“Okay, but like, isn’t he pretty short for a lifeguard?” Baekhyun asked as the three friends sat in Jongdae and Baekhyung flat, on their holey af orange sofa, watching Baywatch.

Chanyeol frowned. “Is there like, a standard for that kind of ?” He asked, a little irritated that Baek was dissing (though he really wasn’t) Chanyeol’s new object of affection.

“You’re literally looking at the standard, like, right now. We’re watching Baywatch.” Jongdae told him and Chanyeol rolled his eyes at that. “Also, I mean, you guys have a considerable height difference, have you even considered how you’re going to make out with him?”

“Problems for another time.” Chanyeol insisted.

“If you say so.” Jongdae shot back.

“YO SHUT UP! HE’S HERE!” Baekhyun announced, squeezing Chanyeol’s hand a little forcefully when the one and only appeared on the screen. “Jason ing Momoa, what a God.” He whispered before filling his mouth back with popcorn.

Jongdae however, was critical. “He’s not nearly as hot without his long savage hair. Khal Drogo style is my style.”

“What do you know? He’s hot in every shape and form, my King.” Baekhyun barked back, his eyes never leaving the screen.

“We should have just rewatched his episodes in Game of Thrones, much more satisfying.”

“You forget dear, we’re not watching this for Momoa, we’re watching this because Yeollie here is head over heels for a lifeguard. This is research.”

Jongdae wasn’t impressed. “This is just you trying to find an excuse to watch more things starring Jason Momoa.”

Finally Baekhyun broke eye contact with the screen to look over at Jongdae and blow a raspberry at him. Clearly he couldn’t argue with that.

Chanyeol was oddly quiet during the exchange, and his friends exchanged a little glance before prompting him. “So, you learning anything that can help you woo your man?” Jongdae asked.

Chanyeol looked pensive, he opened his mouth once, then closed it again, then opened it again. “It’s just, my lifeguard is much hotter than any of these guys.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jongdae asked exasperated, in tune with Baekhyun’s loud and overbearing: “How DARE you?!”, promptly leading to a long discussion on lifeguard aesthetics.

~

“He’s not even ripped.” Baekhyun spat, still salty from having his Momoa dissed.

“Shut up Baekhyun.” Jongdae and Chanyeol spat back in unison.

“Literally, you’re not ripped either.” Chanyeol pointed out.

Baekhyun scoffed. “That’s a filthy ing lie; I have the best body out of the three of us. I’m lean and beautiful, that’s all I need to be.”

Then, Jongdae elbowed Chanyeol to get his attention. “So, you got a plan of attack?” he prompted.

Chanyeol fixed his hair in the mirror one last time. “I’m going to romanticize the hell out of him, what else?” he declared, leaving the changing room with a wicked determination.

Once fazed with the glaring light of the summer sky, Chanyeol instantly looked towards the lifeguard post, only to find his jaw dropping in disappointment.

It wasn’t his lifeguard sitting atop the chair.

It was some taller dude with orange hair and a tattooed chest.

What.

“Oh my God, he’s not here. Why is he not here?” Chanyeol asked, panicking as he turned back towards his friends.

“Oh wow, that guy has an orange for a head. That’s so dumb.” Baekhyun said, stifling a laugh.

“Have you even seen your own hair?” Jongdae shot back.

“Tch, just because you don’t have the balls to go for something unique.” Baekhyun said back.

Jongdae rolled his eyes before he turned to Chanyeol. “Maybe it’s for the best, right? It’s a little overkill to come two days in row, isn’t it? He’ll think you’re desperate.” Baekhyun nodded in agreement before making his way past his friends and towards the spot they been at the last time they were there.

The thing was, Chanyeol wasn’t embarrassed to seem desperate. He just wanted to see his lifeguard again, romanticize his and whatever.

“Don’t be depressed Yeollie, I’ll buy you a burger later.” Jongdae said nicely, and Chanyeol took that chance to give the other a koala-like hug.

“Thank youu.”

“You know what, I can’t stand this. Yeol, take a seat, I have to teach you some things.” Baekhyung said from where he sat and smeared sunscreen on his arms, Chanyeol obeyed and took a seat. “Look at me, what do you see?”

Chanyeol seemed to contemplate this for a bit. “A redheaded with a mullet?” he tried, and Baekhyun gave him his most unimpressed glare. “A young asian country singer with a twist?”

“Ha, Ha. Very funny, you lanky derp. Anyways, when people see me, they see a confident, beautiful and smooth motherer.” Jongdae couldn’t help but snort at that, and Baekhyun threw him a half-hearted glare. “Now you, my dear Yeollie, you are indeed good-looking and confident, however.”

“You’re not smooth.” Jongdae finished.

“Exactly!” Baekhyun exclaimed. “If you want to woo someone, you have to be smooth. Remember that. Now help me with my back.” He said, passing the sun screen onto Chanyeol.

Smooth… smooth, huh?

“There’s no way Chanyeol can be smooth though.” Jongdae voiced Chanyeol’s exact thoughts out loud. He turned towards Chanyeol then. “Just use your own flavor of Chanyeollie charm, it’ll work.”

Chanyeol grinned at that, “Thanks Dae.” But then he looked over at where the orange headed life guard was sitting and deflated. “Not that it matters though, when the guy isn’t even here.”

He sighed before laying down on the towel and taking a sunny nap.

~

Chanyeol woke up to the sound of his stomach grumbling, and without even opening his eyes he elbowed Jongdae who yelped in surprise before whining and clutching his side.

“I could use that burger right about now.” Chanyeol said, earning a grumble from Jongdae.

Jongdae slapped Baekhyun’s tummy, making Baekhyun yelp. “Baekhyunnie, you want burgers? I’m treating.”

“Yes please, sugar daddy.”

Jongdae grimaced. “Disgusting.” Then, “Go order three burgers, I’ll be right there.”

As both his friends were wearing heavily tinted sunglasses, neither seemed to notice that Chanyeol’s front was as red as a well-done lobster; as Chanyeol had forgotten to put on sunscreen. Again.

Chanyeol, somehow oblivious to his own skin color sauntered over to the little burger bar tucked off in the corner of the public pool area.

When he came to the burger place, there was a young guy with some intricately done dreads and an opened striped shirt, flipping burger patties. That opened shirt wasn’t a very wise idea considering he was frying , and Chanyeol suspected he just wanted to show off his admittedly amazing abs. Still, hot oil hurt like a . Chanyeol shook his head disapprovingly; the burger boy would regret his choices later.

“Um hi, can I get three burgers.” Chanyeol said, effectively earning the attention of the burger boy  who then looked up at Chanyeol. Chanyeol only seemed to register that his nametag said Jongin, before the guy was grimacing at him.

“Ooo, ouch.” He said with sympathy, leaving Chanyeol very very confused. “Uh sure, three burgers coming right up.” Then the burger boy seemed to spot someone from behind Chanyeol and smiled, “Hey soo, a little late aren’t we?”

Chanyeol stepped aside to let the next costumer over, only to realize with great shock that it was his lifeguard standing there. This time however, he wasn’t wearing his godsend of a uniform, instead he wore a more casual outfit, a white tee with some small logo in the corner, and some Adidas shorts, along with a NYC cap.

Soo laughed a little, “Intentionally late, Sehun made me take over his shift yesterday.”

Jongin grinned. “He was so out drinking, wasn’t he?”

“Exactly, so I’m going to let him stew for a little. Fix me up with a burger will you? I’m starving.”

Jongin chuckled, “They don’t call you Satansoo for nothing huh? Poor guy has been looking for you for an hour; he keeps coming down and asking where you are.”

Then, perhaps noticing that Chanyeol was blatantly staring again, Soo (or satansoo??), turned around to face Chanyeol, only to gasp.

“Woah! Are you okay?” He asked, confusing, but also short-circuting Chanyeol’s brain with the way his gaze was running all over Chanyeol’s body.

“N-No.” Chanyeol stuttered out. ”You just took my breath away, I think I’m dying.” And wow, Chanyeol hadn’t meant to pull out the pick-up lines before even saying hello, and even a weird improvised one at that.

Soo looked confused, whilst Jongin rose a knowing eyebrow in the background. “You’re red. Like, really really red. Did you forget to put sun screen on or something?” He asked, his confusing look now changing into a worried stare.

Oh my God, Chanyeol wanted to kiss him.

“Uhhhh” Was all Chanyeol managed to say.

“Okay look, you shouldn’t go in the sun anymore. Also,” he said, suddenly rummaging through the sports bag dangling from his shoulder. Eventually he pulled out a bottle of 50+ sunscreen lotion. “Use this.” He said, as he took Chanyeol’s palm, forcefully opened it and placed the bottle on it.

When Chanyeol was still staring dumbly at Soo, he apparently seemed to get a tad uncomfortable. “What’s your name?” he asked, promptly looking away from Chanyeol.

But then Chanyeol in a breath, suddenly turning back to his excited beagle self at the prospect of introducing himself. “Chanyeol! Park Chanyeol!”

Soo seemed more at ease with the sudden excitement (and the fact that the other wasn’t staring at him like a dazed zombie anymore), and a soft smile appeared. “Look Chanyeol, it’s important that you use sunscreen. So remember to use it. I already applied some on myself today, so feel free to keep the bottle.” He told him kindly, albeit a little as if he was talking to some dumb tall child.

Chanyeol was just about to reply when Jongin called. “Order up!”

Chanyeol looked at Jongin, then at Soo, then back at Jongin, then back at Soo.

The lifeguard chuckled at that, before nodding in Jongin’s direction, motioning for the other to go get his stuff.

“Thank you.” Chanyeol said, before skipping over to get his order. Then he looked over at the other side of the pool, to where Jongdae and Baekhyun were both blatantly staring at him.

Baekhyun gave him a thumbs up and an obnoxiously impressed nod whilst Jongdae got up with his wallet so he could come over and pay.

Chanyeol looked back at his burgers, and now at the cashier that had appeared. A short boy, almost the same height as Chanyeol’s lifeguard, with pointy cat-like eyes and expertly parted black hair. He was about to open his mouth but stopped short when he saw Chanyeol’s sunburnt front. “Pfft.” He couldn’t help but let out, not even with the consciousness to be subtle. “You look like a lobster, you know that, right?” he said as he rang up the order.

“Rude.” Chanyeol countered honestly, but that just made the cashier laugh even more. Chanyeol looked at the green shirt the guy was wearing, Xiumin, huh? .

Finally, Jongdae arrived, giving the cashier a small awkward smile before handing him a couple of bills and aggressively pulling Chanyeol back with him to their spot.

Baekhyun still had that dumb impressed look on his face. “Way to go Yeollie, already talking with ya man.” And he gave him a slow clap before a burger was thrown in his face.

“He’s an angel. A hot y angel from heaven sent to kill me.” Chanyeol swooned.

Jongdae quirked an eyebrow. “That’s not what angel’s usually do.”

“I have like a million and one pick-up lines running around in my brain.” Chanyeol said absentmindedly. “I’m gonna use them all if I have to.”

“Ugh, pick-up lines? Seriously Yeol? Be more original.” Baekhyun complained as he unwrapped his meal. Chanyeol just flipped him off.

Then Chanyeol’s gaze wandered back to where his lifeguard was sitting on a plastic stool and chatting with Jongin and Xiumin.

Chanyeol sighed lovingly as he looked at him, his heart clenching as he bore witness to the most beautiful heart-shaped smile that appeared when one of the two said something and they started to laugh.

“Can you even believe he’s real?” Chanyeol asked no one in particular.

“I can’t believe you’re for real.” Jongdae said, slapping his friend atop the head.

Chanyeol took a bite of his burger and slid down his sunglasses on his face, around a big mouthful he said: “Commence operation: WDA aka Operation Woo Dat ..” His friends groaned at how impossible Chanyeol was being.

"Ugh, that with a d? You're disgusting Yeol." Jongdae complained.

“Are you legit going to spend the whole summer on this operation?” Baekhyun asked.

“Hells yeah dude.” Chanyeol replied easily.

Jongdae shrugged. “Count me in, seems like a fun spectacle.”

Baekhyun shrugged as well. “I’m in too I guess, can’t let our Yeollie crash and burn.”

Chanyeol smiled at his friends before stealing another glance at his lifeguard.

This was going to be a great summer.