five. of knobbly knees and wilting flowers
2600+ words

Chanyeol is cute and silly and a whole package of childishness that doesn’t seem to ever stop hopping and stirring whenever he’s supposed to be quiet and still and Junmyeon should see him as he is, as the over active dongsaeng he is, like the younger brother he never had. Only Chanyeol is also tall and charming and handsome, with deep beautiful eyes that seem to draw people in and when he’s actually serious he can bring a whole reverse to his persona and actually be sensual, and Junmyeon can’t see past that. That side of Chanyeol always sticks out more in the end and Junmyeon always finds himself with a difficult situation in his hands. Because despite the fact that he sees Chanyeol as a man, as person he can love, as a person he wants, so defiantly, do things utterly considered inappropriate, Chanyeol still sees him as a brother and somewhere along their journey together Junmyeon thinks that might never change.

---

Junmyeon takes great focus into his homework whenever he’s assigned and makes sure it gets done the same day to spare himself a scold. Chanyeol would disagree of his methods resulting exactly on a scowl from both his teacher and Junmyeon himself, making him throw a sheepish smile and fake a promise of change he never actually intends on making. Junmyeon would push and press the matter onto Chanyeol for better purposes but Chanyeol has this way of smiling that makes his eyes twitch slightly in a cute manner that has Junmyeon sigh and melt just a little more for the younger. Dammit.

It’s hopeless at times, all these feelings he has inside and can’t bring out. They’re converting him into an incoherent little girl. At least mentally, because Junmyeon can only think about Chanyeol’s eyes and Chanyeol’s hands-- the great use those hands could have, the way he speaks, with that deep sinful voice, the way he laughs and simply how he’s so naively cute.

And to haunting him even further, these thoughts come to him at inopportune times, if not at all times. When he’s listening to the teacher, which he isn’t, when he’s eating his meals, which he’s basically playing with, when he showers, and those are the worse times, and mostly when he’s so intensely trying to focus on math equations or historical dates and figures that will come up on his next exam and he has absolutely no idea what it means because a cloud with Chanyeol’s name is hovering inside his head.

So needless to say that Junmyeon didn’t focus the least bit on his homework and ended up failing his history quiz the next week, which Chanyeol also failed but for a whole different reason. He’s just plainly uninterested.

---

“What are you doing hyung?”

It’s near six in the afternoon and either everyone already left or there’s still students studying inside classrooms or in the library. Junmyeon chose to stay but not to get any of his studying in course - he’s basically given up on that by now - but to dedicate his little time to the school small flower garden. It’s not really up to him to do it but he volunteered and no one minded - if anything the principal even thanked him for sparing on the gardener’s budget. He needed something to get his head off of things, off of Chanyeol at least. And it had been working until apparently Chanyeol found out and decided to surprise him. The luck of mine.

Junmyeon looks up at him, from his crouched position near the flowers, with hesitation and shoots him an awkward smile when he sees Chanyeol’s dumb expression.

“Just…some things.” He pathetically excuses.

Chanyeol frowns and a brow in skepticism. It’s obvious he knows Junmyeon is trying to hide whatever business he’s doing. And he is, not that the activity is embarrassing or anything, he’s only afraid Chanyeol might see right through him, figuring out why he’s been avoiding him and unveil Junmyeon’s reasons for it.

“Why?”

“I have free time,” He lies. “and I like flowers.” He looks down at the roses in front of him and at the white daisies on his left and he decides that maybe the last bit isn’t all untruthful.

Chanyeol doesn’t seem convinced though and this starts to worry him. He gets up, since his legs were starting to get tired, and tries to read Chanyeol’s expression, which seems impossible to do. The younger is scanning the flowers and Junmyeon’s face at the same time and he looks awfully doubtful, to Junmyeon’s infortune. His heart starts to accelerate in his chest. He tries to understand how in the world he thought he wouldn’t get discovered and how he thought it would come as something normal that he suddenly decided to take interest in gardening. No one in their right mind would believe him, why would Chanyeol?

“Flowers are pretty.” He simply says shrugging, showing that grin that kills, and it drops Junmyeon’s heart to the pit of his stomach. He could’ve fallen face first into the dirt with that sentence, the pressure of his anxiety feeling heavy on his shoulders suddenly coming off with a invisible slap on the head. He almost facepalms for real.

“Yeah…” Junmyeon scratches the back of his neck.

“Just like hyung.”

Out of nowhere it’s like an angel had walked across his eyes and blessed his living because Chanyeol actually called him pretty. His knees go weak and wobbly and he stumbles on his feet trying to get out of the patch of grass and would’ve fallen if Chanyeol’s warm arms weren’t there to catch him.

Junmyeon denies having lingered a bit too much, clutched to the younger’s upper arms and having nestled his face on Chanyeol’s chest, taking a small breath to feel his scent.

It takes Chanyeol’s deep voice to wake him up from his self-induced trance.

“Hyung?”

“Huh?”

“Are you feeling alright? You look pale.” Chanyeol sounds worried and is looking straight into Junmyeon’s eyes and his face is so close Junmyeon can’t even focus correctly. But maybe that’s his brain that feels awfully blurry and fuzzy. He just wants to lean up and kiss him and make it worth a good while. They’re alone and it’s getting dark and Junmyeon feels all the rematches of bad romantic drama scenes colliding inside his brain as he thinks about the perfect moment. How his lips would feel on Chanyeol’s, how beautifully they would mold together and how Chanyeol would enlace his arms around him while he would hold himself onto Chanyeol’s neck. Imagining how his tongue would taste and how sweet it all would feel.

“I’m fine. Peachy.” He facepalms internally again as he detaches himself from Chanyeol, he feels his face heating up and his heart has yet to settle down, not to mention his knees that seem to barely be able to keep him up.

“Huh okay…”

---

His plan failed, miserably so. To his worse dismay flowers make him think of Chanyeol now and he even finds himself cursing at the roses saying how ugly they are compared to Chanyeol’s eyes. And as if they actually heard and understood him Junmyeon gets stung on his finger, drawing a small bubble of blood. The contrast against his white skin makes him believe he’s a male version of dormant beauty for a second. It’s all good when these thoughts get locked down inside his brain, this way sparing himself the embarrassment considering he’s already the embodiment of it. His gym teacher had even approached him once to personally take the ball from his hand to refer and quote “I’ve never seen such a lanky looking kid like you.” It makes him feel stupid but thankfully he can always rely on Chanyeol to cover him with his big exaggerated mannerisms.

---

Surprisingly, and he doesn’t know how he never noticed but, Chanyeol is always there.

“Hyung…” Chanyeol calls from the couch and Junmyeon fights the urge to sound desperate on his answer.

“Hum?” He manages to mumble, not looking behind him as he tries to focus, yet again futilely, on his homework.

“I’m cold.” Chanyeol responds sounding whiny. Junmyeon almost chokes on his own saliva. What are you implying? He’s not sure what to think, if what he thinks that tone means is accurate or if he’s just letting his mind fly higher pass the sky it can reach. He turns to slowly side eye the younger and he’s looking at him with a slight pout. Junmyeon gulps. He’s not ready for this. He never actually thought it would come the day where Chanyeol would play flirtatious. It could still be all in his head though so he doesn’t let himself get carried away.

“There’s blanket’s-” He started but Chanyeol interrupted with yet another whine, his eyes hazy and dark. “I don’t-” get it, what do you want from me? Stay away. I have enough battles with myself as it is. Don’t draw me in-- please.

“Come sit here. I’m bored.” Chanyeol pats the cushion next to him suggestively and he seems unfazed until his brows arch and his eyes glint as if a sudden idea had come to him. “Oh! Let’s go to the movies!” He says cheerfully and Junmyeon just sighs because silly and hyperactive Chanyeol is back. It was really just an evil trick of his mind on him; it almost feels pretentious of him to have thought Chanyeol would actually hit on him. His body slumps in relaxation and he turns to face his books again.

“Once I finish this Chanyeol.” Junmyeon grabs his pen and continues, or tries to continue his work since the next second Chanyeol is up and next to him pulling by his arm.

“Come on hyung! You can do that later. Please!” He tugs and Junmyeon wants to punch him because it’s not really the place for a sixteen year old boy with an unnatural low voice like his to whiny like that. When did he hit puberty, god dammit? For that or for the fact that he likes the pleas a bit too much and a punch would shut him up.

As usual, because Junmyeon is a soft heart, or just a plain idiot, he ends up agreeing and leaving his homework aside to take Chanyeol to watch a movie. A horror one. Chanyeol’s choice of which Junmyeon cries in disapproval, with buttery popcorns, also Chanyeol’s choice which Junmyeon hates because it gets his hands all dirty.

Needless to say he spent the entirety of the movie clenching to Chanyeol’s hoodie sleeved arm and watching him, wide eyed intent on the movie happily munching popcorn, instead.

---

His roses are most definitely looking better than his love life or life or life as a whole even, blossoming and healthy and looking perky. He sighs as he waters them. He really is sad and pathetic. He should just get a girlfriend so everything would be easier and simpler for him. There are even a couple girls he knows would agree being his girlfriends if he asked. And he would ask if he wasn’t smitten for a six foot giant with a grin that would creep the hell out of most people, and it does, and Junmyeon likes it, loves it and he can’t really fight any of those feelings. So he settles for being pathetic instead.

“Roses are pretty.” He mumbles to himself. “Just like me.” He smiles pitifully at them.

---

Chanyeol is playing basketball, his arm muscle is popping out and every shot and not Junmyeon catches a glimpse of his honey thighs.

“You look like my cat when he sees me grabbing his favorite friskies.” Jongdae chimes next to him on the benches. Junmyeon didn’t really invite him but he took a seat anyway and Junmyeon can’t really tell him to go away, it’s rude and he kind of likes Jongdae, when he doesn’t act all Confucius on people that is.

“Huh?”

“You know, Chanyeol isn’t that dumb.” He continues and Junmyeon averts his gaze from the court and takes a look at Jongdae. His words are making him confused as usual because half the time Junmyeon has no clue what Jongdae is saying.

“What do you mean?”

“Neither are the people around you, actually.” It doesn’t answer Junmyeon’s question in the least way and it starts to bother him. He straightens his back and furrows his brows.

“I really don’t follow your reasoning.” Jongdae smirks getting up and walking away from Junmyeon without saying anything else and it brings up anger from Junmyeon. “Rude!” He calls and turns back to stare at the court going back to his ever-lasting self-loathing, only to get a face full of fabric. He pulls back and looks up and sees Chanyeol’s stupid grin looking down at him. How did you get here so fast? He was about to ask exactly that when Chanyeol leans and does what Junmyeon thought would never happen. The tall male gives him a quick, soft peck on the lips. Junmyeon doesn’t even get to close his eyes, and he wouldn’t, considering the shock he’s suffering from. He ducks away so hastily he falls on his back on the floor behind him, he’s so confused he blinks trying to get up, rather clumsily. Chanyeol is chuckling which brings an enormous feel of embarrassment to Junmyeon. He wants to say something, to speak, to make any human sound but only a small cry comes out from the back of his throat. His heart is pounding so fast he thinks he might die from cardiac arrest. He clears his throat trying to smooth out his clothes and look at least normal, not really succeeding.

Chanyeol hurdles over the bench to join Junmyeon on the other side and repeats the prowess, leaning and catching the older’s lips by tilting his head up with his index finger. Junmyeon almost chokes and ducks back again.

“What are you doing?!” His voice gets high pitched and girly but he couldn’t really stop that from happening. He's got worse things to worry about now. Chanyeol is serious, he’s serious and he’s kissing him. I’m most definitely dreaming. And he would believe so if the hit on his back moments ago didn’t hurt like a .

“I thought you knew how all this worked hyung,” He smiles. “but it’s fine, I can teach you.” His eyes crinkle and he actually looks innocent while saying it. Junmyeon can only hear his brain cells fighting and screaming at each other inside his head. He’s so confused. Since when was this reciprocate?

Junmyeon mumbles something that doesn’t come out sounding any remotely coherent and Chanyeol just smiles. It sends shivers through Junmyeon’s spine and it remembers him of how long his heart has been pounding and how hot he feels.

“I like you hyung.” Chanyeol answers to an untold question leaning again and kissing Junmyeon again, this time longer because this time he wraps his arms around the smaller male not letting him withdraw again. It’s all so much better than anything Junmyeon had dreamed of, much sweeter, much softer and warm.

---

“Dammit, my flowers!” Junmyeon jolts, sitting up on the bed hastily. Chanyeol groans next to him.

“They’re not your flowers and it’s been a while, you only remembered that now?” He chuckles softly rubbing his face with the back of his hand. He feels worn out and sleepy.

“Well…I’ve had other things to think about.” He blushes partially because of his confession partially because he’s and he can’t even cover himself since Chanyeol basically wrapped himself in the sheets not leaving a bit of fabric for Junmyeon and the redness only worsens because the younger is now smiling at him stupidly.

“I’m much more interesting than flowers.” His eating grin makes Junmyeon roll his eyes, although he doesn’t disagree of the statement. Chanyeol is indeed more interesting than flowers, or any other thing for that matter, basically taking up Junmyeon’s entire world.

Junmyeon reclines back on the bed and Chanyeol’s soft kisses on his cheek and temple soften him into relaxation again and make him forget all about the wilting flowers in the school’s back garden.

i got a little carried away here. lol so it's a little bigger. basically a mini one shot instead of a drabble. oh well.
bad endings are bad. /sigh