Baekhyun likes their apartment.

 

It’s comfortable, sufficiently spacious, has a balcony which overlooks their entire street (which sometimes may not be a good thing, considering their neighborhood), well-furnished, and all the other good stuff apartments are supposed to be. It’s also close to his campus, a mere fifteen-minute walk away.

 

And most of all, the rent’s cheap.

 

Although his housemate, Kim Jongdae, leaves much to be desired, Baekhyun can honestly say that he is content with his current life. He makes decent money from his part-time job at the bookstore, the rent is (once again) cheap, even before he split it up with Jongdae, he’s doing quite well in his studies, and he has a lot of good friends (questionable).

 

He’s content. He really is. His life is good.

 

He should be.

 

--

 

 

 

They still text each other sometimes; updates on their lives, interesting news, invitations to eat, funny jokes they heard somewhere, and almost anything, really. There are also the occasional phone calls, though those usually occur when something really urgent comes up and they need response immediately, like when Chanyeol, rather panicked, called Baekhyun to ask whether or not he’s seen his cat. That ended badly (the cat was apparently run over by a car on the street across Chanyeol’s apartment).

 

Though they don’t treat each other with the ease they used to have, it’s still pretty alright. Baekhyun gets used to it after two years. Baekhyun doesn’t have his best friend anymore, but they’re still on speaking terms with each other. Although their every action screams forced politeness, at least they’re still holding on to their friendship (if they can still call it that). And after all, it really could have been worse. It really could.

 

That is why Baekhyun pays no heed to the sense of loss he always feels when Chanyeol merely smiles and waves politely at him whenever they pass by each other.

 

--

 

“Baek?”

 

Baekhyun turns around from where he’s locking up the store to see Chanyeol smiling at him. He hesitantly smiles back.

 

“Hey.”

 

He turns back to finish locking up, Chanyeol standing behind him, smile still in place. Baekhyun tries to ignore the fact that this is the smile he usually uses on the people he’s being polite to, because now Baekhyun is one of them. He has been for two years.

 

He pockets the keys and smiles tightly at Chanyeol.

 

“What are you still doing here? It’s already ten,” Chanyeol asks, looking curious.

 

Bitterly, Baekhyun wonders how long Chanyeol practiced in front of the mirror to make it look so effortless and natural.

 

Baekhyun shrugs, grinning easily (because Baekhyun’s always been better than Chanyeol at controlling his facial muscles). “Got distracted, and I was the one with lock-up duty. By the time I noticed, I was the only one left.” He doesn’t mention that his bastard co-workers didn’t even bother waking him up from his nap before they left, leaving him alone while he slept with his head rested on the cashier counter. He makes a mental note to kill Jongin and Sehun the next time he meets them. “What about you, though? You look dressed up,” he gestures to the clothes Chanyeol was wearing, visible underneath his ped coat.

 

“Oh, this?” Chanyeol chuckles lightly, running a hand through his now black and short hair (it used to be light brown and curly). “Oh, I was actually on my way to meet up with my friends at the club near here, the Eden’s Morning? You know, regular Saturday night stuff.”

 

Baekhyun spends his Saturday nights screaming his lungs out with Jongdae on their portable karaoke machine back at their apartment until either one of them passes out from exhaustion or when Baekhyun needs to sleep because he has work the next day, but he nods nonetheless.

“Yeah, I get it.”

 

He doesn’t get it at all.

 

“Oh! Do you want to join us?” Chanyeol asks, smiling expectantly at Baekhyun, hands in his pockets as he leans forward slightly.

 

Baekhyun shakes his head. “Nah, it’s okay. Besides,” he grins, “I already have plans for the night.” Jongdae will kill him if he misses their karaoke night. “You go and enjoy yourself, alright? I’ll see you around.” He pats Chanyeol lightly on the arm before walking off in the direction of his apartment, waving a hand over his shoulder when he hears Chanyeol mumble out a goodbye.

 

Baekhyun mentally congratulates himself for not making too much of an out of himself.

 

--

 

Baekhyun comes home to find Jongdae sitting on their couch, face blank as he flips through the channels on their flat-screen TV (a joint effort by the both of them, purchased using Baekhyun’s hard-earned money and Jongdae’s never-ending supply of allowance).

 

“Hey,” Baekhyun mutters as he toes off his shoes and throws his coat onto the hanger. He walks over to the couch and plops down next to Jongdae, earning a disgruntled grunt from his housemate. Baekhyun ignores it and stares at the screen. “What is so interesting about ducks that you won’t even look at me?”

 

Jongdae snorts. “Anything’s better than staring at your ugly face,” he nudges Baekhyun lightly. “And quit acting like my non-existent girlfriend, Byun.” He changes the channel yet again. “Either you tell me what happened, or you shut up and go to your room where I can’t see you.” It’s a bit disturbing how Jongdae always notices whenever Baekhyun feels like . Although it is nice to have someone who actually cares. “Unless if it’s about Park Chanyeol. Then feel free to jump from our balcony.” Or maybe Jongdae just needs to mind his own business.

 

“Way to make a person feel needed, man.”

 

Jongdae shrugs. “I try.”

 

Baekhyun sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I ran into Chanyeol just now,” he mutters.

 

Jongdae looks away from the screen to stare at him. “There was actually a hidden message hinting towards something  inside my words just now.”

 

“He says he was on his way to a club.”

 

“You know, specifically the ones involving your jump off our balcony?”

 

“He was wearing nice clothes. I mean, I knew he was fashion conscious, but not to that extent.”

 

“Really, really think about it Byun. I’m sure even an idiot like you could figure it out.”

 

“And he recently got a haircut, and I’m not really sure how I feel about that. He dyed his hair too.”

 

“I’ll give you a clue: it involves me, you talking about Park Chanyeol, and my desire to listen.”

 

“I mean, I have no idea why I should care that he keeps clubbing instead of studying. He can make his own life choices, right? What right do I have to tell him otherwise?”

 

“I’ll just say it straight, then, since you’re too dumb to figure it out. I really, really, really have no desire to hear anything about him. None. At all.”

 

“And have you seen the number of one night stands he’s had? A lot.”

 

“Are you seriously ignoring me in favor of talking about Park Chanyeol?”

 

“But it’s not like I can say anything about it.”

 

“Wow, you really are.”

 

“I mean,” Baekhyun trails off. “What right do I have?” he ends this with a mumble, suddenly finding interest in the zipper of their cushion pillowcase.

 

Jongdae sighs. “I don’t even know why I bother to protest sometimes. You’ll just go on talking about him anyway. And then you get depressed on your own,” he mutters.

 

Baekhyun nods glumly.

 

They stay silent for a while, the only sound coming from the ty comedy flick Jongdae decides to stay on. Eventually, Jongdae nudges him. “Hey,” he mutters. “Change of plans. We’re aborting karaoke night.”

 

Baekhyun stares at him in disbelief.

 

Jongdae never aborts karaoke night. It just simply isn’t done. Even last month when he had to go the hospital because of food poisoning, he still insisted on singing at least a song. Or even when their next door neighbor comes knocking (banging) on their door with death threats. What the hell changed his mind?

 

Jongdae ignores him. He shrugs. “I just felt like having a change of pace.”

 

They end up watching Baekhyun’s favorite collection of girl group MVs, with Baekhyun trying to contain the warmth in his chest, face starting to ache with the wide grin he has on at Jongdae’s obvious intention.

 

He really at cheering people up.

 

Baekhyun falls asleep to the sound of Gee, head rested on Jongdae’s shoulder.

 

--

 

He wakes up to the sound of someone banging on their door.

 

Baekhyun groans softly at the crick of his aching neck, caused by his ill-planned sleeping position. He smiles slightly when he notices the blanket thrown over the both of them. Beside him, Jongdae shifts in his sleep, head thrown back at an uncomfortable angle to accommodate the couch. The television is showing static, the DVD player having already turned itself off after being left alone long enough. God bless power saving mode. Their digital clock shows that it’s already four in the morning.

 

He blinks when he hears the banging again.

 

Right. The door.

 

He carefully disentangles himself from Jongdae and shuffles over to the door, rubbing at his eyes. He peeks through the eyehole and frowns.

 

Baekhyun unlocks the door and steps out, barefoot, shutting the door behind him.

 

“Chanyeol? What are you doing here?”

 

Chanyeol grins giddily at him, mouth stretching impossibly wide, showing off straight white teeth and pink gums. His right eye is scrunched up slightly more than his left, and his face is flushed, eyes unfocused. Baekhyun ignores the pang of disappointment at the fact that Chanyeol smiles like this at him only when he’s drunk now.

 

“Baekhyunnie!” he screams gleefully before enveloping Baekhyun in an uncomfortably tight hug, swaying him around. “I found you!”

 

Chanyeol smells like alcohol, sweat, and . Baekhyun ignores that too.

 

“Chanyeol,” he rasps out, hitting him lightly on the back. “You’re ing choking me.”

 

Chanyeol loosens his grip slightly and nuzzles his face into Baekhyun’s hair. “Better?”

 

 Baekhyun sighs in exasperation and pushes Chanyeol away gently. He ignores the childish pout on Chanyeol’s face. “Seriously, what the hell are you doing here?”

 

Chanyeol immediately grins that grin again, and Baekhyun feels like slamming his head into the wall repeatedly because Chanyeol is drunk off his , and so Baekhyun really shouldn’t feel the rush of affection and nostalgia because dammit, it’s been two years and he misses this, he misses Chanyeol acting like this with him, he misses that smile, the genuine one, so different from the restrained one these days, he misses the way Chanyeol used to call him, he misses his Chanyeol.

 

Chanyeol backs him up slowly until his back hits the door, still grinning. “I was searching for you.”

 

Baekhyun really doesn’t like the edge Chanyeol’s grin has taken. It looks wrong on his face.

 

Chanyeol leans in close, breath fanning across Baekhyun’s face. “I’ve always been searching for you.” He places his hands on both sides of Baekhyun’s head, trapping him.

 

Baekhyun clears his throat, feeling uneasy. Chanyeol’s looking at him with an unfamiliar expression on his face; or at least, one that Baekhyun’s never had the chance to see. In all honesty, he’s slightly scared because he doesn’t know this Chanyeol. He his lips nervously out of habit, and he sees Chanyeol’s eyes follow the movement of his tongue and-

 

Oh.

 

Baekhyun reels from the impact of his head against the door, and suddenly Chanyeol is kissing him.

 

To say that it’s bad would be an understatement. It’s terrible, Chanyeol’s teeth against his mouth ing hurts ,it’s bruising, and the angle’s all wrong, and there’s too much tongue and to be frank, Chanyeol is literally devouring his mouth. And also Chanyeol is ing kissing him.

 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Baekhyun briefly wonders how Chanyeol manages to get laid more than him when he kisses like the human version of a rabid dog.

 

Baekhyun draws the line when he feels Chanyeol’s hand roaming far too close to his crotch.

 

Chanyeol really should’ve seen that punch coming.

 

--

 

“This needs to stop happening.”

 

They’re sitting cross-legged and facing each other on the floor of their living room, Chanyeol snoring lightly on the couch behind them.

 

Baekhyun sighs and ruffles his hair in frustration. “I know, but I couldn’t exactly send him off in that state, could I?”

 

Jongdae glares at him as if he just found out that Baekhyun ate all of his peaches. Again.

 

“This is not the first time this has happened. Him coming over here drunk. In fact, this happens often enough that I actually anticipate it. But he never did anything to you, which is why I’m cool with it. And kinda enjoy it too because your face most of the time-” he clears his throat when Baekhyun glares at him. “But Baekhyun, I’m not sure if you’ve forgotten, but that guy,” he gestures towards the couch with his thumb, “just ually assaulted you not too long ago.”

 

“Jongdae-”

 

“I don’t know if it’s some sort of a role-play between the two of you, but from my outsider’s perspective,” he looks at Baekhyun, smiling bemusedly, “slamming you against the door and then proceeding to have his way with your mouth, bruising it in the process, without your consent is where you draw the line, don’t you think?”

 

Baekhyun gingerly thumbs his visibly bruised lips. He winces at the sting.

 

“And also, what took him so long? This has happened for a while now, and all the previous times he just came and crashed before leaving the next day! In all honesty, I expected it to remain constant until graduation or something. So,” he grins devilishly, “what happened? What changed?”

 

 Baekhyun doesn’t even bother pretending to brainstorm. Because who was he kidding? It’s almost five in the morning, he needs to open up the bookstore in four hours before passing the key to Jongin, and he’s too ing tired to care.

 

“And not to mention,” Jongdae continues, “I didn’t think he’d still have the hots for you even two years after you broke his poor heart. Or any time after that. I mean,” he snorts. “You weren’t exactly delicate with it.”

 

Baekhyun frowns. “I know,” he mumbles. “But I wasn’t exactly prepared to have my best friend of ten years to confess to me. Still, I could’ve done better.”

 

“Well,” Jongdae leans forward to pat him lightly on the shoulder. “At least you rejected him to his face. Any other way and that would’ve been disrespect.”

 

Baekhyun winces at the memory. “I really don’t wanna think about it.”

 

Jongdae shrugs. “Your call. Anyway, this could’ve been worse, don’t you think? He didn’t you.”

 

Baekhyun groans. “Why the hell do I have you as a housemate?”

 

“Because I’m the best there is. And I’m the only person who tolerates you and Park’s kinks.”

 

--

 

It could’ve been worse.

 

Chanyeol wakes up surprisingly early (half past eight) with a major hangover, and Baekhyun, having decided to skip sleep altogether, gives him a glass of water and two aspirins. Chanyeol accepts them and downs the water like a man who was just rescued from a desert.

 

Things get awkward when Chanyeol notices Baekhyun’s lips. He stares at it for a while, seeming deep in thought and opens his mouth-

 

“If you’re gonna ask an obvious question, then don’t. You’re the one who did it. Idiot,” Jongdae says in passing.

 

Baekhyun briefly wonders how Jongdae managed to perfect the art of destroying someone’s life while in the process of going to the loo.

 

Chanyeol turns bright red, and starts sputtering. “. I mean, I’m sorry. I’m so ing sorry that must have hurt a lot I have no idea why I did that and I’m so sorry this has never happened before and-”

 

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun says, a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. I’m not a girl.” He chuckles. “Though that still hurt like hell. You really at kissing, Park.” He ignores Chanyeol’s indignant squawk and stands up, walks to the kitchen and places Chanyeol’s empty glass in the sink. More for Jongdae to wash.

 

He walks back to the living room to see Chanyeol already standing, shifting his weight from foot to foot unsurely. Baekhyun mentally curses his tendency to feel rush of affections at ridiculous times.

 

He clears his throat. “I’m heading to the bookstore. Need to open up and all.”

 

“Oh, okay. I’m about to head back too,” Chanyeol laughs weakly. “Thanks. And sorry for the…uh.” He points to his own lips. “Yeah.”

 

Baekhyun chuckles. “Yeah, okay.”

 

 And because Baekhyun’s too sleepy to care, probably because he misses his friend and the way Chanyeol’s acting isn’t really helping, and maybe because he’s also secretly a masochist, he walks up to Chanyeol and wraps his arms around his waist. He rests his head against his chest, ignoring the sounds coming from Chanyeol (mostly consisting of different variations of a choking seagull).

 

“Shut up. Give me a moment.”

 

Chanyeol immediately shuts up, and after a moment, hesitantly places his hands on Baekhyun’s shoulders, gripping them tightly with shaky hands.

 

They stay like that for a few more moments, until Baekhyun lets go because he still has to open up the store (which is thankfully only a ten-minute walk away). He grins and leans up to ruffle Chanyeol’s hair.

 

“Come on. My manager’s gonna kill me if I’m late and you need to get some more sleep where Jongdae won’t disturb you.”