“Baekhyun! We’re leaving now!”

Kyungsoo called out to him from the entrance, not really caring if he had heard him or not. He placed his hand affectionately on Kai’s hip as he ushered him out the door and locked it behind him.

Of course, Baekhyun hadn’t heard.

He was still in a tremendous state of planning how to savagely murder Park Chanyeol without being caught…

And he was still on the floor.

Then it hit him

...like a – er – piano…?

He would be alone.

With Chanyeol.

In the apartment.

...

Alone.

With Chanyeol.

…

With Chanyeol…

No.

No. No. No.

No. No.

No.

Not this again…

----

Pushing the bedroom door open gently, Baekhyun found Chanyeol on his knees, back facing him, silently unpacking his boxes of belongings. He just stood there for a moment, to bask in the normalness radiating from him. No snarky comments or death glares – just an average person rummaging through bits of this and that. If only it would stay that way…at least Baekhyun would have at least some chance of being with him.

…

Baekhyun let out a slight frustrated groan, and Chanyeol turn his head. He noticed Baekhyun, resting in the doorway, arms crossed, head slightly tilted to this left, leaning on the frame. Baekhyun immediately stood up straight, slightly flustered. He couldn’t piece together any sentences which actually made sense or that weren’t unbelievably embarrassing, hence, let the official ceiling and floor observations commence! Chanyeol narrowed his eyes only slightly, and lightly pressed his lips together. Baekhyun avoided his stare. Obviously, he wanted some sort of explanation to why he was just watching him…

He thought twice...three times...about what he should say. 

I hope you enjoyed your sleep last night.

I like pancakes

Do you like pancakes?

Er blarghsvagl…fhdsj..hdfjs?

Just say something already!

“C-can I…can I help you unpack?” He finally managed to choke out.

Oh.

Baekhyun surprised himself by spilling out a complete normal sentence. 

Chanyeol’s face relaxed. He shifted his gaze off Baekhyun, and softly scratched his neck. Baekhyun was surprised when Chanyeol made no attempt to mock his intelligence and simply nodded his head gently. Baekhyun travelled hastily to a box in the corner and began tearing off the tape.

It was full of books.

So many books!

Baekhyun raised his eyebrows and nodded approvingly.

So he liked reading.

He would never have picked Chanyeol, in a million years, to have been…

1.      The Patient type

2.      A Book Worm

3.       Literate Bothered to listen to other people’s ideas

That’s probably where he gets all his insults from…

Chanyeol glanced at Baekhyun, who was simply staring at the neatly packed collection of hardcovers.

“Um…If you don’t have room for those…you can just leave them in the box.”

Baekhyun raised his head.

Who just spoke?

Was it Chanyeol?

No...it couldn't have been...

His voice had been quiet, yet still unbelievably deep, however Baekhyun had even sensed a slight bit of…nervousness? For some reason, Baekhyun almost felt a little guilty for wanting to kill such a sweet-sounding person…but he knew the other side was still in there…somewhere and he wasn’t ready to give in just yet.

He glanced at the books again, and bit his lip. He really did have nowhere to put them. A slight breeze from the open window brushed at his hair while he thought. There was silence between them, but this time it wasn’t filled with anger. It was something else.

Was Baekhyun…nervous?

Being alone with him was nothing new, but the fact that he didn’t feel like strangling him, throwing ice in his face or masking-taping him up like a mommy was definitely something unusual. It had only been last night, when Chanyeol was sleeping that Baekhyun slightly admitted that he wasn’t really that bad…but that was because and only because he was sleeping. As soon as he woke, he snapped back to Jerk-yeol. Chan-Jerk. Jerk-Chan…his enemy. But now…he…fhajfkhafkhskhfksaf.

May I recommend a counsellor, perhaps?

How about a brain transplant.

I'm insulted. I'm not your brain. I'm your conscience...

I'm not an idiot you know. He hasn't talked me since that time i didn't give back that $20...

Baekhyun smiled quietly to himself. After all, he shouldn’t really blame his brain for not being able to figure out what he was feeling.

It was his heart that was making him feel this way.

Baekhyun left that box full of books for later, and moved onto another. He wanted to start a conversation, but he didn’t really know how to begin. To be honest, he was afraid of getting his head pounded with insults.

Oh well, it’s nothing new I suppose.

“You know, I can’t tell…”

Baekhyun began quietly, his back facing Chanyeol as he sorted through a stack of clear plastic folders.

“…if you hate me or like me.”

Chanyeol knew Baekhyun was referring to his attitude towards him yesterday and this morning. He sighed, but he didn’t let Baekhyun hear. He couldn’t tell him. It was too soon. He wasn’t even so sure about himself.

“I don’t hate you.”

Baekhyun lifted his head and faced Chanyeol. He had his back towards him as well, and he couldn’t see his expression.

So…it’s just an act, Baekhyun realised.

 He left his box and shuffled towards Chanyeol, who turned to look at him as he approached.

Ah. He was too close.

He was so close…

Baekhyun’s heart jumped a little and he had to hold his breath to calm it.

“Then why do you act like…act lik–”

“Like a jerk?”

Baekhyun lowered his head slightly. It was strange. Chanyeol was radiating so much…sadness. He felt a little guilty for saying it now.

Chanyeol knew.

He knew how he was acting…

Which meant that it wasn’t his true personality.

Baekhyun felt he was a step closer to getting the Chanyeol he wanted to know.

But he knew that if he pushed too hard, that Chanyeol would retreat and he would never be able to find out the person hiding under that tough shell.

So he decided to leave it.

He smiled.

“Haha. I tend to make people act that way towards me. People say I’m a fun one to tease…”

That was a lie.

Nobody has acted that way towards him before.

But that’s what made Chanyeol so different.

Something more than just pretty face.

Ooh…Pretty face…

Shut up.

You’re ruining the seriousness.

Baekhyun likes Chanyeol’s face?

…yeah.

“Are you alright?”

Chanyeol’s voice startled him.

Oh crap.

He was blushing again!

Quick Baekhyun.

Say something.

Anything!

“I like your face.”

Uh…maybe not that.

Chanyeol blinked.

“Er…uh…I”

And for the first time…

Chanyeol was the one who couldn’t speak.

And without Baekhyun knowing…

Chanyeol was having a secret argument with that annoying little heart of his own.