Unbeknownst of his friends’ current engagement on the other side of town that was to take place later that evening, Baekhyun changed into nicer clothing (meaning, pants with no stains and a shirt with no holes) before leaving his apartment to return to the café he had visited earlier that day.

He was excited. For one, he got to be close with Chanyeol as maybe-friends and doing normal things together, and two, he got to spend time with Jongdae whom he was quickly warming up to.

It was going to be a good evening, Baekhyun was sure of it. Especially after the stressful predicament he found himself in with Junmyeon. This was a perfect way to relieve some stress.

“Ah! Baek, you’re here!” Jongdae called out as he saw Baekhyun walking quickly towards him and Chanyeol as they locked up the café. Chanyeol gave a wave but said nothing, only remaining silent.

Baekhyun smiled, greeting Jongdae with an equal amount of enthusiasm, “Hi! You guys ready?”

“Hell yes, tonight’s gonna be great. Chanyeol and I haven’t gone out to do anything in a while,” Jongdae said, playfully punching the taller man’s arm, you grunted in response. “He says he always too busy for drinks.”

“That, and I don’t like having to see you outside of work more than I have to,” Chanyeol retorted, his face contorting and Baekhyun knew that the younger was trying to hold in his laughter.

Jongdae gasped, appalled. “I’m hurt! And I thought we were friends!”

"We're only friends when I want you to take an extra shift for me," Chanyeol blatantly said, before walking off into the direction they were supposed to be heading leaving Jongdae back with Baekhyun, gaping at the older man.

"," Jongdae grumbled sullenly, making Baekhyun snort at the funny banter that happened between the two men.

"You two seem rather close," Baekhyun commented observantly to Jongdae who was now immaturely making faces somewhere between funny and mean at Chanyeol's back.

Jongdae made a weird noise that sounded like mock puking and a whimper--Baekhyun wasn't sure--but shrugged nonetheless and even included a slight nod. "Close enough, I guess. We get on each other's nerves, my getting on his mostly, but we've worked together for a while so now we're on a friendship level. That, and I'm someone he confides in at times. Not all the time, just sometimes, and that's usually only when he acts way out of the ordinary and makes me nervous, so I force the issue out of him. But hey, whatever makes him act normal again," Jongdae explained.

Baekhyun nodded, taking in the new information. "Keep being a good friend to him them," was all he said before adding, "We should catch up to him before he deserts us."

Jongdae looked ahead to see Chanyeol's form becoming smaller and smaller with each step. "He's just being a jealous ," he huffed playfully, "I know where he's going anyway, so if he really did leave us behind, I'd sit him down and punish him somehow. Like, get him really drunk or something so he gets super sick."

Baekhyun laughed and Jongdae tried not to melt when he noticed Baekhyun sticking a little part of his tongue out cutely.

"When I knew Chanyeol way back when, he wasn't much of a drinker."

"He still isn't, I guess. He never drinks. Something about being a role model," Jongdae said, just then taking notice of Baekhyun's confused expression.

"Role model? Do people look up to him or something?" Baekhyun inquired, cursing the pending curiosity inside him.

Jongdae's face scrunched up with uncertainty, shifting his eyes away before muttering, "It's not really my place to say. His business, not mine. If you're curious, you should ask him."

"I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries," Baekhyun apologized quickly, sensing that he made Jongdae uncomfortable. 

Jongdae shrugged and smiled, now seemingly over it, grabbing Baekhyun's wrist. "Let's catch up with the doof," he laughed, jogging on with Baekhyun in tow.

As expected of twenty year-olds wanting to have some fun, they arrived at a club which Jongdae heatedly announced was the best in town, mainly because his childhood friend worked there. He quickly introduced Baekhyun to his friend, the bartender who’s name was Minseok, before ordering a round of shots for them to get the night started.

"Seriously Chanyeol, drink just a little. Loosen up a bit," Jongdae said, pushing the shot glass to the taller man with puppy eyes. 

Chanyeol shook his head, rolling his eyes. "No matter how much you insist, you know I'm not going to."

Jongdae groaned loudly before giving up, "It was worth a shot. See, Baek? What a loser."

"The only loser I see around here is you," Chanyeol snapped, glaring back at Jongdae who seemed to catch on that he was only teasing.

"Lies. You're full of lies, you lying liar."

"If I'm a lying liar, does that make me truthful?"

"No, because you're still lying. You're still lying about lying."

"So...."

"So then, you're lying about calling me a loser."

"You need to get your head checked."

Baekhyun sat back and watched in amusement as he watched the two continue their bantering once more and wondered how often they were at each other's throats in a single work day. Maybe he didn't want to know. Baekhyun inwardly chuckled when he saw Jongdae slap Chanyeol upside the head, only to have the taller flick him back on the forehead. They acted like children, but it was funny.

Baekhyun couldn't help the melting of his brain as he witnessed their cute playfulness.

Baekhyun couldn't get over how wonderful that smile of Chanyeol was. How had he gone so long without seeing it?

Though, the underlining thought being, 'was it his fault he missed out on that?'

The whole Chanyeol-Dilemma still bothered him, even though they were becoming closer now.

"Hey, why that face?! Here, drink!" Jongdae then yelled in his face, in which Baekhyun hadn't even realized a frown had made its way there, and practically choked him with the liquid that burned his throat.

Baekhyun coughed heavily, having not expected the assault, tears stinging his eyes as he gasped for air. The heavy pounding on his back that Chanyeol gave him helped a bit too.

"Dear God, Jongdae, don't kill him!"

"Oh, he's fine."

Baekhyun's coughing ceased and he looked up at Chanyeol thankfully, muttering his gratitude in a raspy voice.

Jongdae took that as his cue to pull on Baekhyun's hips, pleading with a pout on his face. "Dance with me~"

Baekhyun didn’t have much of a chance to deny the request since Jongdae had yanked him out into the crowd of hot sweaty bodies that pressed the two closer together, which Jongdae used to his advantage by grapping Baekhyun hips and forcing them to sway to the beat of the music along with him. It didn’t take Baekhyun to loosen up and dance along with little care.

Over at the bar, Chanyeol remained there staring at the crowd of people, occasionally drifting his gaze to Baekhyun and Jongdae who looked to be enjoying themselves. He tried not to let his irritation show, but that didn’t seem to working very well for him when Minseok poked his shoulder.

“If you really don’t like it, just go over there and separate them,” Minseok said.

“Hm?” Chanyeol hummed, looking at the elder confusedly.

Minseok rolled his eyes and pointed a finger to Baekhyun and his friend. “Those two. If you don’t like it, do something about it.”

The way Jongdae was looking at Baekhyun was undeniable, he was obviously interested in the other, and Chanyeol often tried to tell himself it didn’t bother him, but who was he kidding.

It really pissed him off every time flirted with his—

—his friend.

Nonetheless, it didn’t sit well with him.

Chanyeol turned away from the two to sit across from Minseok properly, not wanting to look in that particular direction anymore.

“Who am I to do that, though? They seem to be having a god time,” he grumbled, practically glaring at the countertop.

“Yeah, but you’re not.”

That was true.

“So ing stop sulking and get off your .”

This hyung was being rather pushy.

When Chanyeol still made no attempt to move, Minseok was tempted to hit him, but instead settled with giving the other a pleading look.

Which Chanyeol wasn’t used to, and it freaking him out a little.

“Please, will you go over there and stop my Jongdae from flirting with your…What was his name again?”

“Baekhyun.”

“Your Baekhynun.”

Chanyeol sighed, “He’s not mine—”

“Well tonight I’m calling bull. Now I’m your hyung and I am ordering you to tell my Jongdae to come here.”

Chanyeol realized this wasn’t a request but a ing demand and pushed himself off the stool and weaved his way through the many people, trying not to get d in the process.

“Jongdae, Minseok wants you,” he had to yell over the music to Jongdae.

“What’s he want?” Jongdae yelled back, still dancing.

“I don’t know, just go.”

Jongdae exhaled in annoyance before telling Baekhyun he’d be right back then disappearing in the crowd.

The two that were left only stood, the awkward air between them nearly suffocating them—or was that the stuffy crowd?

Chanyeol, like he normally did when he felt weird, scratched his head before leaning closer to Baekhyun, “Can I be your substitute until Jongdae comes back?”

Baekhyun didn’t hesitate to say yes.

And that was that. They were dancing.

Well, Baekhyun was dancing and Chanyeol was awkwardly moving his long limbs in a way that appeared like he was “dancing”.

What the hell was he doing, he asked himself.

He was dancing with Baekhyun, something he thought he would never do again.

What the hell was this?

Baekhyun’s smile, the loud music, the flashing lights, the laughter.

Chanyeol felt light-headed.

And then his phone began ringing, and Baekhyun was a little disappointed when Chanyeol didn’t ignore it. Actually, the other immediately stopped everything he was doing and answered the phone, walking away as soon as he saw the caller ID.

Baekhyun thought they were having a fun time.

Was the call that important?

Honestly, Baekhyun’s heart was pounding harder and faster than it had in a very long long time, and it wasn’t just from the dancing.

Curiously, Baekhyun went after him, making sure not to be noticed. Chanyeol had made his way outside and was speaking in hushed tones, peaking Baekhyun’s curiosity even more. Baekhyun made sure to keep hidden in the shadows of the street as he listened in.

He also felt a little bad for eavesdropping, he wasn’t normally like this.

He felt like an immature teenager again.

“Yes, baby, I’m fine….”

Baby?

“I know, I’ll stop by before work tomorrow, how about that?”

He was speaking with such care…

“Oh, baby…I know.”

With adoration.

Baekhyun all of a sudden, really didn’t like this anymore, didn’t like anything.

Especially Chanyeol’s voice.

It sounded almost sour to him.

“Get some sleep, okay?”

Was that care sounding in his voice?

“I love you, baby.”

Baekhyun didn’t enjoy the rest of his night.

So much for a fun distraction.

A/N: It seems that I've taken to updating on Saturdays....

So~~~ i think now is the perfect time to say, "wtf chanyeol...."

honestly, even i am a little irritated with the guy but i have everything figured out so when in doubt sing this song:

i was listening/singing this song the whole time i was writing this chapter xD lol don't judge me (???)

Please comment and subscribe~~~

<3 <3 <3 i love you