Byun Baekhyun is destined to fall in love with Park Chanyeol.

He sits behind Chanyeol every day in Calculus and once when he dropped his water bottle, Chanyeol bent over to retrieve it for him. Baekhyun knew from that point on that they were meant to be.

He thinks maybe this is why he is failing because Chanyeol’s back blocks the board. But Baekhyun doesn’t mind because Chanyeol smells like pine trees and his back is more interesting than whatever scribbles the professor has on the board anyways.

He has always had a weak spot for gentle giants (like the great big whale) and even if Chanyeol towers over most of their school’s population, he is always friendly, always smiling; Baekhyun also has a soft spot losers who brainwashes themselves into thinking they are actually cool (that’s why he’s friends with Kris). There is always a slight twitch to Chanyeol’s face like he just ate something sour, it’s endearingly creepy.

Baekhyun also has that go-getter personality; all or nothing. He doesn’t believe in half-assing things.

So it surprises no one when Baekhyun announces that he is in love with Chanyeol and wants to have his metaphoric babies. It is, however, a surprise when Chanyeol gives him a nervous chuckle and flees from the classroom when Baekhyun tries to confess.

“What could that mean?” Baekhyun confides in Kyungsoo because they are lab partners, and therefore, friends. Kyungsoo disagrees.

“Should we add the hydrochloric acid now?”

“He ran away really fast.”

“Let’s start on the calculations because I think class is almost over – “

“He fled, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun throws himself onto the lab table to emphasize his dire problem. “HE FLED.”

“There might be chemical spills…Baek – “ Kyungsoo sighs because it has been a long lab period and he is happy when he notices that they only have five minutes left of class.

Baekhyun pouts and crosses his arms, refusing to contribute to the lab worksheet until Kyungsoo acknowledges his problem. 

“Maybe he doesn’t like you,” Kyungsoo says as he is packing up his things. He rolls his eyes at the sounds of Baekhyun’s wails as he exits the room in search of the TA to switch lab partners.

“Why doesn’t he like me?” Baekhyun asks over a cup of pudding.

Tao gives him a small smile, “I like you.”

“Everyone likes me. Why doesn’t Chanyeol like me?”

“Maybe it’s not you?”

Baekhyun ponders that thought, “You think he just needed to be somewhere in a hurry? Oh! Of course! Maybe he just has problems opening himself to love because he went through something tragic as a child that has made him scare to open his heart, and his happy surface is a façade for the hurt underneath – oh, poor Chanyeol….”

Tao’s Korean is sort of limited, and he sorts of doesn’t know what Baekhyun is talking about but he nods and tries his best to look contemplative, “I think you’re right.”

“You’re so good at reading people’s psyche, Tao.”

Tao beams, “Thanks.” What is ‘psyche’?

“Isn’t that so tragic?” Baekhyun relays his problem to Kris the next day in his Adolescent Psychology something Behavior and something class.

Kris ruffles his hair, “Whatever you say, Baek.”

Yixing doesn’t say anything but that's okay because it's Yixing. But Jongin has that ‘judging you’ face, so Baekhyun shuts up about Chanyeol and pouts.

“You think I’m crazy.”

Jongin snorts, “You said it, not me.”

Jongdae and Sehun burst out laughing while Minseok offers him bits of his kimbap when Baekhyun is done with his analysis of what must be Chanyeol’s sad home life. They say a child’s environment is important and really shapes up the person he becomes later in life.

“I am going to help him,” Baekhyun announces when he is not too busy chewing. “Like that Demi Lovatto’s song – something Heartbreak. I’ll be his skyscraper.”

“Two different songs,” Minseok mumbles; for Baekhyun's stomach sake, Minseok has resorted to feeding the younger boy as he rambles. 

Sehun wheezes and brushes a tear away, “I knew there was a reason I stayed friends with you, hyung.”

“So dumb it hurts,” Jongdae nods.

“You should try to talk to him again,” Luhan says.

Baekhyun grins, “You’re right.”

In the end, maybe Baekhyun should have just gone to Luhan for advice in the first place because Luhan is the only one who is ever helpful.

So Baekhyun corners Chanyeol again after class –

“I know what you’re going through,” Baekhyun says, “But you have to give us a chance. We are meant to be.”

Chanyeol blinks.

“It’s time to let go of the hurt and move on.”

“Who – “

“No one has to tell me, I know, I can see it in your eyes. Do you want a hug?”

Baekhyun closes the space between them, wraps his arms around the taller’s boy waist and his back, “It’s okay, Chanyeol.”

They stay like that for about three seconds before Chanyeol regains control of his limbs and shoves Baekhyun away, “I’m really sorry but who are you and what are you talk about?”

Oh right.

What was it Luhan had said in the beginning about introductions and friendship and gradual progression into love? Baekhyun is a really bad listener.

“Erm, I am Byun Baekhyun,” He says, “I sit behind you?”

“Oh right.”

“Anyway, I love you because you smell like pine and I know it’s real because I don’t even care that I’m failing class…”

This time Chanyeol doesn’t flee. He just inches away very slowly.

Baekhyun isn’t sure if this is considered as progress.

“What do you think? Progress?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t even care that there are all sorts of organic and inorganic chemical spills and who knows what else is on the surface of their lab table, he continues banging his head because a concussion is better than the sound of Baekhyun’s voice.

“Kyungsoo? Kyungsoo.”

As Kyungsoo works his way towards brain damage, he curses a certain TA named Joonmyun who wouldn’t let him switch lab partner and mumbles something hippie-ish like, “We should learn to get along with everyone.”

Obviously Joonmyun has not had to deal with Byun Baekhyun.

- dedicated to my friend.
- because I love crazy Baekhyun and admit it, you know he can be insane (predebut Baekhyun is love)
- I don't know why people always write Chanyeol as the crazy one. He didn't dance with lightswitch, kay