Chanyeol tugged the smaller boy closer, with a smile. "Jongdae-yah, what are you doing?" He questioned curiously, arms wrapped around the others shoulders as he leaned over to inspect the dishes on the stove top.

If Jongdae had known he'd be forcibly pulled into a love triangle by his neighbourhood friends, he would have never been so happy to move in with the other two. Baekhyun and Chanyeol always seemed in sync with one another. They were childhood friends, and most kids that had been at the same school as the three knew the story. Chanyeol's parents moving away to find work during a hard patch, and Baekhyun's family taking him in. There had been gossip that Chanyeol's family had simply abandoned him one morning, but Jongdae didn't know the details. And he had only slightly wished he knew more details before he had signed on to live in the spare room the two had in their apartment together. They had seemed so normal before he moved in, both smiling and nudging one another when they spoke of embarrassing moments at school that they shared together. Why had they seemed so normal?

"Yah, leave Jongdae-yah to cook, you'll distract him," Baekhyun snapped abruptly from behind the two, and both males paused to glance back at the grumpy male.

They were going to argue again, over nothing, and then give one another a cold shoulder--for a couple days. Then Jongdae would return to them on the couch together, like nothing had happened. That was their cycle. Jongdae didn't know why they seemed to repeat history almost every two weeks since he'd been living there. But he'd seen and heard enough to know he probably didn't want to know. He felt Chanyeol tighten his arms around his shoulders, leaning into him more, almost pulling him off balance. Jongdae steadied himself with the counter top. 

"I'm not distracting you, am I?" Chanyeol whined immaturely and Jongdae turned his head to look at Baekhyun for help.

But the others expression only showed annoyance. Why was there no one around to save him from the two? Why did he feel so much like a pawn? If it wasn't Chanyeol hugging him from behind, it was Baekhyun pulling him onto the couch for a movie; only until the other of the two stormed off angry and then they would make a noise and leave too.

"No?" Jongdae's answer didn't seem to please Baekhyun at all.

His dislike of the response was heard with the sharp, purposeful thud of the bedroom door being slammed shut. There was a second as Chanyeol hummed into Jongdae's ear, as if contemplating what to do, which didn't take long. The taller boy dropped his arms from Jongdae's shoulders and stepped away. A short annoyed noise broke Chanyeols' lips as he pulled his jacket from the back of the kitchen chair, shrugging his arms through the sleeves and fixing the collar.

"Are you going somewhere?" Jongdae asked although he knew the answer.

Chanyeol nodded as he glanced back at Jongdae. "Just out."

The sleeves of his jacket where roughly pushed up as Chanyeol closed the apartment door behind him. His hands were dug into his pockets as he began to descend the stairs, each foot a step until he reached the ground floor. There was a short look up to see whether Baekhyun was following him yet or not, before he shook his head. Baekhyun had seemed more than annoyed at him for being around Jongdae; he was probably waiting for Chanyeol to come apologize to him through the bedroom door. 

Two steps back came with a shake of the head before he turned and continued to leave the building.

It was a brisk five minute walk to find his and Baekhyun's favourite place. No matter how bad the food could be there, it had it's days and after a few drinks, the taste didn't matter. As he stepped under the open arch into the smell and sound of meat grilling. It was a quiet place, despite a couple groups who looked like colleagues having a small after work drink together. A smile came from the older lady who stood behind what was supposedly a counter and Chanyeol bowed his head a little in greeting. The plastic chair creaked a little as Chanyeol sat down and then began to fiddle with the buttons to start heating up grill that sat in the center of his table.

"Do you need help with that?" The lady from earlier had approached Chanyeol's table and the boy shook his head as he smiled up at her.

"No, I can do it, just bring me out a serving and some maekju and soju," Chanyeol ordered as he continued to play with the buttons.

Chanyeol was still attempting to light the grill when the chair across from him shuddered over the concrete floor and the taller boy looked up to see his best friend still wearing a disgruntled face. Baekhyun shuffled the bottle of soju and the maekju aside, and even the dish of meat waiting to be cooked. Once he was happy with the setting, he nudged Chanyeols' hands away from the grill. The younger boy leaned back a little, watching his friend start the grill in a matter of seconds and begin to check the temperature.

"This is why I need you." Chanyeol commented sheepishly.

It was Baekhyun's turn to make an annoyed noise. "I know you just pretend to be useless so I'll do it for you."

"How?" The other attempted to protest his innocence but the smirk still came to his face.

Baekhyun shook his head, holding his hand above the grill to feel the heat before he spoke, "you're studying to be a chef for one. And you work in a five star kitchen."

"Four and a half. They lost a half while I've been away," Chanyeol returned with a proud smile. 

That brought reciprocated smile from Baekhyun, who tried to straighten his face when he realized that he was losing to the boy who frustrated him more than he liked to admit. A breath was forced out of his lips as his lowered his gaze to the meat to be cooked and he began to place the pieces haphazardly onto the grill. (Which Chanyeol watched on in slight horror and amusement.) 

"Yah, it's food, not a horror movie kill," the taller boy teased as he picked up his chopsticks and tried to fix the mess Baekhyun had made. "You just make our drinks. I'll cook."

"Somaek?" Baekhyun's one word question was answer by the two beverages his friend had ordered already.

- - -

By the time the serving of meat was eaten, Chanyeol and Baekhyun were slurring their words a little from the alcohol, which remnants sat around the surface of the table. And they switched out for water at an attempt to sober up. There was still an agitated undertone in their conversation, both at least once responding negatively to the others words and Baekhyun currently shooting an annoyed look at his slightly drunk friend.

"Aeygo. Show me aeygo~," Chanyeol pleaded a little, leaning across the table as he tugged at the others arm. "Hyunnie."

Baekhyun gave in, his stubbornness breaking at the way his friend begged him and called him, 'Hyunnie'. The younger rarely used the name, but when he did, Baekhyun couldn't help but fold to do whatever the other was asking. There was a second as Baekhyun looked around to see if anyone was watching them. When no one's gaze was in their direction, and he brought his hands up to his face. It was embarrassing to do such actions and to raise the pitch of his voice in such a public place. Or maybe it was just embarrassing to do it in front of the younger boy who he liked more than he wanted to. He was trying so hard to remain in a platonic relationship, but Chanyeol always managed to put him in some odd position.

The burst of laughter vibrated through Baekhyun's ears and his eyes firmly landed on Chanyeol who seemed to have fallen into a fit of laughter. 

Anger boiled under Baekhyun's skin and he climbed onto his feet abruptly. "I'm going home."

"Baek. It was g-good," Chanyeol's words shuddered with laughter, "jeongmal." 

But Baekhyun didn't seem to either hear or want to hear his reason and Chanyeol soon was on his feet too, trying to catch up with the other.

"Baek! Hyunnie! Wait up! I really did like what you did! It was cute!" Chanyeol called out.

He stumbled over his feet a bit, still not completely sober and his eyes too focused on the back of his friends head. The other knew he was there, Chanyeol was sure he'd seen the other glance back at him when he had said his name.

"Jinjja, jinjja!" He continued to try and sway his friend into listening to his reasons. "Baek!"

Chanyeol managed to catch the collar of his friends shirt with his fingers as the turned the last corner. It was unexpected for both parties, Baekhyun who continued walking and Chanyeol who faltered when he felt the fabric. A result of a choked breath out, an angry huff of air and Baekhyun tugging Chanyeol's hand away in a rough manner. The pain seared across the front of his neck and he rubbed the reddening skin with his hand.

"Mwo?" Baekhyun snapped at the other who still stood in shock at what had happened.

"Mianhae," Chanyeol apologized softly and only after blinking himself into the current moment. "Jinjja jinjja mianhae."

The shorter male continued to gently run his fingers over the line that had formed where his collar had left a mark and he nodded. He knew Chanyeols' apology was sincere. They'd been friends too long for him not to be able to tell when the other was being completely sincere. It was why he didn't open his mouth again. There was nothing good that would come from his lips while he was still rushed with frustration and annoyance. But his silence didn't seem to ease his friends conscience. 

Even when the reached their building, Chanyeol hadn't said a thing and had remained a step behind Baekhyun right up to the front door of their apartment. 

"Do you remember the pin?" Baekhyun suddenly asked, his eyes moving from the digital lock to the boy who stood with him.

"Someone's always home when I come back," Chanyeol responded with a weak smile. 

"We changed it when Jongdae moved in," the shorter male explained a little as his eyes moved back to the numbers. "And when the other boy moved out."

The two stood at their apartment door for a moment, before Chanyeol reached over and pressed the doorbell. It was quickly followed by a loud knock and their roommates name. Baekhyun even began to punch in a couple numbers but was met with a deep buzz that said it was wrong. Three attempts and Baekhyun stepped away to let Chanyeol continue his plan.

No answer.

"Did he go out?" 

Chanyeol knocked again, and rung the bell once more before he nodded his head, shooting Baekhyun a look. "Must have."

Both their backs soon hit the wall as they sunk to the floor and decided all they could do was wait for Jongdae to come back. The other probably hadn't gone far -- or so the two could hope. Baekhyun sighed loudly as he tried to examine the damage his collar had done, but it was simply impossible to see, no matter how much he tilted his head forward. After a few moments, he began to run his fingers over it again and felt the raised skin where the fabric had cut across his neck.

"It's a red, but it doesn't look too bad. It should go away by tomorrow," Chanyeols' low voice mumbled and Baekhyuns' eyes flicker up to meet his friends.

Baekhyun nodded a little, but lost his words when Chanyeols' lips were suddenly on his. The other had been so quick to move, leaning over and catching Baekhyuns' lips with his own. An unexpected and shallow moan came from Baekhyun when Chanyeol began to his lower lip between his own and a hand found the curve of his neck, a fingertip running over the sensitive skin. No thoughts could be processed by Baekhyun who still hadn't caught up with what was happen, his body responding to Chanyeol on it's own and almost too eagerly. Chanyeol met Baekhyuns' body's response with a slightly rougher and more hungry kiss, pulling away slightly to return more aggressively.

It was Baekhyun shoving him away that broke the kiss. 

Chanyeols' eyes opened to find that his best friends lips were a darker red and faintly swollen, but he barely had a chance to admire his work when Baekhyun pushed him back more and climbed to his feet.

"You're back," Baekhyun's voice snapped Jongdae into action.

The flustered Jongdae climbed up the last steps, the bags swaying in his hands as he nodded and laughed lightly. There was no way he'd just seen what he'd thought he had. It was a hallucination. It had to be.

"Yea," Jongdae closed the space between him and the other two in a few steps. "Why are you two out here?"

It was Baekhyun who answered sheepishly. "Forgot the pin."

As soon as the door unlocked, Chanyeol pushed his way through, and before Jongdae or even Baekhyun could step into the apartment, the tall males' back was disappearing behind down the hall followed by the slam of the bedroom door for the second time. Jongdae began to doubt his hallucination was a hallucination, but Baekhyun taking the bags of groceries from him meant he didn't have a chance to truly ponder what he'd walked in on when he came up the steps.

"I'll put these away," Baekhyun smiled as he glanced over his shoulder at Jongdae, bags in his hands.

Jongdae nodded shortly, closing the door behind him after he stepped in and noticing the shoes easily kicked off in the doorway. Chanyeol had been quick to get those off. It had looked like the two had settled their argument, but Jongdae scratched his neck in confusion -- why was Chanyeol mad now? And why did they go out, to come home and switch moods? Were they that in sync that they traded minds? It might also have explained the hallucination.

Baekhyun?

Jongdae had heard the rumours that went around school. The boy liked other boys. A social pariah in the neighbourhood as soon as the gossip got out. It had even effected Chanyeols' usually popularity. The tall boy had been a favourite among the girls, while the disgruntled boys couldn't help but complain that it had to do with his height. But no one had ever questioned Chanyeols' preference. He'd had more than one girlfriend during high school and beautiful ones at that. Plus no one felt good talking badly about him; an unspoken rule that led to vicious gossip about anyone who broke it. Jongdae had often wondered if it was more jealousy and hurt feelings that made Baekhyun an easier target. Chanyeol was tall, but Baekhyun had the slightly better looks. Girls had been rejected more than once and boys struggled to look past the fact that he got attention that they wanted. But like many things, Jongdae didn't have the details and speculating only confused him more.

By the time Jongdae made it to the kitchen entrance, Baekhyun was emptying the contents of the fridge onto the kitchen table and Jongdae could sense a long night of cleaning was ahead for the other. The clatters of glass to glass and Baekhyun muttering to himself was a familiar sight. 

"I decided to clean out the refrigerator," Baekhyun stated, another smile given as if to stop Jongdae from worrying. "Channie never looks at the labels and makes himself sick if I don't."

"Do you want help?" Jongdae offered, but Baekhyun was quick to wave his hand and shake his head.

"No, I'll do it. You went shopping. You should watch television before Channie comes out," a small laugh came from Baekhyun, "he'll steal it without realizing."

His phone ringing in his pocket kept Jongdae from opening his mouth again, as Baekhyun was quick to usher him to answer it and Jongdae almost had no choice but to. The name on the phone read as Jong-in. A second of hesitation before he realized he needed a distraction. Baekhyun and Chanyeol. And Chanyeol and Baekhyun. It felt so unnecessarily confusing.

"Hello?" Jong-in's voice came through the phone first. "Jongdae hyung?"

"Yea, is everything okay at work?" Jongdae's mention of work was merely to remind himself. He was Jong-in's supervisor. He couldn't like Jong-in. He couldn't think the other was attractive. 

"Work?" Jong-in was mildly confused by this question, but after a short laugh. "I traded shifts. I work with you tomorrow instead of tonight alone."

Jongdae had specifically organized the shifts so he wouldn't have to work alone with Jong-in. Why had the other traded?

"Do you like working with me that much?" Jongdae joked through the phone, attempting to poke fun even though he suddenly felt slightly more flustered.

Jong-in felt himself lie for a reason he couldn't figure out; he'd never felt the need to lie before. "No, I just had an appointment."

"Who are you talking to?" A third male voice came from Jong-ins' side of the call.