The drinking evening Baekhyun had planned had everyone excited and acting strange.  Besides the fact it was the first time they had all been together in a while to really relax, everyone was interested in ‘the twins’ as Alex and Ella had been affectionately named.  Chanyeol really thought he was losing his mind as the day wore on, Jongin had come into their apartment three times, with a different outfit on, asking how he looked.  Once he was questioned by Chanyeol about what he was doing, he admitted he had actually tried on more outfits, but Kyungsoo was about ready to kill him so he was looking for their approval of his choices. 

Baekhyun didn’t tell Chanyeol of his master plan.  He just told everyone to be at their usual bar at 9pm, and that was it.  Hoping he had forgotten, Chanyeol tried his best to write lyrics to his song, but failed miserably, throwing the pad onto the pile of whatever it was piled on their coffee table. 

‘I’m hungry, should we eat first?’  Baekhyun walked out of his room, shoving his phone into his pocket around 7pm.

‘Yeah I guess so.’  Chanyeol complied, a repeat performance of last week was not what he wanted to do, and food would definitely help him if he had to be drinking.  He stood up stretching, pulling his coat and scarf on, while Baekhyun meandered doing the same.

‘Is anyone else coming?’  Chanyeol asked him, wondering if they should make the night a meal/drinks thing.

‘Kyungsoo.’  Baekhyun said turning to open the front door, where miraculously Kyungsoo was stood with his finger millimetres away from the doorbell.

‘What about everyone else?’ Chanyeol asked stepping out into the corridor and following them both to the elevator.

‘Jongin, Sehun and Junmyeon are coming from the practice room, Jongdae is coming from his friends, and Minseok is still asleep.’  Baekhyun rattled off the list a little too quickly.  Chanyeol and Kyungsoo both eyed him suspiciously, clearly neither of them trusted his all too calm demeanour.

‘Where are we eating?’  Kyungsoo asked sounding thoroughly bored as they left the building and Baekhyun frog marched them with purpose in the direction he wanted to go.

‘I know a new place, Heechul recommended it.’  He practically skipped over the melting ice puddles.

Kyungsoo cocked and eyebrow at him, mumbling, ‘Yeah I bet he did.’  Ask Baekhyun checked his phone several times. 

‘What’s he got planned?’  Chanyeol asked Kyungsoo through gritted, chattering teeth.

‘Safe bet it’s something to do with the twins.’  Kyungsoo answered, his large eyes landing on Chanyeol. 

He shuddered, from Baekhyun’s obvious plan now he had heard Kyungsoo say it, or from the cold he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t have time to deliberate as Baekhyun stopped abruptly in front of a restaurant Chanyeol didn’t recognise. 

‘Here,’ Baekhyun turned and faced them, the grin practically jumping off his face.  He was on vibrate mode, and Chanyeol knew this was going to be a little more than uncomfortable from here on in.  Kyungsoo followed Baekhyun in and Chanyeol followed lastly, frowning as the heat sparked at his cheeks.

Chanyeol’s eyes landed on Alex first, she had just turned her head in their direction, landing her eyes on him.  She flicked between all three of them, as Chanyeol looked past her to focus on Ella for the first time, who was staring like she had seen a ghost at Kyungsoo.  She did look very similar to Alex, from a distance, you would say pretty much identical, but as he looked more closely, her differences were obvious.  It was true as Baekhyun had said, she had bigger eyes, but not just that, they were a different shape, and somehow not quite as blue as Alex’s, slightly darker.

Chanyeol looked down at Kyungsoo, who was staring back at Ella in much the same way she was.

 ‘Hi Butterfly,’ Baekhyun moved towards Alex.  Chanyeol snapped his head at him sharply, he wasn’t still calling her that was he? Chanyeol watching her closely as he hovered behind Kyungsoo

‘Can you stop with that,’ she smiled at him, but it was strained and her tone clearly annoyed.  She grabbed his wrist as Baekhyun made to move past her and Chanyeol could just about make out her hiss in his ear ‘You didn’t mention Kyungsoo on the phone.’

‘I know, it’s more entertaining this way.’ He replied like the devil himself and kissed her cheek making his way around the table towards Ella.

So that was his plan.  He had been whispering in his bedroom a little while before he came out, but Chanyeol didn’t have the heart to listen to him.  His plan was not only Chanyeol and Alex, but Kyungsoo and Ella.  Like he was watching a drama unfold in front of his eyes.   

‘Kitten.’ He nodded towards Ella.

‘I will murder you while you sleep,’ Ella replied, sounding deeply serious and utterly terrifying, small as she was, as she addressed Baekhyun with narrowed eyes, and Chanyeol made a mental note never to get on her bad side.    

‘Hi Alex,’ said Chanyeol quietly, feeling extremely awkward at the whole situation. 

‘Hi Chanyeol,’ She replied a little breathy, also avoiding his eyes.  He figured she was feeling just as awkward as he was.

Deciding he was better to sit as far away from her as possible he manoeuvred around the table to sit next to Ella, smiling at her politely as he introduced himself.

‘Hi I’m Chanyeol.’  He smiled, feeling about 12 years old.  Her eyes softened on him, a startling contrast to the way she eyed Baekhyun just a few seconds ago as she returned his smile, putting her hand out for him to shake.

‘Hi Chanyeol, I’m Ella. Nice to meet you, at last.’  She was no taller than Alex really, and her hands, if possible seemed even more slender than Alex’s.  He attempted to sit, but Baekhyun threw him a kick under the table, out of sight of everyone as he cleared his throat.  Baekhyun had already settled himself at the top of the table.  Unwillingly Chanyeol made himself comfortable in the seat between Baekhyun and Alex.  The little had done this deliberately he thought to himself, aiming a kick back at him.

Alex turned to the table, ‘This is my sister, Ella, you met once before.’ She was smiling, like an angel as Chanyeol watched her introduce Ella to Kyungsoo

‘Hi,’ he smiled, taking the seat next to Ella.  It was clear he was taken with her, Baekhyun was right, Kyungsoo had soft eyes, and it was very rare to find someone who gave Kyungsoo soft eyes. 

Alex was the last to be seated, looking at everyone in turn, her eyes found Baekhyun and she frowned deeply to him. Chanyeol’s eyes darted to Baekhyun, who was ignoring her completely his gaze solely focused on Kyungsoo and Ella.   

.

‘Hi,’ Ella managed back at Kyungsoo in a terribly tiny voice.  She was obviously nervous, Chanyeol noticed, as he flicked his eyes down to the menu in front him nervously tapping his fingers on the linen table cloth.  She was staring at Kyungsoo as if he were magic and about to do something deeply impressive.  Everyone seemed to be holding their collective breath for a second, so he turned his attention back to the menu.

‘Can I your hair?’ Ella’s voice broke the silence.  She sounded like she was floating on a cloud.

Baekhyun snorted a laugh, at the same time Chanyeol brought his head up to watch the scene in disbelief.  Did she really just ask him that?  His mouth hung open slightly in awe at her bravery.