Chanyeol's reaction. But why would he be nervous? Does he maybe think that Chanyeol would think badly of him just because his father was the way he was? If anything, Chanyeol admires him for being this strong and taking care of his grandmother, abandoning universtity. And Baekhyun said that his major was vocal performance... does that mean that Baekhyun wanted to become a singer? He would like to hear him sing sometimes.

"You're really strong," Chanyeol decides to voice his thoughts, wanting to let Baekhyun know what he thinks about it all. 

"I'm not," Baekhyun protests. His voice sounds tired and sleepy, muffled because of Chanyeol's chest in which Baekhyun's head is buried. "I just did the right thing. Everyone would do that."

No, Chanyeol thinks, not everyone would do that. Actually, half of the peope he knows would distance themselves from their problematic family, living their life in peace in another city. But not Baekhyun... he abandoned school because he wanted to help his grandmother. 

Chanyeol is already opening his mouth to say something after staying silent for a while, ready to give Baekhyun a piece of his mind, when suddenly he stops himself before saying anything, his ear catching the sound of Baekhyun's quiet snoring against his chest.

"Baekhyun?" he calls the male's name, but as expected, he gets no answer in return. Because Baekhyun has already fallen asleep, with one hand on Chanyeol's stomach and head resting on his chest. 

Deciding it's time to go home when Baekhyun is already sleeping, he tries to get Baekhyun off him wihout waking the man, but the moment he tries to pry Baekhyun's hand away from his body, the brunet thightens his grip and nuzzles closer to Chanyeol. He does it unconsciousely, but he still isn't making it any easier for Chanyeol to move away from his warm body. 

He tells himself that it's okay if he just stays like this for a short while, enjoying Baekhyun's affection and proximity when he has the chance. Ten minutes tops and then he will get up. The problem is that he didn't think he would get so sleepy that quickly, and when his eyelids start feeling heavy, Chanyeol doesn't have the energy in him to even move, nor go home. 

And so, he slowly drifts off to sleep as well, letting his eyes close completely as he sinks further into the bed. The last thought Chanyeol has before he joins Baekhyun in dreamland is that it's really comfortable to fall asleep with Baekhyun in his arms, breathing in the sweet scent of the brunet as he slowly slips into unconsciousness.