best friend to lovers au

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“I’m sorry, can you repeat what you just said?” Chanyeol thinks he didn’t hear his best friend correctly.

“I said be my boyfriend. I mean, at least pretend to be my boyfriend. Please?” Baekhyun clasped his hands together and looked at him with the puppy eye look that he knows his best friend can’t resist.

“Do you hear yourself, Baekhyun? Did you knock your head into something this morning?” his bestfriend asked in disbelief.

“Come on, Chanyeol. It’s really not that complicated. Just pretend to be my boyfriend. Just hold my hand and hug me, which we do all the time. Maybe we should kiss too if the situation requires for it, who knows.” Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders.

“Why do you even need a pretend boyfriend? Why not just go and date someone for real?” Chanyeol sighs in exasperation.

“I’m sick of mom setting me up in blind dates that always end up being awkward. It needs to be put in a stop. And about dating someone, I just can’t seem to find THE one, you know?” He stirred mindlessly the spoon in the coffee that he ordered.

“Why me, then? There’s a lot of other people you could ask help from.” Chanyeol sipped on his Americano; not knowing if the bitterness that he’s tasting is from the coffee he’s drinking or from the request his best friend asked from him.

“I just thought that she’ll believe me if it’s you whom I am supposedly dating. We’re best friends and we basically grew up together.” Baekhyun didn’t notice the flash of hurt in the other’s eyes. There was a period of silence.

“I’m sorry, Baek. I can’t do it.” Baekhyun was shocked. He didn’t expect his best friend will decline.

“But why? We’re best friends, Chanyeol. Can’t you do your best friend a favor?” Chanyeol looked at him in the eyes and that’s when Baekhyun noticed that his bestfriend is sad. He looks hurt.

“Yes, we’re best friends. And I’m telling you that I can’t just pretend to love you when I have real feelings for you.” Baekhyun’s eyes widened. Was that a confession? Was his mind playing games with him?

“You know, this wasn’t what I had in mind when I thought of confessing to you but I just can’t keep this to myself anymore.” Chanyeol laughed bitterly.

“Don’t ask me when I felt it. I just woke up one morning seeing you in a different light. Your smiles suddenly became beautiful. Your laughs became music to my ears when it was supposed to be annoying and your weird habits became endearing. I just… I love you, and you don’t how much I do. I’m not blaming you for it, because it’s my fault that I didn’t tell you. I love you, but I won’t accept faking a relationship with you. I’m sorry but what I feel is real, and I don’t want it to be taken for granted.” Chanyeol stood up from his chair and sent a little smile in Baekhyun’s direction.

“Get home safely, Baekhyun.” He ruffled his best friend’s hair. “I’ll see you around.” He proceeded to walk out of the coffee shop. Baekhyun was left dumbfounded in his seat.

♪~♫~♪

A week has passed and Chanyeol didn’t call him nor send him a single text. He didn’t even see the taller in the university. Those days were the worst days of Baekhyun’s life. There was no giant who tells him the corny joke that he has for that day which makes his day complete. There was no giant that he could hug when he’s sad. That week got Baekhyun thinking if he really took the giant for granted for all those years that they were together. He misses his giant dearly and in those days of the giant’s absence in his life, he realized that he loves him too.

He’s not in love with Chanyeol just because his best friend confessed to him. He’s just stupid to ignore his heart wildly beating inside his ribcage whenever he holds his best friend’s hand or when he hugs him in all those times that they were together. He’s stupid to mistake those things as a sense of comfort and familiarity. Ah, so it’s true that you’ll only know the true value of something or someone when you lose them. He’s too late to realize his feelings, and now his best friend, the one he loves, is out of his life.

♪~♫~♪

Mrs. Byun noticed how her son was acting like a zombie or a robot for days already. He’s always spacing out and only responds when he’s asked something; never initiating talking unlike what he was doing before.

“Baekhyun” she snapped her fingers in front of her son who was spacing out again. “Why don’t you go out and have some fun in the weekend?” Baekhyun only stared down on his food and played with it absentmindedly. He heard his mother sigh in front of him.

“I already set you for a date this Saturday.” He dropped his spoon and fork on his plate. He looked at his mother with tired eyes.

“Mom, I… I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to date random people you kept on setting me up with.”

“But it’s been days and I’ve seen how lifeless you’ve become. You’re not even telling me what’s bothering you.” She said, voice laced with concern for him.

“I’ll deal with this on my own. And please mom, I want to stop with this blind date thing already. Please.” He begged to his mom, sounding a little desperate.

“Just go on this one. I promise you that this will be the last time.”

“You said that the last time.” He mutters, sounding defeated.

“I mean it this time around, dear. This will really really be the last one. Please?” His mother held his hand. Her eyes looked hopeful. His mother never begged him before so this must be important. He sighed in defeat.

“Alright, fine. But I won’t go home to you if there will be a next time.” He warned his mother. Her mother chuckled, amused with what he said.

“Yes, I promise that this will really be the last one. Thank you baby.”

♪~♫~♪

Baekhyun was waiting on an empty table that he sat by at McDonald’s on a busy Saturday lunch. Apparently his mother told him that his blind date didn’t like fancy dining restaurants and asked to meet at the fast food near Baekhyun’s house. It was convenient for Baekhyun. He could just run back to his house if he didn’t like his date.

He was scrolling through his phone when he felt someone occupying the chair in front of him. He looked up and he felt his world stop spinning upon seeing that familiar almond eyes, pointy nose, and wide smile with a prominent dimple in one of his cheeks.

“Hello, I’m Park Chanyeol. Sorry if I’m late. And you are?” Baekhyun pinched his own arm and he felt the pain. Is this for real?

“I… I’m…” He was speechless. He couldn’t find the right words to say.

“I missed you.” Baekhyun whispered, holding back the tears that threatened to fall down from his eyes.

“Hello, Missed Yoo. I think that’s a unique name.” Chanyeol laughed. He then noticed that Baekhyun was crying.

“. I’m sorry Baek, I was just joking. I won’t joke anymore, please stop crying.” He stood up from his chair and ran to his best friend’s side then hugged him. Baekhyun hugged him back and buried his face in his best friend’s stomach.

“I-I really missed you. I’m sorry if you feel like I was taking you for granted but I promise you that I didn’t!” Baekhyun was hysterical, afraid that Chanyeol might leave him again.

“I missed you too. I’m sorry for ignoring you for days. I hope you’ll forgive me.” Chanyeol combed his hair through Baekhyun’s locks, calming down his best friend. When he deemed his best friend has calmed down already, Chanyeol sat back on his seat.

“Chanyeol, I’m really so—“ Baekhyun was cut off when Chanyeol held up his hand.

“We’ll get into apologies later. This is a date, and I think we should enjoy it first. Did you eat already?” Chanyeol asked with a charming smile.

“I’m starving.” Baekhyun pouts, remembering he didn’t bother eating breakfast earlier in the morning.

“Good, then. We’ll eat lots of foods while we catch up.” Chanyeol ruffled his hair then he stood up and ordered for the two of them in the counter.

Baekhyun was thankful for a second chance given to him. He will not waste this opportunity to tell Chanyeol that he loves him too. He’ll definitely thank his mom later for setting this “blind” date for him.