Baekhyun arrived home an hour later.  Chanyeol was still attempting to wear a hole in the flooring with his pacing, he stopped abruptly as he walked in, looking at Baekhyun cautiously who stared straight back at him.

‘What did you say to her?’  Baekhyun asked slowly, breaking the long drawn out silence between them. 

‘Nothing.’  Chanyeol responded instantly in an irritated voice, avoiding his best friend’s eyes.

‘She cried for almost 30 minutes straight Chanyeol.  It wasn’t nothing.’  Baekhyun retorted.  Chanyeol looked back at him amazed.  His mouth hung open slightly, he didn’t realise he had made her cry. 

‘She was crying?’  Chanyeol asked quietly, hoping he had heard wrong.

‘Yes she was crying.  Did you threaten her?’  Baekhyun asked quietly. 

‘NO!’  Chanyeol shouted at him flapping his arms wildly, disgusted that he would even think he was capable.

‘You looked pretty threatening, Chan.’  Baekhyun told him.  He was stock still, with his eyes trained on Chanyeol who had resumed his pacing, looking manic. 

‘I didn’t – it wasn’t –‘  Chanyeol fumbled with what he was saying, his thoughts were going in all directions, she thought he was threatening her? 

‘She said I threatened her?’  Chanyeol stopped in front of Baekhyun looking down on him but feeling about an inch tall. 

Baekhyun’s eyes softened, he sighed, ‘No, she said you were not violent.  It just looked that way from my point of view.  You need to tell me what’s going on Chanyeol.  I know who she is.  She wrote that book.’ 

Chanyeol eyeballed him, he knew she wrote the book.  He knew about the book.  ‘No she didn’t,’ he answered automatically again. 

‘Yes, she did Chanyeol, why are you lying to me?’  Baekhyun persisted, his tone was harsh. 

‘I’M NOT!’ Chanyeol bellowed back at him unreasonably. 

‘YOU ARE YOU DUMB GIANT YOU’RE LYING TO ME AND YOU’RE LYING TO HER.’  Baekhyun roared back. 

Chanyeol stared at him dumbfounded.  Baekhyun never yelled at him, at anyone. 

Baekhyun sighed dramatically, gathering himself together.  ‘Chanyeol, why can’t you tell me, whatever it is.  I’m your friend.’

Chanyeol shook his head sadly.  Why couldn’t he just tell him.  ‘I can’t.’  his voice broke as he turned and made his way into his bedroom.

‘She’s lying for you too.  Whatever you did say she’s covering it up for you.’ Baekhyun shouted after him.  He stopped and turned, Baekhyun eyes were still trained on him.  ‘She likes you, whatever you may think.’ 

Chanyeol turned away from him, with that thought going over and over in his mind, he sank into his bed and didn’t move for a very long time. 

The next morning was hectic, everyone had to be at the offices, for a meeting to discuss the new EXO project in the near future.  Chanyeol was unwilling to be there, since he slept very little.  Baekhyun was moody with him and kept throwing him shifty glances.  Junmyeon was constantly on his phone and disappearing.  Everyone else was noisy and Kyungsoo kept complaining that they shouldn’t be having the meeting when Sehun was still away. 

Chanyeol left to use the bathroom, though he didn’t need too.  He needed a break, he was still feeling extremely sorry for himself like a hurt puppy, so he went and sat in one of the bathroom stalls for a few minute reprieve. 

At the moment he was about the leave, Junmyeon walked in, talking on the phone.

‘Oh, poor baby.’ He chuckled, ‘how do you feel today?’

There were a few seconds silence, as Chanyeol held his breath.  Junmyeon was speaking in English, using that voice he didn’t like.  He called Alexandra baby?  The thought made Chanyeol gag.

‘Good, good, that’s good’ he hesitated, dropping his voice slightly, ‘Are you busy tonight?’

Through the crack in the door, Chanyeol could narrowly make out Junmyeon hovering by the door.  He obviously thought he was alone in here, there was a small smile on his face, as he leaned against the door, one ear trained for anyone coming.

He let out a nervous sigh and said, ‘Can we do our date tonight?’  His voice had dropped even lower, whispering like an idiot. 

Chanyeol shut his eyes, wishing he also had the ability to shut his ears.  He didn’t want to hear this at all.  It felt as though at that moment, Junmyeon was sticking hot pokers down his neck and playing with his heart.  Every word he said burnt him.  

‘I’m hiding out from everyone in a back room, at the moment, I don’t want them to know it’s tonight.  They’re nuisances if they know about it.’ Junmyeon continued to whisper. 

‘Back room my , you idiot.  Don’t go into a bathroom without checking if anyone is in there.  Doesn’t want anyone to know, but you’re being really obvious right now.  IDIOT.’ Chanyeol silently thought to himself at his friend’s stupidity. 

‘They bully me.’ He moaned using that moronic voice again.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes at him, internally. 

‘I’ll survive without you hurting yourself on my account.’ He told her.  ‘So, tonight, 7pm?  Wear something nice ok?’

Why did you do this in a bathroom Junmyeon.  Chanyeol cried internally.  It was bad enough this was happening, but knowing when it was exactly happening was awful,