Baekhyun's face wore a million different emotions as he turned from one brother to the other. "Is this true?" he stared at Chanyeol who just nodded. He was done lying. He had to be honest. "Why didn't you tell me?" Tears filled his eyes as he turned to the other. "And you knew? You knew this all along? And you kissed me and held me and put your hands on my body? You knew all along and you let me wonder why?" Sehun flushed with embarrassment as Chanyeol's expression darkened.

Baekhyun's head was spinning. The champagne didn't help. He looked around from one to the other and it was his turn to run. "Don't follow me." He hissed at them both as he walked away. The cool clear night cleared his mind as he walked along the empty street towards his home.

He cursed himself as he walked slowly and anger built inside. How stupid was he? It all suddenly made sense. Everything. It was like he had been staring at a puzzle with a missing piece and he finally held it in his hand. But instead of feeling satisfiying it was confusing. Bile suddenly rose in Baekhyun's chest and he stopped to empty his stomach behind a tree. He vomited and untucked his shirt and used it to wipe the sweat from his forehead before continuing home.

He walked past the café and the bakery, past the nursery, around the back to the big tree. His favorite place to come and think never failed him. He ran his fingers across the deep cuts in the bark and remembered the day Chanyeol had carved their initials. He remembered his joke about the heart and the flush across Chanyeol's cheeks still cutely chubby with the baby fat of preadolescence.

He remembered it all. 

The lingering looks. The constant laughter and joy injected into his life. The hugs and the movies and the walks down by the creek. The many times Taeyeon had broken him to pieces and Chanyeol put him back together. And that day, that final day of school, when he had been so weak. When he had taken her side over Chanyeol's after all he had done for him.

Cold bitter regret washed over Baekhyun's body as he sat down on the grass below the tree. He leaned against the trunk and tears dripped from his eyes when he realised what he had done. He spent the last eight years letting anger and selfishness consume him, mad at Chanyeol for leaving him, irritated that his friend wasn't there for him like he thought he should be. But he was the one who had taken Chanyeol for granted. All through their teenage years it was always him needing Chanyeol. Him leaning on him, relying on him, taking from him while barely giving anything in return. And despite his selfishness Chanyeol somehow fell in love with him.

Chanyeol fell in love with a selfish boy, he loved him and worshipped him and was always there for him, and all Baekhyun did was flaunt his love for Taeyeon in front of him.

It must have been hell for Chanyeol, Baekhyun realised, helping him to pick up the pieces of his broken heart every time Taeyeon toyed with him, played with his emotions, discarded him like trash. 

And then that day. 

That final day.

——-

Taeyeon dissolved into giggles as Chanyeol ran away. "Oh my god. What a baby!" She laughed. "Baek how are you friends with him? He's so weird." Kris laughed as well. "I'll go see if he's okay. I shouldn't have . I'll go and convince him to come to the party. Ok?" Taeyeon smiled her winning grin at her friend and then at Baekhyun's worried face. "See. Kris will fix it. He'll be fine. He'll show up at the party and we'll all have a great time." Baekhyun shook his head. "I really should go after him..." But her soft hand entwined with his and when he looked into her deep brown eyes he was lost in a world of childish infatuation. And he didn't go after Chanyeol.

And he had no idea how much he would grow to hate those cold brown eyes that never gave him any warmth or comfort the way Chanyeol's always did.

——-

"You're so ing stupid!" Chanyeol exploded at his spoiled sulking brother. "Why did you have to tell him that? You could have just kept your mouth shut and made him happy." Tears spilled from Chanyeol's eyes. Tears of anger, shame, and relief. It was all out there now. He felt exposed, vulnerable, but most of all he felt free. "I had already stepped aside Sehun, I was just going to go back to the city, I wasn't going to tell him. I would have let you both be happy." His voice trembled with emotion as he took a deep breath. "I was even going to give you the ring I bought for Kyungsoo..." He wiped his cheeks with his hands and stared up at the sky. It was clear and crisp and beautiful. A perfect night to have your heart ripped out of your chest.

"Why did you have to come back?" Sehun thundered. "We were fine until you got here. How can I compete when you're around? You show up with your expensive and your red hair and your ing hit album, and I'm nothing, just some bored ing small town Uni student with nothing. I'm not rich or famous or talented. I don't have a number one song or a ing magazine cover." Sehun was wild and angry but stoic and he never let a single tear fall. "He was the only thing I could take that you wanted." Sehun sneered. "I just wanted to have something...." 

His chest heaved and as much as Chanyeol wanted to punch him in the face something stopped him. "I'm sorry Sehun. I'm sorry if you're jealous but I can't help that. I can't change the way you feel. I've worked hard to get where I am and to get the things I have and, you know I have all this stuff, but not the only thing I've ever really wanted." He sighed as he put his arm out and tried to bridge the distance between them that had always been there. "You have your own strengths and talents. And if Baekhyun choses you then I'll be happy for you." He sighed as he felt the reality and honesty of his feelings finally bubble to the surface and spill over. "But I need to be honest with him."

"Where are you going?" Sehun called out as Chanyeol turned and began to walk away. "He told us not to follow him."

"I'm going after him Sehun. I have to have a chance to talk it out. I'm not going to make the same mistake he did."

And Chanyeol took off into the night without looking back.