Every leaf
speaks bliss to me,
fluttering from
the
autumn tree.




 

By the time Baekhyun decided to step out of his bedroom, it was somewhere around quarter to 9. The boy had lost track of time, while struggling in the mess of his feelings.

After fighting a cluster of hesitant emotions, Baekhyun finally decided to soothe things with Chanyeol. Making up for his messy behavior seemed like the only reasonable response. But when Baekhyun came out and found Chanyeol sitting on a couch in the living room, did it hit him that he really lost track of time.

Obviously, he wasn't expecting Chanyeol to already be back. He turned his head to check the time on the wall clock and his eyes widened in surprise that it was already night time. He was really locked in his room for a judicious amount of time. He looked back at Chanyeol who was busy on his phone, probably texting someone.

"When did you return?" Baekhyun asked stepping towards the kitchen.

"While you were locked in your room." Chanyeol answered in a flat voice.

Chanyeol's voice is never flat and emotionless. Baekhyun gulped, did he really hurt Chanyeol? He filled a glass of water and walked to the couch where Chanyeol was sitting and stood next to him with a pouty face.

"Have it."

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun's puppy face and his heart melted at the sight. He sighed loudly, partially regretting his whipped self, and took the glass anyway and connected his lips to the rim of the cold glass before taking a small sip and keeping it on the table placed within comfortable reach. A small smile made it way through Baekhyun's lips as he jumped into the spot next to Chanyeol on the couch and his thin frame buried all the way into the plush grey couch as a post effect of the jump. It was really simple to convince Chanyeol.

"You're such a kid." Chanyeol commented whilst tapping his thumbs on the screen of his phone.

"You are in no position to call someone a kid, you big baby!" Baekhyun said with a scowl.

Chanyeol just rolled his eyes and said, "Wanna watch some movies?"

"Sure!" Baekhyun said in a loud cheerful tone, sounding like an excited teenager.

"Or we can watch baby loony toons, if you want?" Chanyeol said in a mocking tone.

"Sounds like your favorite show." Baekhyun replied with a smirk.

"You are the one who watches TV." Chanyeol retorted.

"Just like you're the one who can't sleep alone?"

And rest of the night was spend in arguing about who's more of a baby between them, until Chanyeol decided that it was late enough and went to sleep with Baekhyun hanging on his shoulder because the shorter wasn't ready to sleep and was overly involved in arguing how Chanyeol is a baby.

____________

Baekhyun woke up the next morning lazily to the sound of his alarm clock. He pulled his body out of the thick, warm covers and turned around to look at a sleeping Chanyeol. Mouth slightly open, almond eyes shut and messy hair. Baekhyun smiled at how stupid Chanyeol looked while sleeping, but somehow, this stupid was oddly heart warming. And probably, he wanted it no other way. Maybe, this stupid is all he wanted to look at every morning he woke up. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted Chanyeol to be his stupid.

Ding.

Chanyeol's phone vibrated to it's casual message tone bringing Baekhyun back to reality.

Ding. Ding.

Two more messages.

Baekhyun remembered how Chanyeol was busy on his phone last night. Texting every now and then.

Should I?

Baekhyun thought to himself.

No, I shouldn't.

But, what if it's important?

And curiosity got the best of him when Baekhyun bridged over Chanyeol's sleeping state to get his phone from the bed-side table.

Kyungsoo
- I know, but, it's hard.
- Chanyeol-ah, I am sorry for bothering you.
- I will try to do as you told me.

And Baekhyun didn't know how to respond anymore. A large variety of thoughts started popping inside his head along with a huge wave of emotions flooding through his senses, rendering him blank as a freshly crafted sheet. He abruptly got out of bed and threw Chanyeol's phone somewhere on the bed and ran out of the room.

Chanyeol woke up, his hand involuntarily reached out for Baekhyun's spot which was empty and cold.

Baekhyun is up!

Chanyeol sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes and turned around to look at the wall clock. It was half past eight.

Need to make coffee for Baek!

Chanyeol's brain alarmed and Chanyeol jumped out of bed but before he could even walk to the bedroom door, he heard a loud bang of the door. He rushed out to the living room while his eyes kept searching for Baekhyun everywhere.

Chanyeol looked at the main door blankly.

He left already? It's not even nine.

Chanyeol shrugged the thought away and walked to his bathroom for freshening up.

Some urgent work maybe,

Chanyeol tried explaining in his head for self satisfaction.

But it was no longer easy to reason out when Baekhyun didn't pick any of Chanyeol's dozen phone calls, and got harder to ignore when he didn't return home until 11.

Must be work load.

Chanyeol tried reasoning.

But Chanyeol started doubting his own reasonings when the same continued for 3 days in a line. It became like a cycle. Baekhyun would return after midnight while Chanyeol would be asleep, wouldn't come to their room, would sleep somewhere on the couch, would leave the house before Chanyeol woke up and wouldn't pick up his calls nor would he reply to any of his messages.

Chanyeol didn't know what to conclude. He couldn't think of anything that he did wrong for Baekhyun to push him away this way. Every time he would think something is wrong, he would try reasoning it out. Maybe work pressure, or some client, or maybe tedious paper work.

But soon Chanyeol was no longer doubting, he was dead sure that something was wrong since the same continued for a week. And yes, Baekhyun didn't even stay home on Sunday.

Why is he pushing me away? Just why?

And anxiety was engulfing the best of Chanyeol's mind. Chanyeol explained the whole situation to Kai who only responded like, "Oh. I'll see to it."

But Chanyeol had to do something himself. He couldn't  just wait for Kai to solve the issue. So Chanyeol decided to stay awake now. sleep. He thought to himself. But that day Baekhyun didn't return home at all.

And Chanyeol was so close to losing his mind. He was tired of sending unreplied messages and making unpicked calls.

Every time Chanyeol would fall asleep, he would wake up in an hour or so, look around the house in hope that maybe Baekhyun was home and get disappointed.

"Please Baekhyun, please call me. , leave me a message at least. Please, just, please d- don't do this-" Chanyeol was mumbling while the phone call went voice message.

Just the way trees shed leaves in autumn, Chanyeol's heart was shedding hope and his eyes were shedding tears.