A/N: There was an issue with me posting this story on here that I only now caught, sorry for the confusion >____< I'm terribly sorry

Baekhyun stretched lazily, mouth sighing open in a wide yawn. He could tell it was late in the morning before he even opened his eyes—the sunshine gleaming though the window was strong and warm. His bed was so comfortable he almost wanted to fall back asleep, but instead he blinked his eyes open groggily, glancing at the alarm clock on his bedside table.

Just as he had predicted, it was just past 10:45. Baekhyun laid there for a few moments, basking in the comfort of his sheets and trying to convince his body to move. Ten minutes later he was finally padding into his bathroom for a shower. He turned the hot water on, glancing in the mirror. His bangs were sticking up in hilarious ways and he laughed at himself, trying to tame them with his fingers before the mirror fogged up. He failed, shrugging off his pajamas and stepping into the hot water.

Warm, dressed, and squeaky clean, Baekhyun entered the kitchen. His flat mate and friend Luhan was still asleep, so Baekhyun made breakfast for only himself, eating some eggs while his coffee boiled. His plate was empty just as his cup was full, so he took the mug and went outside, sitting on his front steps. It was noon by now, sidewalk full of people bustling about.

“Baekhyun! You must have slept well.”

“Mrs. Ahn!” It was his neighbor, stepping from her house and waving at him. “Good morning.”

“Just barely morning, but yes, good.” She smiled at him. “Are you doing well?”

The old woman’s concern brought a grin to Baekhyun’s lips. “Very, yourself?”

“Oh I’m doing fine.” It was almost as if she brushed off his question, asking “Doing anything today?”

Baekhyun had to think for a moment, and when he did the smile on his face grew wide. “Chanyeol is coming home today.” He said, almost to himself. The smile on Mrs. Ahn’s face faltered but he did not see it, instead draining his coffee and standing up.

“I have to go, have a lovely day!” He said hurriedly, rushing inside. He was almost buzzing with excitement. Chanyeol was coming home today. Chanyeol. He simply couldn’t stop smiling—it had been forever, it seemed, since he’d last been in the loving man’s arms.

Everything had to be perfect, so Baekhyun decided that he would pass the time cleaning. The living room was surprisingly spotless, with Luhan now awake and on the couch, robe on and newspaper in hand. He didn’t look very surprised as Baekhyun got out the vacuum cleaner, wordlessly picking his legs from the floor and tucking them under himself, as if this was a normal occurrence.

It puzzled Baekhyun—he didn’t clean often—but he didn’t question it.

After a few hours, the entire place practically gleaming. Luhan had watched him clean for a good while with a curious expression on his face, as if he wanted to say something, but eventually excused himself to take a shower. Since there was no sign of Chanyeol, after a while Baekhyun decided to start cooking dinner.

Chanyeol liked pasta; Baekhyun decided to make spaghetti. He cooked for three people—himself, his boyfriend, and Luhan, setting the table for three as well. There was no doubt in his mind that Chanyeol would come in time for dinner, and he sang while he cooked.

Once the table was set and food was dished out, he and Luhan waited. Baekhyun’s smile never faltered, ears pricked for the front door opening. Chanyeol was coming home today.

After twenty minutes however, Luhan convinced Baekhyun that Chanyeol would probably just be coming late, and they began to eat. They ate in silence. The third plate at the table went cold.

After the dishes were done, Baekhyun took Chanyeol’s plate of food and covered it in plastic wrap, deciding he would put it in the refrigerator for the younger to heat up when he got home. But upon opening the fridge he was met with the sight of almost twenty plates, full of food and wrapped in plastic wrap, the same as the one in his hand. His eyebrows knitted.

“Luhan?” he called.

“What?” Luhan stuck his head in the kitchen.

“Why is the fridge full of plates?”

Luhan paled visibly. “They aren’t important,” he said. “You can just throw them away.”

That didn’t really answer his question, Baekhyun deciding that he would just leave his plate on the counter. Since Chanyeol was only getting home later that night, the food wouldn’t spoil.

Baekhyun tried to stay up to see Chanyeol, but after almost falling asleep on the couch three times, he gave in to Luhan’s coaxing and got in bed, leaving plenty of room on the left side of the mattress for Chanyeol to slide into when his boyfriend got home.

Baekhyun stretched lazily, yawning and rubbing his eyes. It was late morning, and all Baekhyun really wanted to do was go back to sleep. He rolled in his blankets, almost doing so when he remembered something that made him sit upright.

Chanyeol was coming home today. Chanyeol.

A smile stretched from ear to ear, and Baekhyun grabbed his pillow, hugging it to his chest. Excitement bubbled in him as he rushed through his shower. He hadn’t seen Chanyeol in what felt like forever.

After eating, Baekhyun made himself a cup of coffee and sat on his front porch, watching people hurry past. He didn’t know how long he sat there, but after some time Luhan opened the door, almost hitting Baekhyun with it.

“Oh, there you are! I’m going shopping, want to come with?”

“Sure!”

While they were out Baekhyun bought Chanyeol two shirts, informing Luhan that Chanyeol would be coming home, and that he couldn’t wait. Luhan’s smile became strained, Baekhyun not knowing why, or really caring. He was too happy, too excited.

When they got home, Baekhyun placed the shirts in his room before starting dinner. They’d bought chicken while they were out, so he got to work making tonkatsu. It was easy, Luhan entering the kitchen as he began setting the table.

“Baekhyun… Don’t set a place for Chanyeol.” Luhan’s expression was almost pained, stressed, making Baekhyun concerned.

“Why not? He’s probably going to be home soon; I made this dinner for him.” Baekhyun put food on Chanyeol’s plate, carrying it over to the table. Luhan stepped in front of him.

“Chanyeol isn’t coming home, alright? He’s not.”

“Yes he is.” Baekhyun tried to move around Luhan, but the older wouldn’t budge.

“No, he’s not. We’ve talked about this before.”

That made Baekhyun pause. “We’ve never had this conversation.”

“I know you’re blocking me out but- Baekhyun, please. I can’t stand it anymore. Seeing you like this hurts too much.”

Baekhyun swallowed. “Luhan—”

“It’s been over two months since Chanyeol’s been here, alright? He died, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun’s hand went limp, the plate he was carrying crashing to the floor.

“Don’t say things like that. And with such a serious face—it isn’t funny.” Baekhyun reached into the cabinet to get another plate, but Luhan grabbed his wrist, frustration and sadness etched into his features.  Baekhyun wanted to be frustrated too, but something about the way Luhan was acting was so abnormal, how his movements were so sharp, how his voice was so low, that made concern for his friend more important. Despite what he was saying, despite how much Baekhyun didn’t want to listen, he gave his friend a questioning look. The older took a deep breath.

“Listen; you’re my friend, and I love you—I understand that pretending Chanyeol is still here makes you feel better, but it’s been going on for over a month. You do the same thing every day. Every day you tell me that today’s the day—that he’s coming home… Every day you clean, or buy him gifts, or make his favorite meal for dinner. You save his dinner for him in the refrigerator so he can “eat it when he gets home”, every day. That’s why there’s all those plates in the fridge- but Baekhyun, please… He’s not coming home.”

“Luhan, I couldn’t have done that yesterday. I don’t remember.”

Luhan’s face was gentle, sympathetic, making Baekhyun grab his own hair, hands clenching into fists. “Why don’t I remember?” Hot tears burned his eyes and nose and he had to swallow hard to fight them down past the lump in his throat. He had been able to ignore it, so easily, that something was a little bit wrong.

But it wasn't wrong; everything was fine. Chanyeol was coming home. Luhan looked at him for a few moments, voice growing soft as he rubbed the back of his neck, letting the words past his lips as if he’d said them many times before.

“There was a car crash, we were all in the car… Chanyeol isn’t coming home.”

Baekhyun couldn’t do anything but stare at Luhan. “Why… Why would you say something like that to me?” He bit his lip hard, the spiking pain doing nothing to keep his hands from shaking. Luhan didn’t answer, just looking back at him, something extremely painful in his eyes.

Baekhyun wanted to scream at Luhan, shake his shoulders; more than anything he wanted Chanyeol to walk in like Baekhyun knew he would, and put a stop to Luhan’s words.

Chanyeol isn’t coming home.

The sound of a car horn blared in Baekhyun’s memory and something in him cracked; his chest hurt, his head hurt, and he sunk on the floor next to the meal he’d dropped. It wasn’t until Luhan crouched down and touched his face that he realized he was crying, but once he noticed the tears he couldn’t stop them, face becoming a tearstained mess. He felt like something inside him was broken, as if there were little bruises littering the inside of his ribcage being pushed on and punched. Luhan tried to hold him, tried to comfort him, but Baekhyun couldn’t hear anything, ears full of white noise. He didn’t want to hear Luhan. Slowly though, Luhan pulled him to his feet, taking him into his room and putting him in bed.

Baekhyun pressed his face into a pillow, wanting and trying to stop crying. He could stop his heaving shoulders, breath coming in gasps now, but everything hurt so much, and his body wouldn’t obey him. He tried to lie as still as he could until Luhan left, and once his bedroom door was shut he rolled onto his side, biting onto his sheets and squeezing his eyes closed.

From outside the room he heard a frustrated shout of Luhan’s and a crashing noise, then the slamming of the front door. After some time of deep breaths, Baekhyun fell asleep, completely spent and clinging to his pillow.

Baekhyun stretched lazily, face scrunching into a yawn. It felt strange; rubbing his cheeks, Baekhyun found salt residue on them, his eyelids burning and feeling achy. He was thirsty, his head hurt—other than that though, he felt fine.

But his headache wasn’t the only curious thing; on the chair in the corner of his room were two nice shirts that he did not recognize, folded neatly with the price tags still on them. Had Luhan bought them for him?

Getting out of bed, Baekhyun headed to the bathroom. He the shower, undressing and examining his face in the mirror. His eyelids were puffy and red, and he didn’t for the life of him know why. Deciding to simply shrug it off, he pushed the light concern from his mind and stepped into the shower. The hot water made him feel better almost immediately, smile growing on his face as he realized something.

Chanyeol was coming home today.