4|  A Fraction of a Second

Baekhyun adjusts to life in Chanyeol's home surprisingly well. There's only a little more talk about getting him checked out at the clinic before Chanyeol finally drops it, and Baekhyun is glad. He likes that he can finally relax around the boy and hopes this means he's finally starting to be accepted. Chanyeol doesn't look quite as skeptical of him anymore.

Chanyeol's mother is more than welcoming and treats Baekhyun wonderfully. He lets her spoil him in a way Chanyeol just doesn't anymore, and it’s evident she’s missed being able to do that. She even kindheartedly makes up the couch for the boy in the living room each night, but it’s never used. Baekhyun always finds his way into Chanyeol’s arms somehow (whether the other is willing or not).

The teenager wakes up to Baekhyun nuzzled between him and the wall, as he has every day this week since Baekhyun came into his life. He stirs, not bothering to keep the rustling to a minimum because it doesn't matter how careful or quiet he is, Baekhyun always wakes up when he makes to leave. The star must have some sort of Chanyeol tracker embedded in him.

Baekhyun pouts when Chanyeol leaves for school and pouts again when he has to leave for his shift at the general store. Chanyeol would think it was annoying if it weren’t so cute. But part of the star’s loneliness during the day is lessened a bit when Ms. Park comes home in the afternoon and he has something to do. He learns how to (properly) water the garden and pick weeds, helps her clean around the house and helps do the laundry. His reward is always some sort of baked good and an affectionate pat on the head. He can definitely get used to life on Earth, he thinks.

It’s well after dark when Chanyeol returns from the store. His mother is already asleep, but the little star is wide awake and shining brightly just for him.

Tonight Baekhyun doesn’t even wait for him to fall asleep before he’s worming his way into Chanyeol’s bed, clumsily crawling over him to take his usual spot by the wall.

"Bad day?" the star questions as he shifts against the teen and feels the tension and stress radiating off of him.

"I've had better."

Chanyeol wonders what his mother must think with Baekhyun always missing from his place on the couch (or if she's even noticed as she gets ready and leaves before the sun comes up). But Baekhyun is hard to say no to, what with that kicked-puppy look he gives Chanyeol when he can't shadow the boy's every step.

"Anything I can do?"

Chanyeol hesitates for a moment, wondering if this is too much too fast. "The warmth is nice." The star's face softens, and he breaks out in a big, genuine grin as he hugs the teen around the middle and leaves a calming heat there, where his cheek presses to Chanyeol's chest and where he nudges their feet together. The auburn-haired boy would protest, but it feels so nice.

Baekhyun is very hard to say no to.

“I can’t tonight,” Chanyeol says, as he has the last few times, when Jongdae invites him out to the diner again. As usual, Jongdae whines. “I wish I could, but we have a house guest. I don’t want to be rude.”

The other boy looks thoughtful for a moment. “Is he or she old?”

Chanyeol shakes his head. “He’s…our age,” he replies slowly.

 "Then you should bring him along! Let him meet the gang. It'll be fun to get out, right?"

Not ready for human interaction! Chanyeol’s mind screams, but instead, “I guess,” comes out. He cringes inwardly.

Jongdae smiles and perks up when he sees the old couple browsing the store make their way to the register. “I’m glad you’re coming out with us. It’s been a while.” He rings up their purchases and bags them neatly, leaving Chanyeol to fidget behind the counter and pretend he’s rearranging the magazines on the display rack. How is he going to keep Baekhyun in check around his friends? He definitely doesn’t want another “woman who birthed you” situation on his hands.

Once the couple is out the door, the shorter man turns back to him, completely missing his anxiety in favor of excitement. “It’s been too long since we’ve all hung out, you know?” Jongdae says again, and Chanyeol feels bad because he didn't think it'd been that long since he'd seen his friends outside of school and work. But apparently it has because Jongdae won't stop smiling.

Jongdae stops by to pick up Chanyeol and Baekhyun in his clunker of a car later that night. The diner’s in the next town over, but their food is well worth the drive. Jongdae waves from the window as the two approach the car, and Chanyeol can’t help but smile at the star’s huge grin, clearly ecstatic for outside interaction. Of course, Chanyeol had given him a little lecture earlier, strictly telling him the story to stick to and to keep confusion over human ways inconspicuous.

Chanyeol spots something cream-colored and lacey in the backseat just as he opens the car door for Baekhyun, and his friend at least has the decency to look sheepish.

“Hey Baek, you want to ride up front?”

“No, I’m fine back here. Thank you, though, Chanyeol!”

Chanyeol shoots his friend a nasty look. “You better have cleaned up back there,” he hisses as he slides into the passenger seat.

By the time they arrive, the others are already there.

Joonmyun and Hyeri, who’ve been dating on and off for what seems like years, sit across the table from them. They’re having a good day, apparently, because they’re leaning in close and Hyeri is giggling quietly at something Joonmyun says. Once they realize they aren’t alone, everyone greets Chanyeol with enthusiasm (again, he didn’t think he’d skipped out on that many nights out) and introduce themselves to the star.

“Baekhyun, is it?” a boy to his left asks. He has round cheeks and a crooked grin when the star beams back at him. He says his name is Minseok and then gestures to their other friend Minah who has cute, girlish features and pigtails. Chanyeol looks on in amusement at Baekhyun’s obvious glee to be around so many people after being cooped up all week.

“Get whatever you like,” the teen tells the star with a smile as they settle in for dinner. “I’ll even treat you to a milkshake.”

Baekhyun scans the menu in wonder, but he ends up asking Chanyeol what he recommends because he can’t read any of it, nor does he know what a “milkshake” is. They both settle on hamburgers with a side of fries, and Baekhyun points to a picture of the pink drink he wants.

“Strawberry’s their worst flavor. You should pick something else.”

“I want to try it,” Baekhyun says with a pout, and Chanyeol huffs at how bossy and entitled the star is already despite his one week in Chanyeol’s presence.

“Fine.”

They continue to talk, and Chanyeol finds tonight he’s the only one who hasn’t spoken much. Baekhyun is naturally bubbly, and his friends seem to gravitate toward him, the conversation eventually always turning back to him. They ask him all sorts of questions, and despite the answers not always having truth to them, he still answers genuinely with a big smile.

The waitress returns with their food after a bit, and Baekhyun thanks her politely. He’s instantly drawn to the brightly colored milkshake.

“Don’t drink it too fast.” Baekhyun his head to the side (Chanyeol cringes inwardly) and lets the straw fall from his lips. “It’ll hurt your head,” the tall boy clarifies and tears his eyes away from the little pink pout.

“Oh. Thank you, Channie.”

Jongdae nearly chokes on a fry.

It’s still fairly early once they’re done with dinner (Chanyeol had watched in wonder as Baekhyun had nearly inhaled his entire plate), and when someone suggests a drive-in movie, suddenly they’re driving another 30 minutes to the theater. It’s a little touristy, but it’s always fun to set up chairs and blankets or sprawl out in the back of a truck.

Joonmyun and Hyeri set up a blanket behind Joonmyun’s car and lean in close. It’s a nice change from their usual bickering, Chanyeol thinks, until he gets a glimpse of Jongdae watching the pair with obvious gloom from where he’s perched on the trunk of his own car before falling back into Minah and Minseok’s conversation, laughing a little too loudly right on cue.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun says quietly from his side. “Where do you want to watch the film?”

“I have a better idea,” the teen says with a smile to the boy clutching an extra blanket. “If you don’t mind missing the movie, that is.” The star shakes his head quickly because he’ll go anywhere as long as Chanyeol’s there.

The tall boy leads the star out into the field behind the screen a ways as the previews start. They walk until the light is to their backs before spreading out the blanket.

“A little dimmer than usual,” Chanyeol says with a chuckle as he looks up at the sky. Baekhyun settles in next to him, not at all shy to snuggle close and get comfortable. Even though there are sounds of explosions and destruction from the movie, they are lost in their own little bubble up in the heavens.

“Do you miss being up there?” Chanyeol asks, purposefully keeping his gaze up at the sky and not on the boy all lit up and glimmering beside him.

“I like it here,” Baekhyun responds and rolls over on his stomach in favor of watching all the cars and people in the parking lot. He rests his chin on his folded arms and sighs dreamily. “Right now, I like it even more. I don’t know if I want to go back.”

Chanyeol sits up and his stomach does a little somersault when Baekhyun turns and looks at him over his shoulder.

“Your family and friends here - I wish I had that. I wish I had someone to call my mother. I wish I had someone who loves me as much as she loves you.” Chanyeol is speechless as the star wiggles around until he’s on his back with his head in Chanyeol’s lap. He gazes up at the boy like that again, and Chanyeol has trouble tearing his eyes away. “You all worry so much about such trivial things. But you cherish small and precious moments, and I envy you for that. Tonight is a fraction of a second in my lifetime, but I think I’ll remember it for a long time to come. Maybe a couple million years.”

His gleeful, open-mouthed smile as he giggles is dazzling. Chanyeol swears the star in his lap flickers a little, but he doesn’t mention it because it’s suddenly very hot and a little hard to breathe.

The stomach somersaults continue well into the evening.

 As they drive back home, Jongdae won't stop glancing between Chanyeol and the drowsy Baekhyun in the back seat. He and the others had instantly had questions as soon as the two boys escaped off on their own.

"Anything I should know?" the driver asks, his grin even more catlike than usual. Chanyeol glances in the rear view mirror to see the star nodding off, head bobbing forward occasionally. He's not hard to miss, glowing bright in the mirror (and it's a good thing only Chanyeol can see him like this because it would make driving quite the task).

"Nothing to tell."

Jongdae doesn't believe him for a second.

It’s much easier to make his way through the dark house with Baekhyun lighting the way.

Once they’re burrowed under the covers and Baekhyun’s taken his usual place nearly on top of the other boy, Chanyeol thinks he wouldn’t mind if the star stuck around for a while either. Baekhyun's a natural with his friends and sweet and helpful to his mother. And the way Baekhyun had made him feel tonight with talk of brief moments and cherished memories...

“Your heart…” The star gently lays his head on Chanyeol’s chest, one hand reaching across to hold the tall boy to him and the other balled under his chin. “It’s going so fast,” he whispers in wonder, and this observation only has Chanyeol’s heart beating quicker.

Chanyeol just hopes Baekhyun doesn’t know it’s because of him.

Fuuu I didn’t reply to all the sweet comments you left, I’m sorry. ;; But they were all so nice. Thank you!! Please do leave more if you have time because I love hearing from you guys. :D

As always, feedback and upvotes are much appreciated. <3 (And look, Suho finally made it into one of my stories lol)