Baekhyun and Chanyeol end up in the nearest cafe after Chanyeol's confession. Baekhyun had told Joonmyun he's leaving the daycare early, leaving poor Luhan alone because Kyungsoo is not around either. When Chanyeol asked Baekhyun whether or not he wanted to go anywhere to talk, Baekhyun had only promptly nodded, trailing behind Chanyeol to the car. The drive to the cafe was beyond silent, that only the engine of the car and the air conditioner could be heard. Good thing it didn't take so long, because the cafe is just around the corner.

Neither one wanted to break the silence as they're now seated across each other at a secluded part of the cafe, complementary coffees served on the table according to Chanyeol's order. 

 

But Baekhyun's the first one to break the silence.

 

"I don't like guys, Chanyeol."

 

"You're kidding." Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun incredulously. 

 

"I'm not," Baekhyun says with finality. "I mean, where did you even get the idea of confessing?"

 

Chanyeol just looks at Baekhyun in disbelief, eyes asking What!?, eyes looking anywhere but Baekhyun because suddenly it's so embarrassing and what is Baekhyun doing really?

 

"Okay, fine, I'm kidding." Baekhyun finally chuckles, teeth biting his lower lip because he knows it's a rather offensive joke meaning to irritate. His guilt tends to eat him up immediately, exactly the reason why he couldn't joke for a long term unlike Kyungsoo can.

 

He sets his lips in a thin line, willing himself to not make fun of the situation any further should Chanyeol be embarrassed. "Well, I have tendencies. I'm somewhere in between and refuse to put a label to what I am because I like who I like regardless."

 

"Right."

 

"Hey, I'm not rejecting you okay? I just... I want to know you better. I don't want this to be something rash on my part. I like you too, for quite some time now actually," Baekhyun pauses, looks at Chanyeol with a slight tint of pink in his cheeks as he admits to it as well. "I mean I don't get it if I have to hide it anymore. I just really want to be sure that I won't change my mind, so I'm not answering yet." He tries to make it sound as painless as possible for Chanyeol not to take it the hard way, because in fact he's saying the truth, but then again he knows that he probably likes Chanyeol more than the latter likes him.

 

"Sure. Thanks, I guess." Chanyeol sounds wistful, as though sighing and Baekhyun nudges him with a "Hey" and a grip on his wrist.

 

“So is that why you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder the past few weeks?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Is that why you don’t like Luhan?” Baekhyun follows up. “I heard from Jungsoo.”

 

Chanyeol’s about to lie through his teeth “No—“ but Baekhyun’s looking at him with narrowed eyes and he ends up saying, “Yes, yes, you’re right!”

 

And somewhere in the midst of conversation, Baekhyun admits that Luhan’s just the clingy type.

 

 

 

A few moments of silence passes them by and Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol with a hopeful look in his eyes. 

 

He's thinking. Of where this possibly could take them now when it's still somehow embedded in his mind Chanyeol's undying love for Jungsoo's mother he couldn't quite get off his mind. He doesn't want to ask, though, and Chanyeol's not making much further step in a conversation regarding that, either. The older just said that she's someone really close to him and someone he couldn't hate even if he tried. Baekhyun's afraid to know any further, so they shift topics and talk of more relatively lighter topics that doesn't involve kids and past flings. Instead, Chanyeol talks about Jongin and his surprise stay after having resigned. Baekhyun would take what he could and if he needs Chanyeol to forget, then sure he'll help out.

 

Baekhyun smiles at the back of his hand then, looking across the man he likes again. He can't help but think that the situation they're in now is unfamiliar, somehow awkward, treading on the border between friendship and something more than that and he asks, "Does Jungsoo know? That you're not his fa—"

 

"No, no!" Chanyeol panics at once in response, hands grabbing hands across where he is on the table. "Please, Baek, don't tell him."

 

It worries Baekhyun with a crease on his forehead. Things have escalated this far with 5 years of Jungsoo not knowing the truth. And well, he wouldn't know as well when to tell his adopted son (if he did have one) that they're apparently not biologically related. "What do you plan to do about it then?"

 

"His mom... I called his mom the other night. You remember that time I was distracted? I called her the night before and she answered... she picked up, Baek. I told you about that." Chanyeol looks terribly worried, if not guilty and looking troubled. 

 

"I'm noticing that you've been doing it a lot, actually. The panicking, I mean." Baekhyun smiles only a little, quite not reaching his ears. It's not something to be happy about, anyway.

 

"He's turning 6 soon," Chanyeol says quietly, gaze shifting on the table with a faraway look in his eyes. Chanyeol takes that as signal to switch topics. "But Baek, about me liking you... I hope I'm not putting pressure on you. I know we've only known each other for a few months and it would be totally okay to me that it would take you as well more months to answer. I just... I easily get jealous. I mean I get jealous a lot for shallow reasons and—"

 

"You're speaking too fast again. Slow down," Baekhyun says slowly.

 

"Sorry."

 

"It's fine, Chanyeol. It is." Baekhyun smiles. "With Jungsoo too, right?"

 

"What?" Chanyeol understands it in another way. "But yeah, I guess I get jealous of Jungsoo a lot when he's around you, too. That's—"

 

"No, I mean the other way around. You know, me being closer to Jungsoo?"

 

Chanyeol blushes. "Yeah, that too apparently. I have separation anxiety," but it's a joke out of pure exaggeration, "So don't leave me hanging for too long, Baek. Don't." 

 

But it's a remark too soon to say. 

 

 

 

Chanyeol truthfully thinks he could trust Baekhyun and trust he does, because he's baring his all, telling him fragments of him little by little and he thinks he hasn't trusted anyone like this before. Kris may have known about the matter earlier than Baekhyun did or even knows better than Baekhyun like Yerin being Chanyeol's sister, but telling his woes to Baekhyun makes it a whole new story. When he tells Baekhyun something, it's in detail—in depth, something that comes naturally and he hopes of all hopes he'll be able to tell him soon as well about her being his sister. He doesn't know if it's in the assurance that Baekhyun wouldn't judge him or the fact that he likes him that it feels sort of obligatory. And well, Jongin's his best friend, but he's more like what-a-loser-you-are--cheer-up-and-don't-frown kind of person. But really, Jongin's secretly a miserable person. It's sort of just his art of getting by acting like a teenager when they're years past that.

 

 

 

On the other hand, Baekhyun has a very strong will to erase her memories in Chanyeol's mind. He knows it will still probably be there whatever he does and that the older must have really loved her a lot to take care of her son for her, too. In fact, Baekhyun still has a sense that Chanyeol still loves her and he's afraid that Chanyeol's only undergoing a phase of trying to divert attention to other people to lessen the heartache. It's partially the reason why he's still not telling Chanyeol yes. He'd like to take it as though they've crossed the friendship border and rowing between the friendships to lovers boundary. Baekhyun doesn't know if they'll get there, but he wants to. He likes Chanyeol a lot, but he was just supposed to be a crush and right now's a really complicated situation.

 

 

 

"Hey, does this count as a date?" Baekhyun asks with a smile.

 

"No, oh no. I'll treat you somewhere better for a first." Chanyeol smiles his boyish smile, to which Baekhyun reacts with his eye smile and a blush. Both smiles they showed are the favorite of each other, but unknown to the other.

 

"Say, you remember that time you told me you'd teach me how to make Bibimbap?" Baekhyun asks as Chanyeol remains silent, eager to hear all that Baekhyun has to say before responding. "Well, uhm," Baekhyun pauses, "can that be first?"

 

"I'm thinking candles and—"

"I don't want anything fancy, not until an anniversary anyway."

 

Chanyeol looks alarmed at that. "Suggestive. I like that," he smirks. "Okay then. At your place?" At least now he knows Baekhyun's carefully considering his options and the possibilities of Baekyeol, as Chanyeol now coins in mind their ship name.

 

"Why not yours?"

 

"Well, there's Jongin..." Chanyeol doesn't need to explain further as he scratches the back of his head.

 

"Ahhh."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's the day after Chanyeol confessed to Baekhyun.

 

Baekhyun is all dreamy in all his classes and the time he goes to break with Kyungsoo and Luhan, simultaneously doing their thesis. They go to the library and Baekhyun almost hits the shelf, because he's not even looking where he's going, if not for Kyungsoo pulling him irritably. It feels surreal to know Chanyeol likes him back, but it's really distracting Luhan and Kyungsoo to say the least.

 

So Kyungsoo angrily s a book over Baekhyun to somehow catch his attention, but it doesn't work. Now Baekhyun's staring at some space behind Kyungsoo silently, but when Kyungsoo looks back, he sees nothing interesting. Instead, he disregards this for some time as he leafs through pages of research journals with Luhan beside him.

 

"I'm giving him a zero on peer evaluation," Kyungsoo says, to which Luhan laughs merrily. 

 

"Give him some time," the lad beside him says. "It will pass."

 

"Do you know something I don't?" Kyungsoo looks over his shoulder, silently pleading with his eyes for Luhan to tell whatever it is Baekhyun won't.

 

"Chanyeol hyung came last night and took him some place I don't know. He looked angry. I'm assuming that it's because I've been touchy with Baek and kissed him on the cheek. So he sped over to us and just grabbed Baekhyun away."

 

"What!?" Kyungsoo exclaims.

 

This time Baekhyun is startled in his seat, eyes hovering to Luhan and Kyungsoo to decipher the situation.

 

"It seemed important," Luhan supplies. "I mean, the talk or something. They went outside for a while and talked. Next thing I know is they're hugging and Chanyeol's ushered Baekhyun away to his car. Must have been making out like those sappy chick flicks in a car." 

 

"We were not!!" Baekhyun defends.

 

"Oh, so now you're talking?" Kyungsoo narrows his eyes at Baekhyun, placing his hands on top of his best friend's shoulders as he shakes him. "What happened in the car, Byun?"

 

Baekhyun smiles so wide all his teeth show, eyes twinkling with delight.

 

"He's emitting a dangerous aura," Kyungsoo notes mentally.

 

"Nothing happened in the car, but before we even left, he said he likes me."

 

 

 

 

 

So in line of Kyungsoo knowing Chanyeol's confessed to Baekhyun, he spends quality time with Baekhyun at the daycare and everywhere else lecturing him day in and day out about the dos and donts of treading the dangerous line between friends and lovers. 

 

Kyungsoo tells him, "Don't let him fool you," when they walk through hallways in school. 

 

"If you see him cheating, break up. Don't hesitate!" Kyungsoo says when they're at the subway heading to the daycare. To which Baekhyun counters, "But we're not even together yet!" And Kyungsoo says, "Doesn't matter. It will eventually get there. It's better to know sooner than regret later."

 

When they're at the daycare, potty training and playing with the kids, Kyungsoo says, "He might pretend to act innocent when he's not, so be wary of that! Have the heart to remove roaming hands." Baekhyun's face goes a shade darker, putting both his hands to cover his face because, "No, Chanyeol isn't like that."

 

"Don't let him play with your heart," Kyungsoo says. They're at Kyungsoo's pad playing Grand Theft Auto when Kyungsoo successfully steals a car from one of the commoners with his character. "Worse comes to worst, he steals your heart." He looks at Baekhyun with wide eyes, to which Baekhyun gulps in response because that's honestly one of his concerns as well.

 

"If he's boring, forget it," Kyungsoo whispers now, simultaneously paying attention to the professor having a discussion when they're in class.

 

"And the most important thing," Kyungsoo pauses as they're on their way to the library again with Luhan, "is to not let him take my place in there." He pokes at Baekhyun's chest and narrows his eyes at him. "Got it?"

 

"Got it!" Baekhyun exclaims, before bringing Kyungsoo in a hug. When he looks to the side and watches Luhan looking out of place, he waves for him to come over too and they all hug. "Thank you, guys."

 

 

 

 

 

"He's doing it again," Kyungsoo bites angrily, hands on his waist as he looks at Jongin's direction in irritation. As usual, the tan male is seated on a bench near the entrance of the daycare and Kyungsoo can't help but think how much of a distraction he is, how much he's blocking the entry way. But of course that's just Kyungsoo's exaggeration in thinking. 

 

"Who's doing what again?" Luhan asks. 

 

"Him," Kyungsoo points at Jongin, who's seemingly oblivious of the accusing finger. "Why does he always have to be here and make my day the worst?!"

 

"You're over reacting, Kyung," Luhan sighs. 

 

"I'm not," Kyungsoo mumbles, blowing upwards his bangs in a huff.

 

Just then, Jungsoo and Soojung walks over to them. Soojung goes over to Luhan and asks his oppa for extra crayons and paper. Jungsoo looks at Kyungsoo in curiosity and notices him looking at Jongin with an angry face.

 

"I don't like Jongin hyung so much either," Jungsoo says.

 

"Well of course you don't," Kyungsoo says, but it comes more as a mumble that Jungsoo doesn't hear. 

 

"He's been a lot better these days to me, though."

 

"Yeah?" Kyungsoo sounds disbelieving. 

 

"He's unfriendly at first, but he keeps me company whenever appa goes home late now. I wouldn't tell him I'm starting to like him, but he's the one who reads me bedtime stories now and the one who helps me bathe. He's like our male maid," Jungsoo laughs, "but of course I'm just kidding. Jongin hyung seems upset all the time and often looks groggy he looks like he can sleep anywhere, but he's really good and dances well too even if it's noisy."

 

"I don't think I'll ever like him, though," Kyungsoo utters softly. 

 

How wrong he is, because secretly he's got a soft spot for dancers.

 

But anyway, Jongin's personality to him is rotten so that probably won't ever fade. 

 

Plus, he doesn't have an intention to see him dance.

 

Maybe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun's and Chanyeol's first date home happens not so long after Chanyeol's confession. Chanyeol feels all excited and tingly standing in front of Baekhyun's front door as he holds a bag full of Bibimbap ingredients and a few delicacies they could eat to pair off. It doesn't take long when Baekhyun welcomes him in with a smile. He takes a big step in then, only to be surprised when he sees...

 

"Kyungsoo, hi," Chanyeol says sheepishly, eyes particularly on Kyungsoo watching television in Baekhyun's living room. 

 

Baekhyun scratches his head and explains the situation, "I kind of told Kyungsoo and..."

 

"Yeah."

 

"He's not going to cause a scene, though," Baekhyun says.

 

"Unless you do something wrong," Kyungsoo points at Chanyeol accusingly.

 

"He's not even supposed to talk," Baekhyun defends.

 

Kyungsoo only rolls his eyes at Baekhyun, dramatically turning back to the television set to spend some alone time for himself as he semi-chaperone's Baekhyun with his date.

 

‘Okay... it's awkward,’ Chanyeol thinks, but he'll manage for Baekhyun with or without a chaperone even if they're not going out anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol lays out the ingredients needed for their little cooking session then, giving instructions to Baekhyun to cut up the carrots, the meat, and everything else needed to be cut. Baekhyun sets aside ingredients, readies the chili pepper paste, soybean sprouts, and rice. The next thing he knows is that he's waiting for the water to boil in the kitchen, for Chanyeol's special sauce. 

 

He looks at Chanyeol seemingly too big for his small dining set as he leans on his kitchen counter.

 

He almost laughs at the thought, refusing to think that he's too small and it's really just because Chanyeol's too big to fit anything average in size. He muffles the laughs coming up from his throat, but Chanyeol seems to have still caught it with the way he's looking at Baekhyun in question.

 

"What?"

 

"Oh, it's nothing," Baekhyun waves it off.

 

But Chanyeol won't give up. "What, Baek? Don't leave me hanging, I don't like it."

 

"You just look too big is all. Too big for my dining set and everything."

 

Chanyeol remains quiet.

 

"Hey," Baekhyun says. He doesn't voice out that 4 days in, in this relationship they have (whatever it is), that he seems to always be the one comforting.

 

He attempts to go over where Chanyeol is, but then he retreats because then the pot is boiling. The water is seeping through the pot lid, so he makes his way back to the range.  

 

He feels clumsy, though, when he stupidly presses his palm on the pot (don't know why he did it, but most likely it's because of Chanyeol watching his every move) and he feels the burn on the tips of his fingers.

 

He tries not to squirm, but he does as quiet as he could, trying to prevent for Chanyeol to know his stupidity. But the next minute, Chanyeol's turning off the range and the gas, grabbing Baekhyun's sore hand right down the sink with cold tap water.

 

He sees creases on Chanyeol's handsome face and really, he wants to sort of pout because it doesn't suit him. So he guides his free hand to Chanyeol's forehead and smoothens it out as he could with his free hand and say, "It doesn't suit you."

 

"Still handsome though, right?" Chanyeol attempts to joke, turning to Baekhyun on his side. 

 

Baekhyun's heart skips a beat. 

 

Chanyeol looks at him and he knows Baekhyun thinks the same, even if he's not vocal about it and seemingly speechless.

 

"Ice?"

 

"On the fridge."

 

And somehow, after applying pressure and all the blowing and ice, Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun and something clicks in both their minds.

 

‘This is the part where we should kiss,’ Baekhyun thinks, and he closes his eyes automatically.

 

It's a really nice atmosphere with the strong and good aroma of almost-Bibimbap filling the background and nothing could be better. 

 

Baekhyun's not really one for a first kiss on first dates (not that he's taken note in the past), but he feels Chanyeol so near as the older tightly grasps his hand and—

 

"Baekhyun!!!"

 

On impulse, Baekhyun looks to the side in panic and Chanyeol's lips fall flat on his cheeks.

 

Kyungsoo's standing by the kitchen with his arms crossed and smirking.

 

"No kissing!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

A/N:

 

Sorry, I fail in life. :( Too much cheese? :((

Anyway, upvote if you love, subscribe if the story captures you, comment if you liked the chapter! ♥♥♥