“I have already applied in some Universities in Chicago, am just waiting for the confirmation”

“When were you planning to tell me?”

“I just told you now, i am not sure if il even get through with so many students applying to these colleges”

“With your top grades, sure”

“Il ignore the sarcasm anyway it’s not like our relationship was working out”

“If you say so”

“Cmon Chanyeol we fight more than we have a normal conversation, like right now I try to tell you something and you start twisting my words”

“We both were supposed to graduate together, what happened to that?”

“Plans change”

“Didn’t you mean you changed”

___

Baekhyun has played this conversation in his head a countless times thinking how things could have been different if he hadn’t walked out that day and never contacted Chanyeol. 

Chicago was amazing but was is it worth running away from his relationship? Back then it felt like the perfect escape to his commitment phobic heart which craved for freedom.

But after 3 years with too many flings and drunken nameless one night stands he begs to differ standing in front of Chanyeol who is holding a guy’s hand, laughing.

They seem like a happy couple straight out of some magazine cover, Baekhyun isn’t bitter he could have been that guy who right now tip toeing to whisper something into Chanyeol’s ear making him double in laughter, the kind where his big eyes disappear hands clapping looking absolutely blissful.

__

“Baek what do you think of this house?” Chanyeol pointed to a big two storied white coloured house across the road.

“Looks nice...suddenly you are interested in houses? Are you looking for a career in real estate? Baekhyun’s lips curled into his usual smirk

“No i kinda always imagine us living in a house like this someday”

“Oh my god! I don’t even know what I am gonna eat for dinner and here you are planning our future” He laughed shaking his head

“We will have a future right?” Chanyeol hesitated. 

“Of course you and I will” 

What Baekhyun left out was separately because he would have to actually stay to be in Chanyeol’s future.

___

“Baekhyun?”

His breath hitched as he stopped walking hearing the voice, fixing his composure Baekhyun turned around with a startled look on his face raising his eyebrows.

“Chanyeol? Almost didn’t see you” his voice too high pitched. Phoney, Baekhyun mentally slapped himself.

“I can’t believe you are here” Chanyeol smiled broadly with a surprised tone. 

“Guess I am full of surprises” Baekhyun shrugged grinning

“Seriously it’s been what ? 3 ? 4 years?”

It’s been 3 years 7 months not that I was counting.

“Yah something like that, don’t remember”

“When did you get back? You went to Chicago right...or—?”

“Chicago. I came back a few months ago. I was starting to miss home”

“Great. I really can’t believe am seeing you. You still look exactly how I remember” Chanyeol stares at him with a genuine happiness, eyes widened.

It’s nice to know that he still remembers 

“Well you are still ridiculously tall” Baekhyun joked rolling eyes eyes. Humour has always been a natural defense.

“And you are still making fun of my height after all these years, guess some things don’t change”

Nope just us.

Baekhyun chuckled sipping on the champagne. 

“Are you staying for the wedding?”

“Yes otherwise Joohyun will kill me, and I take all her threats seriously”

Chanyeol chortled “Me too, she can be scary. Since you are here I would like to introduce you to Kyungsoo” He turned his head to look around eyes searching for someone.

“Introduce to who?”

“Oh sorry Kyungsoo is my boyfriend, well fiancé actually.” Chanyeol’s smiled shyly before his cheeks flushed red. “ I wasn’t supposed to say that...we are keeping the engagement news low profile, my stupid mouth” Chanyeol slapped his mouth with his palm.

“Don’t worry your secret is safe with me, also I can’t wait to meet the guy who tolerates you enough to marry you”

“Hey as an ex boyfriend your duty is to say nice things about me” 

“I don’t know about your other ex-boyfriends but I was never the nice type”

Baekhyun winked smiling mischievously as he placed his half empty glass back on the table.

Suddenly the champagne tasted too bitter on his tongue. 

___

So Chanyeol’s fiancé wasn’t just some guy, a doctor with a gorgeous smile and a friendly personality.

Baekhyun couldn’t hate him even if he wanted to, Kyungsoo seemed genuinely nice and Chanyeol looked absolutely happy with him.

“You should have seen Chanyeol in college, man he was so loud and messy”

“He is still very loud and very messy” Kyungsoo smiled shaking his head slightly.

“I hope his iron man obsession is gone now”

“Oh sadly it isn’t our house is full of Iron man figurines”

Baekhyun pretended that our house didn’t make his stomach knot a little.

“Don’t gang up on me like this” Chanyeol complained throwing his hands. 

“You should visit us, guess we have a lot to catch up on” 

“So that you both can make fun of me?” Chanyeol whined pouting to which Kyungsoo wrapped his arms around him saying something about still being a kid.

“Yah sounds fun” Baekhyun looked away on the pretext of fixing his shirt.

___

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh you” Baekhyun’s voice slurred slightly as he squinted turning his head to see Chanyeol standing behind him.

“Yah enjoying the wedding” Baekhyun lifted up the wine bottle to show him.

He took a few steps forward and sat beside him on the bench.

“The wedding is actually happening inside”

“I know, too many people it was kinda gettin stuffy so I decided to ditch it...what is your excuse?” 

“You have always been good at ditching” 

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun’s voice and heart dropped an octave. 

“You didn’t even see me once before you left for Chicago, you ended our relationship without even letting me know...not even one text” He spoke after a few seconds,sounding distant but calm.

“I was stupid and young, and...and really stupid”

“You said stupid twice”

“Yah it intensifies my stupidness”

“No you are just drunk”

“Kyungsoo...he is really nice”

“You don’t have to lie Baek, it’s okay if you don’t like him”

“No no no” Baekhyun shook his head “I am not lying, he really is...you both look good, together”

“What about you? Any relationships that I should know off?”

“Nope i dont think am cut out for the boyfriend material”

“Hmmm agreeable” Chanyeol answered with a teasing tone.

“Hey” Baekhyun shoved at his arm “shouldn’t you be saying that no Baek you are gonna be an amazing boyfriend when you find the right guy or some like that to make me feel better?”

Chanyeop let out laugh. Baekhyun realised he has missed that sound so much.

“Won’t your fiancé mind you sitting here in the dark with your ex ?” He asked with an exasperated gasp.

“Well he got a call from the hospital and he had to leave, he wouldn’t mind at all he knows me too well”

“He doesn’t know me, I could just pounce on you right now like the crazy ex boyfriend I am”

“Maybe it’s time you stop drinking” Chanyeol took the bottle out of his hand placing it somewhere on the ground, out of his reach.

“Ugh you are ruining my fun, just go back and enjoy the wedding, let me drink in peace”

“I have missed you Baek” Chanyeol blurted out of nowhere.

Baekhyun closed his eyes biting down on his lip, the scenarios in his mind were always different where they would bump into each other and Chanyeol would tell him that he missed him.

But the Chanyeol in his fantasy was always single and waiting to be with him. 

“I missed you and your annoying laugh, your attempt at dancing to cringe pop songs at 4am in our dorm,your disastrous cooking, your bear hugs...I missed everything” Baekhyun mumbled shakily blinking away the tears.

“I bet those boys in Chicago couldn’t even appreciate your bad jokes like I did” Chanyeol ruffled his hair beaming. 

“Don’t ruin my perfectly coiffed hair and my jokes aren’t bad, it’s your inability to understand sarcastic humour” Baekhyun scoffed.

“Whatever you say”

They fell into a silence, Baekhyun felt like nothing had changed between them because it was just so comfortable being around him. 

“Can i ask you something?”

“Anything, you don’t need to take permission”

“If I hadn’t left then would we have a chance..? Baekhyun asked swallowing the lump. 

“It was always you, I had plans for us..but you—“ Chanyeol trailed off heaving a sigh.

“Guess I lost my chance then huh, maybe in some parallel universe I wouldn’t be an and stay with you, grow old and grey with you” Baekhyun shrugged with a sad smile.

“You will be old and grey and still a royal pain in the ” Chanyeol smirked

“That’s one of my redeeming qualities” 

“When you left I wanted to hate you so bad but I couldn’t”

“You should have, I deserved every bit of it”

“Yah but I was in love with you, and you can’t love and hate someone at the same time”

“I wish things were different”

“Me too” Chanyeol whispered his palm resting on the bench moved towards the other so his fingertips slightly touched Baekhyun’s. 

Baekhyun didn’t pull away either he tried to savour the moment.

“When is your wedding?” He tried his best to sound casual.

“After 5 months...will you come?”

“I don’t think I can sit and watch you standing at the altar with someone else, am not that mature” Baekhyun was glad Chanyeol couldn’t see his face right now because the smile on his face was too forced.

“I understand Baek”

“Also I am going back to Chicago next month”

“So you are leaving again” Chanyeol removed his hands away from him, Baekhyun immediately missed his touch.

I don’t have a reason to stay

“Yah I am already on an extended holiday if I don’t return il loose my job” Baekhyun stood up staggering slightly.

He glanced at Chanyeol facing the other side, fiddling with the metal band on his finger.

“You know I am really happy for you, you deserve to be with someone who loves you”

Chanyeol finally turned towards him, his eyes automatically going to his engagement ring his lips tugging into his usual dimpled smile.

He is going to miss it.

“I love him too, he makes me happy” Chanyeol replied dazed eyes sparkling.

Baekhyun hummed in response fixing his gaze on the bright lighting of the wedding hall, which were starting to blur a bit. He realised it’s true when they say you don’t know what you have lost until it’s gone

“Can we at least remain as friends, I don’t want to loose you again” Chanyeol asked with hopeful eyes.

Won’t that be masochistic?

“Yah I would like that...let’s go inside before people send a search party for us” Baekhyun stuck his hand out smiling.

Chanyeol let out a small laugh taking his hand he pulled him closer into a hug, wrapping his arms around him. 

Baekhyun closed his eyes resting his head on the Chanyeol’s chest cherising the warmth and the smell of his cologne, Maybe this time he will stay and fix this even if it meant being just a friend.

___