Summary/Warnings: Chanyeol confesses his love to his best friend, who doesn't know how to accept his feelings (Homophobia, do not read if uncomfortable)

“I like you.”
 

“Huh?” Baekhyun stared at Chanyeol as if he had grown a second head, mouth opening and closing like a floundering fish on land. “You… like me?” he asked, voice small and confused.

“Yep,” Chanyeol replied with a breathy laugh. “You didn’t hear me wrongly. I like you. Or rather, I’m in love with you.”

“Um,” Baekhyun swallowed nervously, taking a small step backwards. “That is… We’re both guys, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol smile faltered a little but he leaned in towards Baekhyun’s flustered face. “Yeah, so?”

Baekhyun took in a deep breath and stared at Chanyeol apologetically. “I like girls, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol scoffed and placed both of his hands on Baekhyun’s shoulders. “I like girls too. But I like you as well.”

“So you’re bi?” Baekhyun said shakily, eyes flickering downwards in an attempt to hide from Chanyeol’s intense stare.

“I don’t like these labels,” Chanyeol sighed loudly, brows knitting together. “They are limiting. Has it ever occurred to you that it isn’t necessary to compartmentalize people into boxes? That not everyone of us can fit neatly into categories? I don’t know what I am, Baekhyun. All I understand is love. And love to me, has no labels and boundaries. Love is love, and I love you, Byun Baekhyun.”

“You like girls, but you also claim to like me, so if you’re not bi, then what?” Baekhyun replied loudly, running a hand through his hair in exasperation.

“I used to identify with being straight, but then I met you, who gave me one hell of an identity crisis,” Chanyeol chuckled. “I realized that I was in love with you, and I thought to myself: oh well, then I guess that means I’m bi… right? I’m in love with a guy, after all. However, no matter how I tried to rationalize it, I came to the conclusion that these labels didn’t matter at all. That ual orientation is not always congruent with romantic orientation. Love is love, regardless of these inconsequential labels. I am most certainly very in love with you,” Chanyeol said seriously, his eyes shining with a fervent intensity. “And so I want to ask if you would be willing to give this a try? To give us a try?” Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun with a small, hopeful smile on his face, and Baekhyun felt his breath catch in his throat.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun began gravely. “You must be confused. You must be confusing our friendship for love. You said that you are attracted to females and so it is impossible for you to be in love with me, a male,” he said slowly, as if he was trying to explain a particularly difficult con