Sometimes, Baekhyun thinks, fate needs to give him a warning, or at least some sign; a heads up, anything, before it decides to kick him metaphorically in the balls and running away (once again, metaphorically) with his bride, leaving him alone and confused, nursing a damaged crotch at the altar.

Though really, Baekhyun would’ve probably reacted similarly either way. Because what the he was not prepared for that.

And who could blame him for reacting the way he did? It’s not like he’s obligated to act certain ways towards something like that. And honestly, he just reacted the way normal people would when faced with the same situation.

But now, standing alone in his room, leaning against the door, still panting with sweat trickling down his flushed face from all the running he did, Baekhyun feels regret and guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders down to the pit of his stomach, weakening his knees. He thinks he may be on the verge of throwing up.

Ironically, he thinks it could’ve been worse.

---

It happened a few minutes back.

They were hanging out at their usual spot; the staircase in front of the football field, right by the vending machine (rumored to be haunted as it never gives back the appropriate amount of money change) and led to the office building. It was nearing dusk, and the sky was painted a mesmerizing shade of orange, birds already flying to their nests in the trees and causing as much noise as possible.

Baekhyun was in the middle of complaining about the birds and why the do they feel the need to cause such a ing scene whenever they want to go to sleep. It happens every single ing day- when he is suddenly stopped by a hand on his face.

More specifically, Park Chanyeol’s hand.

The hand immediately removed itself from his cheek when his best friend noticed Baekhyun’s stare. He made a strangled noise that would have had Baekhyun laughing hysterically if he wasn’t so preoccupied with the worry that Chanyeol was actually in danger of choking on his own spit.

He remembers leaning in close to Chanyeol, asking do I need to bring you to the nurse’s office again when he noticed the flush on Chanyeol’s cheeks.

And then he remembers noticing their dangerously close proximity, and how Chanyeol was leaning in slightly and how his hands were shaking and his breathing had become rapid and-

Oh.

Realization fell down upon him like a tonne of bricks, hitting him hard and tilting his world off its axis and Baekhyun felt breathless and unstable like someone pulled the ground away from underneath his feet because Chanyeol was in love with him.

He remembers seeing the resignation on Chanyeol’s face when he voiced this out. Chanyeol nodded slowly, eyes fixed on him, leaning in again slightly and Baekhyun, after knowing him for years and could read him by his body language, realized (he was starting to hate that word) that Chanyeol was giving him a choice.

He could either lean in and close the distance between them; or he could push him away.

Byun Baekhyun’s never been the one to act well under pressure, so he opted for the easiest option:

He ran.