Baekhyun groans in frustration. "Your dad found some boxes of your old stuff in the attic", his mother had told him when he had come home from school. "Could you have a look through them and maybe throw away a few things? There are only a few boxes, it wont take long."

Baekhyun had agreed, because how could he say no to his mother's request? However he suspects she might have been deliberately vague about the number of boxes because there is not a single empty space on Baekhyun's floor. He climbs over them with great difficulty and eventually throws himself onto his bed. He pulls one of the large cardboard boxes toward him and embarks on the long and boring nostalgia trip ahead of him.

 

An hour later he is still lying on his stomach with old toys and books and clothes scattered all around him. He still has at least three boxes to go through. As he pulls one of them closer he hears a small thud behind it. He peers over the larger box to see a smaller shoe box on the ground. It's colored in red and yellow stripes all over and on the lid his name is written in his 10-year-old hand writing. Intrigued, he leans over and picks the box up to place it in front of him on his bed. He looks at it for a moment and feels a slight sense of familiarity coming from it. He works the lid off carefully and looks inside. When he sees the contents he smiles brighter than a kid at Christmas.

 

Inside he finds ten, maybe even twenty, old notebooks and picture albums from his childhood. As he looks at them he remembers every singe one of them and what part of his life they represent. He picks up one of the oldest photo albums and smiles at his baby pictures. He notices how he didn't seem to smile much as a baby or as a young child, until he gets to pictures of when he was about six. Suddenly more small, smiling Baekhyun's start to appear on the pages and he seems brighter, almost like a ray of sunshine. Baekhyun wonders what might have happened to him, what might have changed in his life. Then, on the next page, he realizes what it was.

 

Next to him, in one of the photographs, on a park bench is 6-year-old Park Chanyeol. All his smiling photos are from the same year he met his first best friend, Chanyeol. Baekhyun notices how Chanyeol's smile and bright eyes have not changed since and it pleases him knowing that the Park Chanyeol he once knew so well still exists somewhere within the new Chanyeol.

 

Baekhyun suddenly remembers the song Chanyeol recommended him and goes over to his computer on his desk. He types it in, What a Catch Donna - Fall Out Boy, and soon enough finds a link to an audio. The song starts and Baekhyun is immediately pulled in by the first line:

 

"I've got troubled thoughts and a self-esteem to match, what a catch…"

 

Baekhyun smiles. Suiting. The song plays in the background as he heads over to his bed again. He rolls over on his back, done with the photo album, and picks up one of the note books. On the first page he reads "Secrets From the World. My collection". He chuckles at his old self and turns another page. By the date of the first entry he knows this book is from two years before high school.

 

He smiles at the old memories scattered over the pages. Old poems he has forgotten, and some he remembers, and countless doodles up in the margins of the old, beige colored pages. He turns another page, and another, until he comes to the one that makes his heart skip a beat. The only thing written on it is:

 

Extend your hand to me,

Just stretch a little further,

And don't say a word.

 

We don't want to get noticed.

 

I love you.

 

Baekhyun sighs, knowing full well who the poem was intended for. He closes the note book and shuts his eyes tight. He knows what kind of entries come after that short poem and doesn't feel like reliving those memories right now. He instead lets the sweet moments of his childhood circle in his mind over and over until he falls into a light but peaceful slumber.

 

Not 15 minutes later he is awoken by a light knocking at his bedroom door and someone letting themselves in. "Baek, dinner's ready," he hears his brother in the doorway. Baekhyun blinks a few times and nods at his brother. "Since when do you listen to Fall Out Boy?" his brother suddenly asks.

 

Baekhyun realizes that the song Chanyeol recommended has been playing on repeat ever since he first put it on.

 

"You know them?" Baekhyun asks and sits up quickly.

 

"Yeah, I have some of their early albums in my room. You want to borrow them?" his brother replys with a shrug.

 

In two seconds Baekhyun is out of his bed, lunging toward his older brother. "Give them to me now!"

 

 

The next day Baekhyun can't get the song out of his head. He hums it when he walks through the hallways on his way to class and even sings a few lines when he's sure no one is around to hear him. On his way to lunch with Kyungsoo, Baekhyun notices a tall figure standing outside the cafeteria. He recognizes Chanyeol immidiatey but hesitates for a second as he sees all the people standing around him, engaged in conversation and laugher.

 

Spontaneity gets the best of him and he rushes forward. "Chanyeol!" he shouts excitedly across the hallway. It's very out of character for the otherwise shy poet, but he doesn't care. He tells Kyungsoo to go on ahead and find them a seat in the cafeteria as he jogs over to the taller, lankier boy. Baekhyun sees how Chanyeol starts scanning the crowd for who might have called his name. When he sees Baekhyun approaching he gives one of his warmest smile.

 

"Hey partner, what's up?" Chanyeol smiles and Baekhyun suddenly turns incredibly shy. He gapes at the other for a second as he feels a fussy, familiar warmth rise in him. He hears Chanyeol's friends calling after him, but Chanyeol doesn't even look up. It's just like the old days, Baekhyun remembers, when Chanyeol would ignore everyone around him and put every bit of his attention solely on Baekhyun.

 

He momentarily forgets what he wanted to tell Chanyeol in the first place. "Um… How are you?" he asks nervously.

 

Chanyeol smiles. "I'm good," he says and digs his hand into his pocket. He pulls out a keychain and dangles it in front of Baekhyun. "I got my keys back."

Slowly bits of memory of their walk through the park the day before come back to Baekhyun. He recalls gazing after Chanyeol as he had run to retrieve his lost keys.

 

Baekhyun suddenly remembers what he came to tell Chanyeol. The song! Though he is relieved to hear the other got his keys back too.

 

"I listened to that song you told me about!" Baekhyun beams. "It's really good," he says with more then genuine  emotion. He hasn't liked a song as much in a long time.

 

Chanyeol' s eyes widen for a second before they go back in their usual eye-smile squint. "Really? I'm so glad you liked it! It's one of my favorite songs just because..." Chanyeol rambled on but Baekhyun could only smile up at him.

 

How could I not like it? It's perfect and just fits everything, especially you,  Baekhyun thinks before he can stop himself, and he blushes. He stares down into the floor, afraid that if he says anything more about the song something really stupid might come out.

 

"So I talked to Mr. Kim this morning," Chanyeol changes the subject abruptly, much to Baekhyun's relief. "He though our idea for the assignment sounded really interesting. He even said he looked forward to hearing what we come up with," he smiles softly.

 

Baekhyun had to take a moment to recall what they had decided on the day before; it had come up and passed so quickly Baekhyun had been baffled at how easy it seemed to be working with Chanyeol. Love in ancient Greek poetry. Now that he thinks about it, it sounded awfully pretentious. No wonder their teacher had gotten all excited.

 

"So when's our first date?" he hears suddenly and Baekhyun almost chokes on air and stares up at the taller boy in front of him. His mouth opens and closes, like a fish out of water, trying to find words again. "Study date," Chanyeol then clarifies and Baekhyun can see he is holding back laughter.

 

He looks away and stares intensely into the ground, feeling his cheeks turn a brighter shade of crimson than he ever thought possible.

 

"Oh, um.. I…" is all Baekhyun manages. What are you doing, Baekhyun? Compose yourself! "Later this afternoon? In the library?" he stutters, blinking up at Chanyeol and mentally kicking himself over how insecure he sounds.

 

What is this? he thinks to himself. He used to be able to talk so freely around Chanyeol. He could say anything and he wouldn't even dream of his former best friend ever making fun of him for it. They used to be inseparable. Maybe that was just it though: they used to be, but they weren't anymore.  How are you supposed to talk to someone who you have known your whole life, and then suddenly not at all.

 

"Library sounds great," Chanyeol chuckles at Baekhyun's incoherence. "I'll see you after classes end." He steps forward and brings his hand up to Baekhyun and ruffles his hair.

 

Baekhyun freezes completely because what does Chanyeol think he's doing?! As the taller sidesteps him and starts walking away Baekhyun wants to turn and yell after him to come back here right now, bastard, but instead he just smiles and scoffs lightly. The gesture had felt familiar and friendly and, as degrading as it might be, he didn't mind it all that much.

 

But if he ever tries it again he wont know what hit him!

 

Maybe it is possible for them to regain their friendship again after all.

 

 

Afternoon classes pass agonizingly slow and thinking of ways to impress Chanyeol with his extensive knowledge of poetry is the only way Baekhyun can keep himself from falling asleep.  He had luckily avoided Kyungsoo calling him out on his "friendly" approach on Chanyeol at lunch by catching Kyungsoo talking to his sophomore crush Jongin in the cafeteria line. After that the only thing Baekhyun had to do for the entirety of their lunch break was sit and nod as Kyungsoo gushed flattery and compliments all over Jongin from the safe distance of five tables away.

 

When Baekhyun's last class finally, finally, comes to an end he is the first person out through the classroom door, rushing for the school library. For a rather small school it is actually an impressive library, Baekhyun must admit. It has an entire section for poetry and that is where he spent most of freshman year, cuddled up in one of the cozy chairs with poetry all around him. He stopped going though when he became a sophomore because that's when he started hanging out with Kyungsoo, and by then he had already read everything that was of interest to him anyways.

 

After searching for a few minutes he finds Chanyeol in a remote corner of the library in a comfortable-looking armchair right opposite the one Baekhyun had always sat in during his visits in freshman year. The small table between the two chairs was covered in books he recognized all too well.

 

As Baekhyun approaches, Chanyeol  looks up with bright eyes. "Baekhyun!" he beams. The shy brunette smiles back at him and takes the seat opposite. "How were your classes?"

 

"Good," Baekhyun answers dryly with a shrug, not really sure how to answer the question.

 

Chanyeol nods and quickly changes the subject. "I gathered a few books I thought might be useful, I don't know if they are what you had in mind but it's a start." He rubs he back of his neck nervously as he looks down at the books stacked in piles on the small table by is side. "I'm still learning about this whole poetry thing," he laughed nervously.

 

Baekhyun finds every gesture that has just unfolded before him absolutely adorable. Chanyeol isn't supposed to be adorable, he is tall and masculine and buff, but every time Baekhyun sees him squirm slightly or give that awkward smile he can't help but shriek in happiness on the inside.

 

He snaps out of it and scans the table, reading the titles of the books Chanyeol had acquired. It's not a bad collection, not bad at all, and Baekhyun is surprisingly impressed.

 

"This is really good," he cheers and notices how Chanyeol lights up.

 

"Really?!"

 

Without realizing it they spend two hours sat in those chairs reading poems and sharing opinions and their analysis on different works. It is only when Baekhyun puts down a large collection of Greek poem and rubs his eyes that he realizes that the two of them are now alone in the library. The teachers must still be working, correcting papers or preparing lessons, in their classrooms but there is no one else in the library to disturb them. Baekhyun exhales deeply, feeling how heavy his eyes have grown, and lets his head fall back against the backrest of his chair. He eyes his partner as the latter flips through a similar volume to the one Baekhyun just put down.

 

Suddenly Chanyeol looks up and their eyes meet. "Here, listen to this," Chanyeol says softly as he leans forward in his seat towards Baekhyun.  He clears his throat with a cough before he begins his reading of the poem he found:

 

"I have not had one word from her

Frankly I wish I were dead

When she left, she wept

a great deal; she said to me, "This parting must be

endured, Sappho. I go unwillingly."

I said, "Go, and be happy

but remember (you know 

well) whom you leave shackled by love…"

 

With the last line he looks up into Baekhyun's eyes. Baekhyun smiles softly. Chanyeol's voice was soft and low, like he was sharing a secret no one else should hear. If only Chanyeool knew what those words meant to him, Baekhyun thought.

 

Baekhyun hastily shakes the thoughts from his head as Chanyeol abruptly straightens and leans back into his chair. "This Sappho-guy is pretty good, we should find more of his stuff," he says and starts flipping through the book again.

 

Baekhyun lets out a small laugh before shooting a hand up to cover his own mouth.

 

"What?" Chanyeol blinks at him.

 

With a hand still over his mouth to hide his smile, Baekhyun explains, "Sappho was a woman."

 

Chanyeol frowns with complete confusion as he looks over the poem again. "But it's about a girl..." Suddenly his eyebrows rise up and his eyes widen. "Oooh…" he says slowly and nods in sudden realization.

 

Baekhyun only laughs harder at Chanyeol's surprised expression. It's that one heartfelt laugh that only Chanyeol could get out of him with a silly expression or a bad joke. That kind of laugh that just makes your whole day.

 

Chanyeol looks over at Baekhyun and smiles again. "Well, she's still good," he says before they both double over with a new wave of laughter. When he finally  gets his breath back Baekhyun sighs into his chair. As he looks over at his old friend a pleasing thought comes to him.

 

Maybe things haven't really changed between them after all.

 

A/N: Ugh this took way too long and it still really short, I'm sorry! and I know I said Jongin was a freshman before but being a year younger than Kyungsoo would make him a sophomore. Again I'm sorry this is so late, hope you enjoy it and please comment! ^^