A/N: Hello! As promised, I have the first chapter of this story posted now! [2013.06.22.] Let me know what you think!

(I apologize for any spelling and grammar errors. This has not been proof read.)

“Chanyeol! Come swing with me!” a young Baekhyun cried out, his laugh tinkling across the playground as he ran to his favorite playground equipment.

Chanyeol finished tying his shoe and followed his best friend, smiling widely showing all of his white teeth. “Coming!” he called back, running to the other boy who was already seated on the swing.

After swinging for a while, the school bell rang signaling that it was time to return to classes, which caused the two small boys to pout unhappily.

“I like the playground though…,” Baekhyun whined as he began trudging beside Chanyeol back to their first grade classroom.

“It’s okay, Baekkie. There’s still tomorrow,” Chanyeol reassured his friend, holding his hand tightly.

Baekhyun really needed to learn how to be more positive like Chanyeol. Baekhyun was the type of person to think more heavily about things whereas Chanyeol was the more happy-go-lucky personality of the pair. He always seemed to brighten Baekhyun’s mood.

That’s why they were best friends.

Snack time rolled around and both boys were excited. Chanyeol took a handful of pretzels for himself, smiling down at the brown, salt-covered snack before excitedly turning to Baekhyun. “They look yummy, don’t they?” he asked, chipper.

However, Chanyeol’s large grin turned into a frown when he noticed his friend looking down and had no snack of his own even after the teacher had passed in his direction.

“Baekkie, why don’t you have a snack?” Chanyeol asked curiously, staring at his friend’s blank top of the desk.

Baekhyun sighed before slouching down in his chair. “I can’t have pretzels since they’re made in a peanut factory…,” the child sighed, biting the inside of his cheek.

Chanyeol looked down at his own pretzels before taking them and handing them over to the kid who sat on the other side of him, leaving himself with no snacks as well. He didn’t have any other food with him or in his backpack, so this was the least he could do for his friend.

“Well, if you can’t have snack, then I won’t either,” Chanyeol stated with determination lacing every word he spoke. He wouldn’t let his friend be hungry alone.

Baekhyun’s little mouth dropping open slightly in surprise. “But Channie,” he started, starting to feel bad. “You don’t have to do that. I can deal with it. It’s just snack…”

Chanyeol crossed his arms and shook his head, not wanting to hear any more of his friend’s nonsense. “It wouldn’t be fair to you,” he said, lips turned up in the friendly smile that Baekhyun always saw.

Baekhyun smiled back, no longer feeling belittled for having nothing for himself. He really did have the bestest friend in the whole wide world.

“Channie, you’re the best. Hey, since you don’t have a blue crayon anymore, I’ll let you borrow mine during art hour later, okay?” Baekhyun proposed excitedly, wanting to do something nice for his friend. Chanyeol really liked the color blue, but he didn’t have a blue crayon anymore since he accidently stepped on it the other day.

Young Chanyeol’s eyes bugged out as he smiled excitedly, bouncing up and down in his chair. “Really?! Baekkie, I love you!” he exclaimed, hugging his best friend tightly and Baekhyun rolled his eyes. His best friends was a dork.

“Chanyeol! Come on, we’re going to be late!” Baekhyun whined loudly as he stood at the front door, waiting for his best friends to come along so they weren’t late for school. Chanyeol, as a middle school student now, he had grown to be more forgetful and was having a difficult time trying to find his book for his language class.

“I’m coming!” Chanyeol called, antsy to find that blasted book. After a few more pressing seconds of not being able to find the book, he threw his hands up in defeat and ran down the stairs, his best friend coming into view. He cast an apologetic smile at Baekhyun before grabbing his bag and bounding out the front door behind his friend.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, asking the taller teasingly, “When did you become such a handful, Chan?”

“Psh, what are you talking about? Forgetful? No, just merely….I don’t know. Just not forgetful.”

Smiling embarrassedly when Baekhyun’s tinkling laugh, Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun’s hand. It had become habit when he felt embarrassed or anxious.

Together, they walked to school hand in hand.

“Baekhyun, I love you,” Chanyeol said seriously, his palms feeling sweaty and his heart pounding in his chest so loud that he thought his neighbors could hear it.

Baekhyun sat frozen on bed as he stared at Chanyeol incredulously. He had come over after receiving a distressed call from his friend, so he came rushing over and Chanyeol was near tears. Chanyeol had lead him up to his room and sat Baekhyun on the bed before telling him that he had something confess.

Baekhyun never thought in a million years that his best friend, whom he had assumed to be straight as a ruler, would be confessing to him.

“…Chan….”

“Please let me talk,” Chanyeol pleaded, taking a deep breathe to calm himself. He felt faint from the nerves, but didn’t want to do so without telling Baekhyun his feelings. Actually, he really hoped he wouldn’t pass out at all, period. That wouldn’t be good.

“You make in so irritated, Baek. For the past two years, I’ve tried to keep this—my ual orientation and my feelings for you—a secret because I felt that you would be disgusted by it. Hell, you may be disgusted now.

“I…All of this, though…it’s taking its toll on me and I just can’t hide it anymore. However, if you don’t return my feelings, I want you to just forget about this whole event. I can be your friend forever and I won’t act on my feelings again.

“It’s just, for years I’ve always followed you, hiding in your shadow—holding you on a pedestal. I think so highly of you. I don’t think you could possibly understand. Ever since we started high school, I think that’s when I realized I was in love with you, romantically.

“I understand if you don’t like me that way. I just wanted to say that,” Chanyeol sighed, his tears now gone having dried up on his face. He was ready for rejection. He knew it was coming. He had prepared himself for it for a long time. He just wanted to get everything out in the open because for years, it had been eating him up inside.

Baekhyun was stunned, of course. It was only natural. He almost didn’t recognize the person standing in front of him.

In a good way.

Despite the eyeliner always defining his eyes, Chanyeol still thought he was straight.

Chanyeol really was daft sometimes.

“Chanyeol, you’re so stupid,” Baekhyun said, his mouth slight agape.

Chanyeol nodded in agreement, “I know I am. Completely stupid.”

“You’re such a dummy.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Like…just really stupid.”

“I’m every insult you throw at me.”

“The fact that you’re not denying anything hurts me,” Baekhyun confesses, looking down at the floor disapprovingly. He wished his friend would have more self-confidence. It really did pain him.

Chanyeol didn’t say a word, not really knowing what else to say. He hadn’t anticipated that Baekhyun would be so calm about this. Actually, he had expected his friend to just get up and leave him and not look back.  

Why wasn’t he leaving?

Shaking his head in disapproval, Baekhyun stood from the bed and wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s torso, frowning when he felt the taller boy stiffen at the touch.

“Chanyeol, thank you,” he murmured. “I’m glad you told me your feelings.”

“….Why?”

“Because I feel the same way for you.”

“You…You love me?”

“So much.”

“Show me.”

And with that, Baekhyun kissed his best friend.”

At twenty-six years old and working as a personal assistant for the CEO of a major company, Byun Baekhyun sat as his desk in the lobby of the thirtieth floor—his boss’s personal floor—of the company building, Baekhyun sighed.

It was quiet, his boss working alone in his office and the other secretaries on break. Baekhyun was alone with only his thoughts preoccupying him.

He stared at the framed picture he kept on his desk. It was a photo of him and Chanyeol together on their university campus, enjoying their free time together and smiling happily. Chanyeol had his arms wrapped around Baekhyun’s shoulders, his wide eyes shining.

Baekhyun’s heart wrenched as he continued to gaze at the memory captured on the glossy paper.

“What happened to us?”

A/N: Like? Dislike? Please remember to give me some feedback! :)