A/N: Hello again guys! As always, thank you for reading this story and writing comments that keep me writing even though I have so little time these days. I hope I can get the next chapter out on Friday as planned, since I'm stuck because I don't know how to write a scene in the beginning, and on the top of that, I'm sick.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! Tell me what you think about the chapter, I love reading your opinions :)

If you want to ask something about the story or just ask something in general, here's my TUMBLR

--

The idea to invite Baekhyun out for a friendly dinner was sudden, something he just blurted out without thinking the moment he saw the shorter man frowning so much. Chanyeol hadn’t planned this, he really hadn‘t, but that didn’t mean that he won’t insist on Baekhyun accepting his offer once it was out in the open. For a fleeting second after Baekhyun turned him down for the third time, Chanyeol really thought that Baekhyun won't accept the invitation, but luck must have been on Chanyeol’s side today because in the end Baekhyun accepted, even if somewhat reluctantly.

At first, Chanyeol doesn’t know what he should talk about with Baekhyun, mostly because he hasn’t prepared himself for this situation and is still surprised that Baekhyun agreed to spend time with him tonight, but after the first minute that is filled with awkward silence between the two males, Chanyeol takes initiative and starts a conversation.

Befriending people is kind of hard in Chanyeol’s opinion, since he never knows what can he talk about with the person he’s just getting to know, and it’s even harder when you want to impress that person. It gets easier when Jongdae is by his side in the whole befriending process because if Chanyeol says something too personal or too insulting and the other person ends up offended, Jongdae is always able to save the situation, but now he’s alone with Baekhyun, and there is nobody who can save the situation if he screws up.

"So, how do you know Jongdae?“ Chanyeol asks lightly, wanting to lighten the mood a little when he notices how uncomfortable and stiff the shorter man is beside him. He doesn’t know Baekhyun, but Chanyeol supposes that the man isn’t usually quiet like that. He has only had a few encounters with Baekhyun, but Chanyeol noticed that the guy has a very sharp tongue and isn’t afraid of voicing out his thoughts. Chanyeol wants that feisty attitude to come back soon.

"Through Kyungsoo,“ Baekhyun answers, and for a second, Chanyeol thinks this is all he’s going to get out of Baekhyun. A short silence follows, and Chanyeol wants to ask another question to fill the quietness, but Baekhyun decides to elaborate his answer in the end, saving Chanyeol the trouble of coming up with new questions. „I met Kyungsoo maybe three years ago when he started working at the restaurant. At first, I didn’t want to talk to him because he always just glared at everyone, so I thought he doesn’t like people and left him be, not wanting to befriend him. However, my best friend, Jongin, started crushing on Kyungsoo the moment he saw him, and I guess we became friends while Jongin was trying to score a date. Later, I found out that Kyungsoo looked like he was glaring the whole time because he had bad eye sight, and I felt really guilty for thinking badly of him. After a few weeks of working together with Kyungsoo, Jongdae came to the restaurant for lunch and that’s when Kyungsoo introduced us, saying that Jongdae is his friend from university. It’s easy to get along with Jongdae, and we hit it off immediately, becoming friends very quickly.“

That’s weird, Chanyeol thinks. Jongdae and Chanyeol went to the same university, but he can’t remember anyone named Kyungsoo from that time. Maybe if he saw this Kyungsoo, he would remember, his memory for faces being better than the memory for names. 

"So your so-called boyfriend is actually your best friend?“ Chanyeol snorts and almost lets a laugh when he sees Baekhyun’s panicked expression. It still hurts his ego when he remembers how Baekhyun lied about him and Jongin being together, but if Chanyeol makes fun of it, it won’t look like Chanyeol’s self-confidence is lowering every time he remembers the accident.

"You still remember that?“ Baekhyun asks, surprised. As if Chanyeol could forget. It was one of the most embarrassing things that happened to him in his whole life.

"Yeah. Jongdae’s having a good time making fun of me because of it, so there’s no way I can forget.“

"I’m sorry,“ Baekhyun says, but Chanyeol can see that the shorter male’s trying hard not to smile. When the brunet sees Chanyeol looking at him with raised eyebrows, he adds. „Really! Although you deserve it.“

"I bought you coffee! I’m a nice person,“ Chanyeol counters, making Baekhyun letting out the laugh he’s been trying to hold this whole time. His laugh is as loud as the last time, and as nice as the last time too. Chanyeol loves people who laugh whole-heartedly, not fearing how people around will react.

"So, let’s say, a serial killer buys me coffee before killing me, are they a nice person, then?“ Baekhyun asks with a grin as he looks at Chanyeol. In those small yet expressive eyes, he can see that Baekhyun doesn’t feel as uncomfortable as before anymore, the uneasiness slowly disappearing along with the awkward tension that was between them at first.

"Of course,“ Chanyeol nods thoughtfully.

"Explain,“ Baekhyun demands.

"You were happy when I gave you the coffee, right? So if they kill you after buying you coffee, you will die happily. Isn’t that nice?“ Chanyeol turns left, and Baekhyun follows him, not even questioning where are they going. Aside from Baekhyun looking more comfortable, Chanyeol notices that the space between the small brunet and Chanyeol isn’t as big as a few minutes ago. It low-key makes Chanyeol feel happy.

"Yes, but they will still take your life. What if I don’t want to die?“ Baekhyun questions, deeming Chanyeol’s argumentation invalid.

"The inevitable will come anyway, but the killer is nice enough to let you enjoy your last moments on Earth. I think that’s pretty damn admirable of them.“

"Your way of thinking is what’s truly admirable here,“ Baekhyun says with a smile, clearly amused by Chanyeol’s theory. Then, he distances himself from Chanyeol and touches his chest in exaggeration. "Wait, what if you’re a serial killer, too?“

This time it’s Chanyeol who lets out a laugh, but then his expression turns serious as he says, "Then you should do your best to enjoy your last day.“

"You wouldn’t kill me,“ Baekhyun shakes his head with confidence.

"Oh, and what makes you think that?“

"Jongdae would revenge me. He would call Kyungsoo and the guy would kill you with just one kick, believe me. He’s stronger than he looks,“ Baekhyun mutters the last sentence, so quietly that it looks like Baekhyun didn’t even say it for Chanyeol to hear. It makes Chanyeol feel like Baekhyun talks from experience, and he doesn’t hesitate to ask.

"I guess you’ve already got kicked by him?“

"Maybe... He kicks me a lot, to be honest. I feel like I’m being abused or something,“ Baekhyun pouts, and the way the petite man juts out his lower lip is the cutest thing ever, honestly. Chanyeol has always preferred cute over y, but he hit a jackpot with Baekhyun, because the guy is both. Baekhyun is something like his ideal type, and if everything goes according to plan tonight, he'll finally have a piece of Baekhyun tonight. "And Jongin isn’t any better. Since they got together, he– Ah, speak of the devil. I have to get that, or he won’t stop calling me. Sorry.“

Baekhyun apologizes politely when his phone rings and Jongin’s name appears on the phone screen, answering the call with what do you want. It’s not much different from the way Chanyeol answers the call when Jongdae is calling him, and it makes Chanyeol chuckle. That’s how best friends greet each other.

Chanyeol doesn’t want to eavesdrop, but is there a way he cannot? They are walking side by side and even if Baekhyun started whispering, Chanyeol would probably hear it through the street noise, too. It turns out that Jongin is just calling to tell Baekhyun about some movie he found online, saying that they should watch it together sometimes. After Baekhyun agrees without as much as listening what the movie is about, Chanyeol hears him telling Jongin that he’s on the way to some restaurant to have dinner. He also says after a while that he’s with Chanyeol, and the loud what the hell that can be heard from the speakers makes Chanyeol look over. Baekhyun catches his eyes, but looks away straight away, scolding Jongin for being so loud.

"Anyway, is there anything else you wanted to tell me? Because, you know, Chanyeol is right here,“ the he can hear everything I say is left unsaid, but Baekhyun still sounds threateningly enough. Chanyeol completely understands what Baekhyun’s trying to say with this, and it’s making him feel uneasy, because Baekhyun must’ve talked about him with Jongin if his best friend’s first reaction to hearing Chanyeol’s name was what the hell. What did Baekhyun say about him? Was it bad or good? Does Jongin know that Baekhyun lied about them being together to make Chanyeol go away?  

"Listen, I have to go... Yeah... I’ll explain later,“ Baekhyun continues to talk, and Chanyeol just keeps looking at the petite male, his gaze falling on Baekhyun’s lips occasionally. He always looks away after just a second because seeing Baekhyun nuzzling his lower lip between his teeth is too much for Chanyeol to handle, and he has to remind himself that they are just friends hanging out for now. He shouldn’t have these thoughts when he knows that he can’t make a move on Baekhyun, at least not yet, when he’s trying to befriend him and gain his trust.

"I can take care of myself... I’ll be fine, don’t worry... Can you not?!.. You’re such a , Jongin,“ Baekhyun raises his voice and laughs, covering his face with his other hand while grinning stupidly. Looking at Baekhyun, Chanyeol can see affection written all over the man’s face that turned childish in a matter of seconds while taking to his best friend.

"I’ll call you... Yeah, bye... Wait, what?! What did you just–“ Baekhyun frowns and looks at his phone screen in confusion. "He hunged up on me, that little .“

Baekhyun starts mumbling something under his nose as he tucks his phone into his pocket, shaking his head with a frown, but the fond smile soon comes back to his lips, tugging the corner upwards.

"Sorry for that,“ Baekhyun apologizes after a while once again.

"It’s fine. Your friend sounds kinda over-protective,“ Chanyeol wonders out loud, turning the corner. There are more people than before around them, since they are getting closer to the center of the more populated part of the city, and it’s not a surprise to Chanyeol when Baekhyun gets a little swept away by the crowd, falling back. Chanyeol is quick to grab him by the arm gently and pull him along, not wanting to lose Baekhyun in the sea of people.

"He’s always been like this, but it got worse after a little accident that happened three months ago,“ Baekhyun catches up with Chanyeol quickly, sticking closer to him. Chanyeol is really tall, and people can’t simply miss him when he’s as big as a human pole. Chanyeol doesn’t have to deal with the short people problems – like getting swept away by the crowd, for example. Baekhyun doesn’t feel exactly comfortable when he’s so close to the taller man because he doesn’t like being touchy with people he doesn’t know well, but if he doesn’t want to lose the giant, this is the only way.

"What accident?“ Chanyeol asks right away, looking down at Baekhyun with curious eyes.  

Baekhyun chuckles, scratching the back of his neck nervously before he answers, "I was going home from work – the club, not the restaurant – and it was something between three and five in the morning? I don’t remember, but there weren’t almost any people in the street. I took a shortcut through some alley, and a guy jumped me, asking for money. I told him I don’t have any, and it was true because I forgot my wallet that day, and while he was screaming at me that there is no way I don’t have money, I dialed the police. He panicked when I started giving the police my location, and started ran away. But not before he punched me and took my old phone.“

"Did they catch the guy in the end?“ Chanyeol asks with wide eyes. Baekhyun is talking about it so lightly, like he doesn’t know that this situation could have ended so much worse.

"Yeah, and I got my phone back. Thank God, I have too many embarrassing photos of my friends in my phone, I can’t imagine not getting it back,“ Baekhyun pats his phone through his pocket, smiling contently.

"You could have died!“ Chanyeol exclaims.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. That guy didn’t look like he could kill me, believe me,“ Baekhyun waves off Chanyeol’s worries, but Chanyeol still isn’t convinced in the slightest. Baekhyun is taking this matter too lightly, like he actually doesn’t care if he gets hurt.

"If I was your best friend, I would be protective of you too,“ Chanyeol shakes his head, now understanding Jongin’s over-protecting behavior. "Ah, we’re here.“

"Is this the restaurant you go to with Jongdae?“ Baekhyun questions when Chanyeol opens the door for him, and Chanyeol steps into the restaurant right after Baekhyun. His eyes search for his and Jongdae’s table, but some people are already sitting there, so he looks around to see which table is empty. There’s one just for two people in the back, and Chanyeol tugs at Baekhyun’s sleeve as if telling Baekhyun to follow him. The shorter man obeys and walks to the table behind Chanyeol, taking off his winter jacket in the process.

"How do you know?“ Chanyeol asks as he sits down, taking his coat off as well, hanging it on the chair.

"He mentioned it last time,“ comes the answer, and Chanyeol just nods.

They fall into a comfortable silence when a waitress brings them menus, both of them going through the names of the food, searching for something that catches their attention. In the meantime, Chanyeol orders fruit tea for both of them, wanting something that would warm him up, and he knows that Baekhyun will appreciate a hot tea as well.

After they order, Chanyeol hands the menu back to the waitress along with Baekhyun’s, and thanks her before she leaves. He wants to start a conversation with Baekhyun again, fearing that the silence will be uncomfortable for Baekhyun, but when he looks at the shorter male, Chanyeol sees him looking around the restaurant, taking in the details of this place.

For a while, Chanyeol doesn’t say anything, just watches Baekhyun as the brunet’s eyes flicker from one corner of the restaurant to another. He knows that he’s staring, but he just can’t stop. Baekhyun is too beautiful. Without his make-up on, Baekhyun indeed looks different, but he’s still attractive as hell.

Jongdae said that there are many good-looking people like Baekhyun out there, but Chanyeol thinks that Jongdae’s wrong. There is something special about Baekhyun, but Chanyeol can’t put his finger on it just yet.

It scares him, to be honest. How much he wants to take Baekhyun home and make him come undone under his body, see his pretty face twist in pleasure. It's been maybe two weeks since he first met Baekhyun, but since then, when Chanyeol touches himself, he always imagines that it's the brunet making him feel good, unable to see a face that doesn't belong to Baekhyun. 

"Do you like it here?“ Chanyeol asks in the end, and Baekhyun turns his head to him after hearing Chanyeol’s voice, giving his attention to Chanyeol instead of scanning his surroundings.

"It’s nice,“ Baekhyun nods, leaning his head on his hands as he looks into Chanyeol’s eyes. "I was kinda expecting that you’ll take me to one of these fancy restaurant where even water would cost me fortune.“

"Would you like that more?“

"Definitely not,“ Baekhyun shakes his head, a small smile on his lips. Even though Baekhyun’s smiling and talking to Chanyeol normally, Chanyeol can feel that Baekhyun doesn’t trust him, that the man’s still guarded, high walls build around him in order to protect Baekhyun from the world. Baekhyun doesn’t have any problem with answering Chanyeol’s innocent questions, but Chanyeol guesses that if he asked Baekhyun something just slightly personal, Baekhyun would turn him down immediately.

"I thought so,“ he says. "So, what happened that it got you so frustrated before?“

"My co-workers, for one,“ Baekhyun sighs deeply, and he looks like just talking about his co-workers is making him somewhat tired and angry.

Just then, the waitress comes back with two cups full of hot water, two tea bags and four sugars on small, silver-y looking trays and places them in front of Baekhyun and Chanyeol, saying that the food will be served shortly. She bows and walks away, but Chanyeol notices how she eyes Baekhyun before leaving. Looks like Chanyeol isn’t the only one admiring Baekhyun’s face, huh.

"Were they bad to you today?“ Chanyeol asks as he puts the tea bag in the cup and adds the two sugars. He lies to drink coffee bitter, but he has always loves sweet tea.

"Today?“ Baekhyun snorts loudly. "They are s to me every Sunday. Thank god that I only have to work with them one day per week.“

"Why don’t you tell them to off? Or is the feisty attitude reserved only for me?“ Chanyeol teases, smirking at the brunet who just rolls his eyes, bringing the cup to his lips slowly, careful not to spill anything. He purses his lips and blows into the cup gently, trying to make the tea cool down faster.

"They are older than me, and have been working in the restaurant longer than me, too. I can’t just tell them to off, I was thought to respect people even if they don't deserve it sometimes,“ comes Baekhyun’s answer. "And don’t flatter yourself, my feisty attitude  surely isn’t reserved just for you.“

"It doesn’t matter if they are older or have worked there longer. If they don’t respect you, why should you respect them?“ it makes Chanyeol angrier than it should, really. Maybe it’s because Baekhyun didn’t have any problem with acting the way he did toward Chanyeol, but he has a problem shutting down some co-workers.

There so many people who respect Chanyeol endlessly, since he’s one of the youngest heirs in the history, being the CEO of a big company at a young age of twenty three. Meaning, Chanyeol is a respectable person, and even though he acted somewhat straight-forwardly toward Baekhyun, the guy could be nicer to him while turning him down, if he goes by what he’s saying about having to be respectful, no matter how others treat him. If he can’t tell his co-workers to go to hell just like that, why could Baekhyun turn Chanyeol down the way he did?

"Hm,“ is all Chanyeol says, taking a sip of his tea even when it’s still hot enough that it could burn his tongue if he isn't careful enough. Chanyeol expects Baekhyun to be grateful for the silence that comes, since he was so reluctant to even accept Chanyeol’s offer before. He thinks that Baekhyun will be happy that Chanyeol doesn’t start another conversation. And yet, the brunet is the one who breaks the silence this time, hungry for answers to his own questions.

"I always forget to ask, but now when I have the opportunity – how did you even find out when my shifts end and where do I work?“ Baekhyun asks curiously, putting his tea back down. He leans forward a little, bats his long eyelashes at Chanyeol and purses his lips in interest, making Chanyeol’s eyes wander to the man’s pink lips.

, Chanyeol thinks and looks away with a frown, not being able to stop staring at Baekhyun’s mouth. Promising Jongdae and Baekhyun that he won’t try anything on the brunet, what did he even think? If Baekhyun won’t agree to sleep with him even after all Chanyeol’s efforts, Chanyeol is truly going jump off a building. Being just a friend to Baekhyun? Impossible. He can’t even look at Baekhyun without undressing him with his eyes.

"I asked around,“ the answer is simple, and Chanyeol can see that Baekhyun isn’t satisfied with it in the slightest, if the instant frown is anything to go by.

"I have the right to know, don’t you think?“ Baekhyun questions, his expression becoming dark in a second. Looking at angry Baekhyun across the table, Chanyeol decides to answer truthfully just because he doesn’t want Baekhyun to leave, knowing that the man is fully capable of doing that without feeling guilty for leaving Chanyeol alone.

"I went to some IT guy working in the company, asked him to look you up. It was quite easy to find you, since Byun isn’t a very common surname, and you were the only Byun Baekhyun living in Seoul.“

"Wow, you really are a stalker,“ Baekhyun muses and leans back against his chair, arms crossed on his chest. Chanyeol doesn’t need to look at his face to know that Baekhyun’s judging him silently right now. But, well, Chanyeol doesn’t care, since his stalking got him a date.

A friendly dinner, Chanyeol corrects himself in his mind. He really doesn’t like the sound of it. Date is way better. 

"You’re still having dinner with me, though,“ Chanyeol smirks, just as the waitress arrives with side dishes, accompanied by another waiter who serves them the food they ordered. Both of them bow when the table is all set and leave. This time Chanyeol keeps his eyes on the waitress the whole time, chuckling at every glance she throws Baekhyun’s way. It’s kind of funny how the girl thinks Baekhyun’s going to notice her if he keeps looking his way.

Chanyeol’s smile falters when he realizes that his situation isn’t much better, either. Maybe he’s the one having dinner with Baekhyun, but the brunet is still as untouchable to him as he is to the waitress.

"Looks delicious,“ Baekhyun mutters when he takes his chopsticks in his hand, tasting the bean sprouts before he turns his attention to the main dish. Chanyeol just watches Baekhyun for a while, but when the smell hits his nose for the thousand time, he can’t wait any longer and starts eating too.

The dinner is surprisingly peaceful, since Chanyeol is keeping his promise about not hitting on Baekhyun for the whole duration of the dinner. However, there is one time where Chanyeol accidentally mentions something about Baekhyun’s tongue when the brunet is his spoon, the brunet unaware of the way Chanyeol’s eyes follow every movement of his tongue. When Baekhyun looks at him with a frown, Chanyeol quickly apologizes, saying that he didn’t mean anything dirty by his previous statement. Baekhyun clearly doesn’t believe him, but he lets it go and continues stuffing his mouth with more food. The food is so good that Baekhyun would most definitely regret leaving it behind later.

They don’t talk much at first while eating, save for the occasional comments about the dishes in front of them, but then Chanyeol asks about what Baekhyun likes and what is his favorite food, not aware that the conversation would spiral out of control and they would end up arguing about the most famous topic of all times – if pineapples belong on pizza or not. While Chanyeol is all for pineapples being a pizza topping, Baekhyun is against it with his whole being, clutching his heart dramatically as he explains why pineapples never go on pizza.

They change the topic of conversation after fifteen minutes when Chanyeol mentions that he saw a photo of pizza with bananas somewhere on the internet, and Baekhyun starts telling Chanyeol all the crazy things he has seen on different websites, a man who decided to put two implants in his forehead so it would look like small horns included.

Before they know it, the food is gone and they are just talking about everything that comes to their mind while waiting for the waitress to bring them their bill. When the girl comes and ask if they will pay normally or with a card, Chanyeol immediately says with a card before Baekhyun can even open his mouth.

"Chanyeol, I can pay for myself,“ Baekhyun protests, grabbing Chanyeol by the wrist when the CEO tries to hand the black card to the waitress.

"Uhm, so...“ the waitress speaks up after a minute of intense eye-contact between the two males, gulping nervously.

"I’ll pay,“ Chanyeol shoots her a charming smile and takes the card to his other hand, handing it to the girl in one swift motion. Then, he turns to Baekhyun and repeats his sentence, voice lower. The waitress scurries away quickly, not wanting to be part of the upcoming argument.

"No, you won’t,“ Baekhyun shakes his head. "We talked about this before coming here. I can pay for myself.“

"The waitress thinks we are on a date. She would think badly of me if I let you pay. It would hurt my image, and I go here quite frequently, so I can’t have that. You can’t give me the money later,“ Chanyeol says, but he hasn’t got the smallest intention of taking Baekhyun’s money once they are out of the restaurant.

"Fine,“ the shorter man pouts again and looks away as he stands up, putting on his jacket. Chanyeol does the same and tells Baekhyun to wait outside until he gets his card, and Baekhyun doesn’t say a word before walking away, taking small but fast, angry steps.

Cute, Chanyeol thinks as he watches Baekhyun leaving the restaurant.

He follows Baekhyun out after maybe one minute, his card returning to the safety of his wallet. Through the glass, Chanyeol can see Baekhyun warming his hands up with his breath. It must be even colder than before, he thinks.

Opening the door to the restaurant, he steps out, putting himself in the hands of the cold weather, shuddering from the sudden change. Chanyeol wants to return back to the comfort of warm restaurant, but he knows he can’t. Instead, the CEO starts walking toward Park Company building with his hands burried deep in his coat pockets, muttering curses. "Let’s go.“

"Where? I live–“

"I know,“ Chanyeol interrupts him mid-sentence. "But my car is parked this way, and I need it if I want to get home. I’ll drive you home, don’t worry.“

"I’m not worrying. I would kick your if you just left me here,“ Baekhyun catches up to Chanyeol, but since there are not many people this time, the shorter male keeps his distance. Chanyeol doesn’t really like it. 

"Oh, can you even reach my ?“ Chanyeol jokes and sniggers at his own joke.

His smile instantly disappears though, when Baekhyun kicks him in the , and not exactly gently. "I can.“

"That hurt, by the way,“ Chanyeol whines, touching his right when Baekhyun kicked him, trying to ease the pain. When he makes fun of someone’s height, it usually doesn’t end up like this. Nobody ever kicked him like that, aside from Jongdae, but his friend rather punches his shoulder than kicking him.

"It was my intention. So, about the money-“

"I'm not taking it," Chanyeol shakes his head, ignoring all of Baekhyun's protests. After a minute of Baekhyun's complaining, the topic is dropped, the brunet realizing that Chanyeol isn't listening to him, not even a little bit.

It’s really weird, Chanyeol thinks as they walk toward the parking lot. The silence between them isn’t awkward, or tense, or whatever it should be when two people who don’t know each other don’t have anything more to say to one another. It’s understandable that it should be uncomfortable to walk in the quietness of the night without saying anything to the person whom Chanyeol spent his evening with, and yet he doesn’t feel uncomfortable right now with Baekhyun by his side at all, the only noise accompanying them being the chatter of the few people that are in the streets or the small amount of cars driving by. Chanyeol doesn’t feel any need to start a small talk, being completely fine with just sharing the air with Baekhyun instead of meaningless words.

And that’s really weird, right? Because it shouldn’t be like that. Chanyeol has never felt like this.

"Wow, is this really your car?!“ Baekhyun exclaims loudly as the only car in the parking lot comes to view. Chanyeol blinks a few times as he hears Baekhyun’s excited voice, surprised that they are already here. He was so deep in his thoughts that he hasn’t even realized that they are already here.

"Uh, yeah,“ Chanyeol confirms, unlocking the car. Like a true gentleman, Chanyeol wants to open the door for Baekhyun, but the brunet runs past him and starts examining the car, talking about how cool it is, and Chanyeol leaves him, just standing nearby and watching the shorter male who looks more excited than he should after seeing a car.

"It’s not like I have some big interest in cars, but I’ve always wanted to have an Audi, I don’t really know why. It was my childhood dream and I guess it lasted,“ Baekhyun explains, touching the car with his long fingers, smiling fondly. For some reason, the corners of Chanyeol’s lips turn upwards too while looking at the man in front of him. "Let’s see if it’s as comfortable as I’ve been imagining.“

After saying that, Baekhyun quickly opens the door to passenger seat and slides in, closing the door. Chanyeol follows him into the car, the keys jiggling in his hand. When he climbs into his seat, puts the keys into ignition and puts his seat belt on, Chanyeol looks over to Baekhyun. The brunet is looking around himself in awe, his fingertips brushing over the interier of Chanyeol’s car carefully, making sure not to damage something. Chanyeol just smirks and starts the gar, leaving the parking lot completely empty now when his car is gone too.

"Do you–“

"Yeah, I remember where you live,“ Chanyeol answers before Baekhyun can even finish the question, knowing what he was about to ask.

"Okay then,“ Baekhyun says, changing his position and sinking in the seat in order to get more comfortable. Watching the road, Chanyeol can’t be looking at Baekhyun the whole time, but he still steals a fair amount of glances at his companion. Baekhyun probably doesn’t notice, since his head is turned the other way, looking out of the window. His eyes close occasionally for a longer time, and Chanyeol thinks that Baekhyun has fallen asleep in the soundless car, but when he looks at Baekhyun again, the man has his eyes open again.

Baekhyun looks tired, but rather content in his seat. Chanyeol can see him fighting away the sleepiness he feels, probably because Baekhyun doesn’t trust the CEO enough to fall asleep in his car. People tell Chanyeol that he is pretty good at reading people, so he is probably right about this too.

Chanyeol wonders if he should make a move on Baekhyun now. Baekhyun told him that he doesn’t sleep with jerks or something along the way, and now when he spent the evening with Chanyeol, he can see that Chanyeol isn’t as bad of a jerk as Baekhyun thought he is. During the time they were together today, Baekhyun even looked like he enjoyed Chanyeol’s company.  

Chanyeol won’t try anything during the dinner, that’s what Chanyeol promised to Baekhyun as he was trying to get Baekhyun to accept the dinner offer. But now the dinner’s over, right?

Should he ask Baekhyun to invite him to his apartment once they’re here? Should he be bold and kiss the brunet, pouring all of his ual frustration into the kiss? Should he just throw Baekhyun on the backseat and him here? God, Baekhyun would save Chanyeol a lot of trouble if he just invited him over himself. After all, Chanyeol kept his promise and they had a good time, he should get a reward or something.

While dealing with all of his thoughts during driving, Chanyeol almost misses the turn to Baekhyun’s street, but fortunately he catches himself on time. He slows down and pulls to the side right in front of Baekhyun’s building. "We’re here.“

"Yeah, I can see that,“ Baekhyun chuckles and turns to Chanyeol with a you-don’t-say look. "Anyway, thanks for the dinner. Although I’m still not okay with you paying for me.“

"You have to get over it, then,“ Chanyeol says. Looking at Baekhyun right now, the dim street lights creating shadows on his angelic face, Chanyeol can’t help but feel attracted to the brunet even more than usual. Baekhyun truly is beautiful.

"I’ll try... Well, uhm, thanks for the dinner... and everything. Don’t get cocky, but I actually had fun tonight, a little. So... Goodnight, Chanyeol,“ Baekhyun throws Chanyeol a warm, grateful smile and takes off his seat belt, reaching for the car handle and opening the door.

Chanyeol can’t let him go away just like this, no. The unarming smile that reached Baekhyun’s eyes and made them into crescents and the way Baekhyun pronounced Chanyeol’s name is too much to handle, and Chanyeol can’t help himself when he reaches for Baekhyun and grabs the small wrist. "Wait.“

Baekhyun opens his mouth, probably to ask what for?, but Chanyeol doesn’t let him. The CEO pulls Baekhyun back by his wrist, his other hand reaching for Baekhyun’s head, the soft brown hair tickling Chanyeol’s fingers. Closing his eyes, Chanyeol leans in in order to close the distance between them, the want – no, need – to finally kiss Baekhyun too overwhelming to ignore.  

However, his lips never connect with Baekhyun‘s.

Chanyeol opens his eyes slowly, confused. Baekhyun’s face is not even a centimeter away from Chanyeol’s, their noses touching. They are so close that Chanyeol can easily count Baekhyun’s eyelashes, but there is still something in the way of their lips‘ touching.  

It’s Baekhyun’s hand, which is clasped over Chanyeol’s mouth.

"I was expecting it, you know,“ is all Baekhyun says as he pushes Chanyeol away gently, untangling himself from Chanyeol’s hold. His actions and movements aren’t aggressive, as Chanyeol thought they would be. Instead, Baekhyun breaks away from Chanyeol rather calmly. "Did you really think that if you played nicely, I would fall for your tricks? Did you think that you can fool me like I’m a kid?“

"Baekhyun, list–“

"You know what’s funny, Chanyeol? That just a second ago, I felt really ashamed of myself for thinking badly of you this whole time. I actually wanted to apologize to you for not believing that you wouldn‘t try anything because I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep feeling guilty like this,“ Baekhyun snorts, and Chanyeol‘s heart clenches at the sound.

"Please, I–“

"I feel ing stupid for believing you. Still, I’m pretty... disappointed in you,“ Baekhyun laughs humorlessly and opens the door, climbing out of the car gracefully. "I really had fun tonight, though. If it was someone else, you would probably get laid tonight, it’s a pity that you wasted your precious time and money on me.“

Chanyeol expects him to shut the door with so much force that they will fall off, but to his surprise, Baekhyun closes them gently, quietly. For a few seconds, Chanyeol just watches Baekhyun walking away from his car, processing all the things Baekhyun has said to him. He follows Baekhyun’s every step with his eyes, but he’s unable to move, unable to go after the brunet.

Not until Baekhyun’s already at the door, opening them. It’s only then that Chanyeol realizes what happened, and steps out of the car quickly, calling out for the petite man who doesn’t even turn after hearing Chanyeol’s voice.

"Let me explain!“ He yells, even though there is not much to explain. "Baekhyun!“

But the said man doesn’t listen and lets the entrance door to the building close after him, leaving Chanyeol alone on the street.

"Please!“ he tries one more time, desperately, but the door doesn’t open again. Baekhyun’s already gone, not wanting to listen to Chanyeol’s excuses.

Chanyeol curses loudly, running his hands through his hair and tugging at them angrily. He ed up so, so bad. How could he even think that Baekhyun would sleep with him after one stupid dinner when he clearly said before that he won’t change his mind?

Still I’m pretty... disappointed in you.

The sentence keeps repeating itself in Chanyeol’s mind, and it’s making him go crazy. The sad smile on Baekhyun’s lips and his face twisted into a grimace, Chanyeol simply can’t get the image out of his head.

Chanyeol‘s disappointed in himself too...

--

The moment he opens the door, Baekhyun’s phone starts ringing loudly, signalizing an incoming call. Baekhyun’s really not in the mood to answer any calls at the moment, but he has the need to check the ID of the caller, knowing that he’d feel guilty later for not picking up if it is one of his closest friends needing help, or his grandma who just wants to check on Baekhyun.

Fishing his phone out of his pocket, Baekhyun reads the name on the display. Jongin. Of course his best friend would call to make sure Baekhyun got home safely. Knowing he can’t ignore Jongin’s call if he doesn’t want him coming to his apartment to check up on him personally, Baekhyun picks up with a sigh.

"Are you home already?“ is Jongin’s first question, as expected.

"Yeah,“ Baekhyun answers, kicking off his shoes. He walks to the kitchen and opens the 1,5l bottle of Coca Cola he bought yesterday and pours himself a glass. "Safe and sound.“

Jongin is quiet for a while, and the only sound Baekhyun can hear through the speaker is the distant sound of TV playing in the background. And then, "Are you okay, Baek?“

"Of course, why wouldn’t I be?“ Baekhyun says with a bitter chuckle, downing the glass in a few big gulps. Putting Jongin on the speaker, he puts the phone on the table and takes off his winter jacket.

"You sound... off. Was the dinner so bad?“ Jongin asks slowly, carefully.

Baekhyun takes his mobile to the bedroom, laying it on the bed while he strips himself. "It was... great actually. I had fun.“  

"Then what’s wrong?“ Baekhyun can just imagine Jongin’s confused expression on the other side as he answers. If he were in Jongin’s shoes, he would be confused by his own answers as well, so Baekhyun doesn’t blame him for not understanding.

"I’m just tired. You know, long day,“ he half-lies. It’s true that Baekhyun’s tired as hell, but it’s still not the reason why he sounds off, as Jongin has put it. Though he really appreciates Jongin caring about him, Baekhyun isn’t in the mood to talk about Chanyeol, and he knows that Jongin is hungry for all the details about the whole evening Baekhyun has spent in the CEO‘s company.

"I can’t believe that after all these years you still think you can lie to me and expect me to fall for it,“ Jongin’s voice pierces the room, and despite his emotional state right now, Baekhyun lets out a quiet laugh because he can practically hear his best friend pouting.

"I need to take a shower before going to sleep, and I wasn’t lying when I told you that I’m tired. I have a moring shift tomorrow, and I really want to rest,“ Baekhyun says, throwing the last piece of his clothing into the laundry bin. "I’ll tell you everything tomorrow on the way home, okay?“

"Baek...“ he hates Jongin saying his name like that, like Baekhyun needs pity because once again something bad happened in his miserable life.

"Really, Jongin, don’t worry. I’m fine,“ Baekhyun tries to assure him.

"You’re clearly not. Can yo–“ Jongin stops suddenly, and Baekhyun can hear Kyungsoo asking Jongin if he’s going to bed or not. His best friend answers that he’ll be there in a second, and turns his attention to Baekhyun again, just to be interrupted the second time, now by Baekhyun himself.

"Go back to your boyfriend, Jongin. We’ll talk tomorrow, I promise. Goodnight,“ before Jongin can say something else, Baekhyun walks over to his phone and hangs up, sighing deeply.

Jongin honestly worries too much. Baekhyun is okay. Everything is okay.

It’s not like he still thinks about Chanyeol, hurting when he remembers that all Chanyeol has done this evening was in order to woo Baekhyun. Baekhyun shouldn’t even be sad about it because he knew about what Chanyeol wants when he excepted the invitation, so why does he feel like this?

Chanyeol is a good actor, Baekhyun thinks. Pretending to be interested in what Baekhyun was saying, looking concerned when Baekhyun told him that he was jumped by some guy on the way home in the past, looking angry when Baekhyun told him that he is bossed around by his co-workers on daily basis. It all looked real, like Chanyeol actually cared about Baekhyun.

And Baekhyun, being as stupid as he is, let his guard down for a while and just enjoyed the CEO’s company, joking around with him and answering Chanyeol’s questions with a dumb smile on his face.

On the way home, Baekhyun felt really guilty about judging Chanyeol too soon when they first met because Chanyeol was so much different from what Baekhyun expected him to be in the beginning. He really wanted to apologize to Chanyeol for thinking badly of him, and he was ready to do it when Chanyeol tried to kiss him in the car.

At that moment, Baekhyun realized that Chanyeol wasn’t at all interested in him as in person, his only goal being to get Baekhyun to sleep with him. Baekhyun couldn’t even be angry at Chanyeol because it was his own fault that he planted the idea of Chanyeol liking more than just his body in his head. It was his fault for letting his guard down.

He told Chanyeol that he isn’t a child anymore and that he can’t be fooled that easily, but to be honest, Baekhyun almost fell for Chanyeol’s charms. The want to break the promise he made to himself some time ago would be forgotten for a while if Chanyeol just let him go home without trying to kiss him, Baekhyun knows it. He would come home and think that Chanyeol isn’t such an after all, and the next time Baekhyun would see him, it would be the brunet who would invite Chanyeol over and let himself be handled by the taller man.

Baekhyun wants to find someone he really loves with his whole heart and not fool around with others until he finds the one, but one last one night stand wouldn’t hurt that much. That’s what Baekhyun was thinking about on the way home, but now he hates himself for the thoughts he has had in mind just a few minutes ago.

Walking to the bathroom, Baekhyun feels like crying, but no tears come. Still, the painful squeeze of his heart and the need to just go to sleep in order to stop thinking about today are present.

You’re such a  Baekhyunnie, going around and opening your legs for everyone. You should start asking for money every time you let someone you, that way you wouldn’t have to work that much.

The words of his ex-boyfriend find their way into Baekhyun’s mind when he steps into the shower booth and turns the water on. It’s too hot and it’s burning Baekhyun's skin, but the brunet doesn’t seem to care.

You’re really lucky for being as pretty as you are, Baekhyunnie. Nobody would want to spend their free time with you if it wasn’t for a promise of a  later.

Baekhyun squeezes his eyes shut, trying to block out the bad memories of when he met his ex-boyfriend a month ago at Twenty. It’s all useless, though, because all that Siwoon has said to him comes rushing back, the words painful as if Baekhyun heard them just yesterday.

I’m just surprised there is only one man draped all over you, I’m sure that you can take more, being such a good -.

Baekhyun leans against the wall as the hot water falls on his body, breathing heavily. He doesn’t want to think about Siwoon and the things his ex-boyfriend had said to him that day. Jongin told him that it’s not true, that Baekhyun is so much more than all the things Siwoon mentioned.

The only thing you’re good for is , Baekhyunnie.

But maybe the one who is wrong has been Jongin all along, and Siwoon was telling the truth.

Chanyeol would probably agree with Siwoon too. And not only Chanyeol, but everyone. Maybe he really is only good for , and Jongin only tried to be nice to him because the two of them are best friends.

Baekhyun’s legs give up and the brunet slides down, his back against the wall. His skin is starting to redden from the water’s high temperature, but Baekhyun doesn’t lower it. He lets the water fall freely, eyes shut and fingers tangled in his wet hair.

Nobody will ever love you.

--

Chanyeol knows that he’s screwed if he’s mother starts a conversation in the morning with, "I talked to Mrs. Lee today.“

A loud groan escapes Chanyeol’s mouth upon hearing the name, and he puts the fork down on the table, abandoning his cake for a while. Chanyeol knows that a cake isn’t the best breakfast, but he needed something sweet so damn much he couldn’t resist.

"What is it now?“ Chanyeol asks, preparing himself for the worst.

"You know how much she likes watching the celebrity news, right? Well, she called me this morning to inform me that my dear son appeared in them this morning, too,“ his mother says, her voice low. She pours herself a glass of cold water before continuing. „I wasn’t aware that you had dinner with someone yesterday.“

"It was just a friendly dinner,“ Chanyeol tells his mother, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He would say that he was sure that he didn’t see anyone taking photos of him and Baekhyun yesterday, but Chanyeol doesn’t want to lie to his mother. The attention he paid to his surroundings yesterday could amount to none, to be honest. Baekhyun was his top priority then, and he totally forgot that he should be careful of people who would want to snap pictures of them that would eventually end up being sent to a celebrity page.

"It sure looked like one,“ Chanyeol’s mother snorts and rolls her eyes at the excuse.

"It’s true, though. Baekhyun’s just a friend,“ saying that Baekhyun is Chanyeol’s friend feels really wrong after what happened yesterday when Chanyeol drove Baekhyun home. The images of Baekhyun’s sad smile and disappointed face didn’t let Chanyeol sleep soundly the whole night, accompanied with Baekhyun’s words that kept him up the whole time.

He felt endlessly guilty for letting Baekhyun down like that, not caring that he shouldn’t feel like that when the two of them don’t even know each other. Baekhyun’s just a guy who Chanyeol wants to , and Chanyeol was determined to become his friend first if it meant that Baekhyun would sleep with him eventually. The wisest thing would be to finally let go of his dream that is consisting of making Baekhyun moan his name in the darkness of Chanyeol’s bedroom after yesterday, realizing that Baekhyun won’t change his mind no matter what Chanyeol does.

And yet, instead of letting go, Chanyeol only thinks about how to apologize to Baekhyun.

"I’ve never heard this name before,“ his mother observes, narrowing her eyes in thought.

"That’s because we’ve just become friends recently,“ Chanyeol explains, the word friend still leaving a bitter taste on his tongue. "Through Jongdae.“

"Oh, he’s friends with Jongdae? He must be a nice young man, then,“ her expression changes immediately upon hearing Jongdae’s name, and Chanyeol chuckles. The image of Jongdae his mother created in his mind is rather funny, since Jongdae’s the exact opposite of what the guy truly is, but okay.

"Something like that,“ he says, nodding.

"You should introduce him to me sometimes. I want to know what kind of people you’re friends with,“ the woman gulps down the last bits of water in her glass and puts it down, walking over to Chanyeol. The young CEO isn’t even surprised when she picks up the fork and cuts off a piece of Chanyeol’s cake.

"You’re saying I should introduce you to all my friends, or what? That is ridiculous,“ shaking his head, Chanyeol takes the fork from his mother’s hand when she cuts off another, bigger piece.

"Not all of your friends. Just the ones you have friendly dinners with,“ she puts an emphasis on the two words, laughing quietly at her own witty joke. "Besides, Jongdae must be happy that you have a mutual friend, now.“

She ruffles Chanyeol’s hair before walking away, probably looking for her bag, not knowing where she left it the other day.

Even though Chanyeol’s mother may look really stern at times, she loves her son unconditionaly, showing her love all the time with the little gestures full of affection that usually help Chanyeol calm down if he is stressed out. It’s been like this since he was little.

Many would think that Chanyeol has had a lonely childhood, spent in the care of the maids that worked in the Park mansion, since his mother was a lawyer and his father a CEO of a big company. It was not true, though. Even if his parents had jobs that kept them busy almost all the time, his mother – no matter how tired she was – always tried to spend time with her only son. His father not so much, but his mother showered him in affection so much that he didn’t notice his father’s absence. Of course, there were times when Chanyeol felt a little lonely. It is given that a child misses his parents, but Chanyeol was very mature for his age – or so he heard – and instead of being sad, he always kept himself busy with drawing pictures for his mother or working on some gift that he could give her later, knowing that his mother will be incredibly happy.

When his mother’s work piled up, and she had very little time she could spend with Chanyeol, her little son wasn’t so little anymore. Being nine years old, Chanyeol found himself a lot of friends, and so his mother didn’t have to be with him so much anymore, leaving her boy in the care of Chanyeol’s friends.

Since Chanyeol was a very social person, not afraid to befriend anyone, he had truly many friends, but he lost contact with almost all of them when he met Jongdae in high school. The two became best friends, the most awesome duo, brothers right away. They were always together, and Chanyeol didn’t mind that his mother was more busy than before, barely having time to greet her son, since she was almost never home. He had Jongdae, and he was happy.

When Jongdae and Chanyeol’s mather finally met, the woman fell in love with the boy immediately, always saying how nice Jongdae’s is. She even called the ing troll innocent once, making Chanyeol laugh at her foolishness so much that he almost died.

Suddenly, none of Chanyeol’s other friends were as good as Jongdae, and her opinion is the same even now, after all these years. Maybe that’s making her think that if Baekhyun is Jongdae’s friend, the guy must be as amazing as Jongdae himself.

Yeah, Jongdae must be happy that we have a mutual friend now, Chanyeol smiles bitterly to himself, suddenly losing all the appetite. He’s practically beaming with happiness.