6 |  Starrify 

Chanyeol meanders back home with his hands in his pockets after his late-night shift at the store, unsure of how to approach Baekhyun after he’d gone and ruined everything with his awkward. He tries to take as much time as he can getting home, but it seems like before he knows it he’s in front of his house. It’s dark when he pushes through the door.

“Chanyeol?” his mother calls “Is that you? You’re late!”

Said boy cringes a little when the star comes running. “Sorry, I needed to finish up a few things,” he calls back. She bids them both goodnight and turns her light off, leaving them both in the dark except for Baekhyun’s faint glow.

Baekhyun really liked that feeling before Chanyeol had left abruptly for work. When Chanyeol had held him like that, it had felt so perfect. He’s convinced he’ll never tire of the way he feels with this human.

He greets the boy with their customary welcome-back-home hug, and Baekhyun slips his fingers between Chanyeol’s to guide them to rest on his cheeks. The tall boy flushes.

“You didn’t have to wait up.”

“I always do,” Baekhyun says, still gazing lovingly up at the other boy, leaning closer as if to entice him to recreate that moment again. It was such a pleasant feeling. Strange, but very pleasant.

Chanyeol gulps and averts his eyes, shaking out their fingers and instead pulling Baekhyun back in for another hug. “You’re always so sleepy, though. It’s not good for you.”

Baekhyun relaxes into the embrace, his glow flaring a faint pink. “I don’t mind.”

They finally make their way to Chanyeol’s room, and the star waits patiently for him to finish getting ready for bed. Chanyeol warily eyes the oversized shirt that rides up on Baekhyun’s thighs when he emerges from the bathroom and the star eagerly motions for him to join him. It’s hot tonight, he reasons. Not like he’s never shed some clothes on hot nights. Then again, when he did he never had a guest.

“How was the store tonight?” Baekhyun asks cheerfully. “Did you work with Jongdae again?”

The auburn-haired boy hums in confirmation, the noise going higher in alarm when Baekhyun again attempts to interlace their fingers and bring one to rest on his cheek. (It’s like he’s intentionally torturing him!)

 “Chanyeol…” the star says softly. It sounds like a beautiful melody the way he says it, the way it sweetly and effortlessly slips through his lips. Soft, pink lips…

“We should get to sleep,” Chanyeol says with difficulty. He can feel his face burning as his thoughts start to get away from him, and Baekhyun accepts defeat and instead settles on snuggling up on the boy’s chest. “You have to be up early to see me off to school. Unless you’ll actually stay asleep this time.”

“I never do,” the star says with a smile.

Baekhyun is like a nightlight Chanyeol can’t turn off, but he doesn't mind much. As mortifying as it is to admit, Chanyeol has always been afraid of complete darkness despite his affinity for stargazing in the meadow late at night.

His father gave him a nightlight when he was young to keep away the bad thoughts and usher in the good dreams. Somehow this had gotten around to the other children at school, who proceeded to endlessly for it. They didn’t let it go until Chanyeol felt the tears pricking at his eyes, and when he got home, in the drawer the nightlight went. Nightlights are for children, but without it he can’t help but feel on edge when the old house settles late at night and fear bad things invading his dreams just like he did when he was younger. Most would probably be annoyed by the constant glow radiating from Baekhyun, but Chanyeol finds it so comforting. Baekhyun is his new nightlight, and he’s able to usher in good dreams in his own otherworldly way.

But as the days wear on and the two become closer, his nightlight begins to grow dimmer. Baekhyun always insists he doesn’t know what Chanyeol is talking about, but the teenager knows it isn’t a matter to be shrugged off.

His nightlight is as chatty as ever as their day comes to a close and they snuggle beneath the sheets together, but when he closes his eyes there isn’t that telltale sign of a bright light in his room. He hugs Baekhyun closer subconsciously, and the star buries his face in the crook of Chanyeol’s neck, acknowledging everything without words.

Chanyeol and Jongdae laze about the general store on a hot afternoon. It’s been about an hour since anyone stepped foot through the door, and even Jongdae’s phone has been quiet.

“Whatcha thinking about?” Jongdae asks loudly from across the counter. The other boy snaps to attention and realizes he’d been staring at the supply shelf, his mind far away from the store right now. He averts his gaze abruptly. “I think I know,” Jongdae says smugly.

“I think I need your advice. Although I’m not entirely sure I actually want it,” the other boy says quietly.

“Rude,” Jongdae sniffs. “I’m trying to get you together with that cute hitchhiker and you doubt my sage advice?”

Chanyeol shrugs sheepishly. “I think you and I just have different tactics.”

“We do. Because my tactics actually end with me getting with someone.” Jongdae smiles smugly when his friend huffs indignantly. The shorter boy’s gaze travels past Chanyeol and to the window. “Well, well, look at this.” Jongdae chuckles. “And just as you were thinking about him, too.”

“Wait! I need a plan! Tell me your tactics!”

Too late for tactics. The front door swings open and in bursts the chatty little star.

“Channie!” he shouts. Jongdae snorts into his hand. He just loves that nickname. As if he doesn’t already have a sizeable arsenal to use again Chanyeol.

Jongdae greets Baekyun warmly, and in turn gets an excited greeting and over-the-counter hug. It makes him wonder just what Chanyeol is dragging his feet for. Absolutely hopeless.

“I was wondering. You remember those lights that were here last time?” Baekhyun asks the tall boy as they meander to the back of the store where they can talk more easily (out of earshot of Chanyeol’s nosy coworker). “Do you think we can get some?”

Chanyeol blinks. “Of course. They’ll be cheap in the off-season, too, so we can get a few if you want. What do you want to do with them?”

The star says he wants to decorate the tree in the backyard and thinks it would look beautiful lit up in the lights. Chanyeol softens and nods, grabbing a few boxes of lights off the clearance shelf and handing them to the star.

“We can hang them together. This weekend?”

Baekhyun nods in excitement and runs off to the front counter to pay with the money Ms. Park had sent with him. She always sends money with him, but it isn’t hard to figure out Baekhyun isn’t at the store nearly every day just to shop.

That weekend Chanyeol and Baekhyun throw clearance Christmas lights over a tree that lost its leaves for winter and never grew them again. It’s most likely dead, but it’s been there for as long as Chanyeol can remember, and he can’t bring himself to have it cut down. He remembers learning how to tend the fields with his father and taking breaks underneath its shade. He remembers listening to his father play guitar resting against its huge trunk. And now he has another great memory to thank this tree for.

They sprawl out beneath the tree now draped in white lights. The sun has tucked itself below the horizon now, and the effect is beautiful. Chanyeol surprises himself when it’s him that scoots closer to the star, who’s too busy admiring the lights to do much else.

“Do you think you’ll…go back?” Chanyeol asks hesitantly and pulls Baekhyun from his thoughts. The words feel bitter on his tongue because he knows very well he doesn’t want them to be true.

“Right now, I can’t even if I wanted to. That fall drained too much of my energy.” Chanyeol nods, remembering how weak the star had been in his arms the first night they met. How his body had gone limp as Chanyeol had raced back home. “But I think after staying a while longer here I might gain my strength back.”

Chanyeol nods again, afraid of when that day will come. He’s grown so attached to the star.

Baekhyun smiles as he snuggles against the boy next to him. He has no intention of leaving if he can help it.

"So tell me more about the cute wayward soul. He’s always here but never talks to me. Are you guys, like, together?"

"Of course not. We just met."

Jongdae snorts. “Just met my . He’s been here for a while, man.”

“Still,” Chanyeol says as they carry boxes of new shipment to stock. He doesn’t have much of a comeback for that one.

"So a no-strings-attached kind of thing? Casual. I get that."

"We're not together. Not in regular terms and not in Jongdae terms, either." 

“Hey! I was kidding, no need to take shots at me,” Jongdae says as he shoves his friend playfully.

Chanyeol sighs as he crouches down to restock the bottom shelf. Jongdae lazily hands him boxes of screws and nails one by one. "Why am I the one doing this again? You're much closer to the ground than I am." Jongdae kicks him in the back and nearly pushes him flat on his face. "Hey, hey, think of my poor knees! My old joints!"

They unpack more merchandise together in silence, and Chanyeol’s usually OK with silence, but this one feels tense. He can sense his friend has something he wants to say.

"I'm just teasing you, you know,” Jongdae finally says as they finish with that box and return to the front counter to retrieve another, but somewhere along the way get sidetracked and end up fishing a few drinks out of the case behind the counter (beer for Jongdae and soda for Chanyeol, as per usual). Business has been slow today anyway, so there’s no rush. “You're not really a casual kinda guy. It’s nice." Chanyeol shoots his friend a sort of lopsided grin, choosing to take that as a compliment. Jongdae takes a big swig and eyes him up and down. "I'm surprised we never…you know. All things considered."

"We’re friends. That would've made things weird," Chanyeol says and tips his head back to finish off the last of his drink. He crushes the empty can before turning to throw it in the bin.

"It doesn't have to."

The tall boy turns around slowly to find his friend standing incredibly close. His hands find their way to Chanyeol's chest as he rolls forward onto his toes close enough for their noses to brush.

“J-Jongdae?!”

"It wouldn't have to be casual."

Chanyeol splutters again and his face goes hot when he feels Jongdae’s warm breath against his lips. "Jongdae, is this…a-about Joonmyun?" he ventures.

Jongdae just sighs heavily and withdraws but doesn't jump to deny it. He reaches around Chanyeol to take another beer from the refrigerated case and opens it noisily.  Chanyeol is just shocked he managed to remain so calm and tries to steady his racing heart.

"He and his girlfriend are, you know, good again."

"Seriously?" Chanyeol blurts as Jongdae chugs the new drink. "You'd think by now they'd realize it isn't working. I’m really sorry."

 “He said he had liked me for a long time. He wanted to take his mind off of the breakup, so I sort of…comforted him...”

Chanyeol's eyes widen. "You what?!"

"I know!" he shouts, crushing the now-empty can in his hand. "I know. I thought it was different. I was so sure he was different. But then a week later he’s back with her, and I can’t stand it. I can’t even look at him!"

Chanyeol searches for something to say to help the situation but comes up blank. He can tell Jongdae needs more than a simple condolence. He looks nothing short of crestfallen.

“He made me dinner, and I just thought…” He slumps against the counter. “.”

“Jongdae, I… I’m so sorry.” Jongdae just gives him a half-hearted grin and fishes his phone out of his back pocket.

“It’s fine. I'm just gonna text someone,” he says, fingers already flicking over the touch screen. He grins mischievously to himself and mutters something about dragging someone halfway out of the closet.

“Why?”

He shoots Chanyeol a pointed look. “Why do you think?”

“Jongdae, don't. You're upset, I know you are, but this isn't how you should deal with it.”

Jongdae gives him a look. “You're not my mother, Chanyeol. If I want to call someone, I can and will.”

Before Jongdae can punch send on his phone, Chanyeol snatches it away and holds it high above his head. “What the hell, man?!” Jongdae glares hard at the tall boy, not even attempting to take another blow to his pride and jump for it. Instead he sinks his fist into Chanyeol's stomach hard enough to startle him, but not enough to really hurt.

“Dammit, Jongdae, stop!”

He shoves Jongdae back against the counter in frustration, just to get him off, and Jongdae shoves him right back against the cold glass cases. His friend fists his hands in the collar of his shirt and looks like he’s about to beat the out of him. Chanyeol may or may not be legitimately frightened despite Jongdae being a good few inches shorter than he is.

“Don’t do this to yourself. Please,” he says quietly. “You deserve better, remember?”

Jongdae looks angry again, and Chanyeol barely knows what’s happening when the other boy tugs him down by the collar harshly and kisses him.

Chanyeol gasps. “What are you—?!” he manages out before Jongdae pulls him back in for another.

The kiss is angry and needy at the same time, and Chanyeol can tell his friend is filled with shame at his actions. Sure, Jongdae enjoys teasing him about his inexperience when it comes to relationships and had jokingly offered to teach him a few things many times, but he didn’t think Jongdae ever intended anything to really come of it.

“You don't understand. I need someone, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol gasps when the other boy’s lips find his neck, and although it doesn't feel unpleasant, he doesn’t feel good about any of this. His friend is hurt and doesn't know how to deal with it other than how he always has. And as much as Chanyeol hates to admit it, he can only think about Baekhyun right now with his sparkling eyes and glowing skin and lovely warmth. Why does he feel like he’s betraying him?

“Damn it,” Jongdae whispers against the sensitive skin of his neck. “The hell am I doing?” He looks up at him with equal parts shame and heartbreak. “I’m supposed to be helping you win over the hitchhiking cutie,” he says sadly.

They awkwardly separate, and when Chanyeol returns from freshening up (calming down) in the bathroom, he finds Jongdae has fled the store before their shift is supposed to be over. Chanyeol doesn’t blame him and most certainly doesn’t hold the whole incident against him. Jongdae isn’t like most people he knows. Jongdae doesn’t deal with things often, but when he does, it’s always self-destructive. He just hopes he hasn’t gone out and found someone else to drown his sorrows in.

Chanyeol arrives home later than usual (he’d had to finish stocking the shelves by himself) with slightly swollen lips, and Baekhyun is curious but doesn't press the matter. They fall asleep side-by-side like usual, and Chanyeol can't seem to tear his gaze away from the star as his eyes slide closed and he slips closer to dreamland.

What would it feel like to press his lips against the other’s right now? How would it feel to have Baekhyun’s lips on his neck like he’d felt earlier tonight?

He likes Baekhyun. He wants Baekhyun. But it's impractical. Baekhyun isn't here permanently and will be gone as soon as he regains his strength.

He can't fall in love with something temporary. Not again.

Chanyeol has never been more grateful for his night off than he is now. He needs time to think about what he’s going to say to Jongdae. How he’s going to ask how Jongdae dealt with the rest of the night. He needs to sort out how he feels about Baekhyun.

He feigns feeling sick, something he hasn’t done since he was very little and wanted to get out of taking a test at school. But he pulls that card today, staying in bed well through the afternoon, just drifting in and out of unsatisfying naps.

Baekhyun of course stays by his side all day, bringing Chanyeol breakfast and lunch in bed like the sweetheart he is and constantly doting on him. And when there’s nothing he can bring Chanyeol, he settles with snuggling under the covers and fitting himself perfectly against the other’s body. Whenever he does so, Chanyeol seems to instantly relax in his sleep, a content expression overtaking his face, unconsciously nuzzling further against the star for more comforting warmth. Baekhyun loves that he can help make Chanyeol’s dreams peaceful. He leans his head back and stares at the plastic stars on the ceiling, his thoughts drifting instead to the real thing and the heavens he once called home.

Baekhyun is not like most stars. He isn’t content with the role he was given. When he and his fellow stars often passed by Earth and created the phenomenon the humans called shooting stars, he found himself incredibly drawn to their way of life. Their existence is a mere blip in his lifetime, but perhaps it’s the fact that they have so little time to live that they cherish small things so dearly. They make connections and relationships and bonds.

One boy in particular, Chanyeol (he knows this to be his name because the boy has a funny habit of voicing his thoughts aloud and holding little conversations with himself) caught his attention specifically. The other stars thought him foolish for lingering behind and gazing down at the humans and peering into their lives for just a brief moment to learn more about them. But Chanyeol is the only human that ever held Baekhyun’s attention enough to come back and peer down at more than once.

Baekhyun had never come across a human so like himself. A human who wants to make a difference and be remembered and just live more than he’s expected to. And this human has such a passionate interest in stars, in him, he thinks with a blissful little flush. He couldn’t help but become fascinated with Chanyeol as well.

The humans are an interesting race. They like to make wishes on his kind whenever they pass by, and if that particular star is feeling generous, he or she may just work to fulfill that wish. None of Baekhyun’s friends had fulfilled any wishes, it’s sort of a lost art now that they don’t bother with, but he thought it would be incredibly rewarding. He wanted that bond, that contract of sorts; to know that he made a difference in someone’s life no matter how small it may be.

So when Chanyeol made his wish, actually voiced aloud his desires to live and to matter, Baekhyun had felt such a strong emotional pull to the boy he didn’t think twice about fulfilling that wish. He wanted to be the thing to make Chanyeol’s wish come true, quite literally. And so he took the plunge to earth, as he’d dreamed of doing so many times. Everything rushed around him and he hadn’t entirely thought it through because before he knew it he was past the atmosphere and had no idea how to stop. A crushing weight engulfed him and he realized that he was choking, drowning, he couldn’t breathe. He was sinking and the moon was getting dimmer and dimmer. In a last attempt to live — because he’d just got there and hadn’t even been able to meet Chanyeol yet — he used the last of his strength to struggle to the surface.

Chanyeol had saved him. He hadn’t even hesitated to jump in and save him, put his own life at risk for someone he didn’t even know. As if Baekhyun needed any more reason to love him.

He loves Chanyeol so much. Much more than he comprehends, in truth. Emotions are something new to him. Love is complicated (as he’s heard many a human say in various movies and television shows he watches while he’s home alone), but he knows he feels it for Chanyeol.

The teenager stirs later that evening, much later than he would have liked. Baekhyun’s warmth had lulled him into a deep sleep.  Baekhyun hadn’t left his side all day, other than to assure Ms. Park her son was doing fine and to take care of his chores. Chanyeol thanks him over and over again groggily.

“Feeling better?”

“Much,” the tall boy says contentedly. “You hungry?”

The star smiles and shakes his head. “Nah, let’s go outside. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up so you can turn on the lights.”

Chanyeol chuckles, his deep baritone laugh settling itself nicely in Baekhyun's chest as he flares that soft pink color again. Plugging the lights into the extension cord isn’t that hard to figure out, and Baekhyun’s seen him do it, but Baekhyun doesn’t like to do things without Chanyeol.

They spread out the red checked blanket, the boy’s hand inching over to intertwine his fingers with the star’s in a bold move that surprises even himself. Baekhyun brings it up to rest on the spot where his heart should be.

Chanyeol rolls over on his side to face the star, just taking in how stunning he looks tonight under the lights. They outshine him in brightness, but Baekhyun holds his own in beauty, his hair shimmering with stardust in the light breeze that ruffles it, deep brown eyes twinkling with the lights’ reflection and the ethereal matter that swirls behind them.

 “Don’t leave any time soon, OK?” the auburn-haired boy says softly.

The star turns to him, eyes wide. “I won’t,” he says firmly.

Chanyeol seems content at that, settling back a little but still watching Baekhyun out of the corner of his eye. He can’t seem to tear his gaze away from the star tonight.

Baekhyun’s fingers flutter to and fro in a small wave up at the night sky, and the boy beside him his head in curiosity. Baekhyun notices the other’s interest and giggles sheepishly. “Just saying hi to some friends,” he whispers. “They miss me, but I like it here. I like being here with you.”

Chanyeol rolls over, cups the star’s cheek sweetly like Baekhyun's wanted him to do again for so long, and presses his lips to Baekhyun’s.

It’s awkward and uncoordinated, mainly because Chanyeol doesn’t really know what he’s doing, and Baekhyun doesn’t really know what Chanyeol’s doing either, but it’s nice. Baekhyun’s natural warmth radiates from his lips and has a healthy flush blooming in Chanyeol’s cheeks almost instantly. The feeling is incredible, like he’s floating. Like he’s limitless.

"What was that?" Baekhyun asks breathlessly when Chanyeol finally pulls away. His head swims with bliss.

"It's called a kiss," the boy replies equally as breathlessly. "It means that I...that I like you very, very much."

The star repeats the word again in a daze, as if trying to comprehend such an odd custom and why it had made him feel that amazing. "Kiss me again?"

Chanyeol complies eagerly, growing more confident and loving the way Baekhyun sighs blissfully between pecks and how his arms wind around Chanyeol's neck like second nature. But despite the lovely heat that spreads from Baekhyun’s entire being, the star is dimmer when Chanyeol pulls away. Chanyeol waits for the flicker to pass like usual, but it doesn’t. This time it’s a noticeable decrease in brightness, like when a bulb burns out in a room and everything is just a touch darker.

“You feeling all right?” he asks in a concerned tone, but Baekhyun only stares back with hooded eyes.

“Couldn’t be better,” he replies and slips his fingers into the spaces between Chanyeol’s.

He gives a shy glance back up to the sky before burying his face in the other boy’s chest.